Two out of three Americans are unaware of the true meaning of Independence Day, which falls on July 4.
A survey by OnePoll tested the knowledge of 1,000 respondents in the U.S., 99% of whom identified as either born or naturalized citizens of the country. When asked what July 4 is meant to commemorate officially, only 59% gave the correct answer: “The signing of the Declaration of Independence.”
About 41% of respondents provided an incorrect response; a significant 22% came close by selecting “The establishment of the United States as an independent nation,” the survey found.
Likewise, a mere 45% of participants accurately identified the year when the inaugural organized celebration of independence occurred: 1777, a year after the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
As per the survey, a significant number of respondents demonstrated a strong grasp of U.S. history and civics by correctly answering a set of questions commonly found in the U.S. Citizenship Test.
An impressive 82% accurately identified the president as the “Commander in Chief” of the military, while an equal percentage (82%) recognized the “Star Spangled Banner” as the National Anthem’s title.
Before taking the test, only 61% of respondents considered themselves highly knowledgeable about U.S. history. By the end of the test, 73% expressed confidence in their performance, indicating they believed they had answered most or all of the questions correctly.
Where To Watch July Fourth Celebrations
“The Fourth in America” airs live on CNN from 7 p.m. ET to 1 a.m. ET.
The “Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular” will air live on NBC and stream on Peacock from 8 p.m. ET to 10 p.m. ET.
The “Capitol Fourth” special airs live on PBS at 8 p.m. ET.
Produced in association with Benzinga
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