Loss of Knowledge About U.S. History

Less than one-third of the colleges and universities in the United States annually ranked as the country’s best schools require students pursuing a degree in history to take a single course in American history. This finding comes from a shocking new report issued by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA).No U.S. History

 "In 2012, 2014, and 2015, ACTA commissioned the research firm GfK to survey college graduates’ knowledge of American history. ACTA sees the same dispiriting results each time: 

• Less than 20% could accurately identify—in a multiple-choice survey—the effect of the Emancipation Proclamation. 

• Less than half could identify George Washington as the American general at Yorktown. 

• Only 42% placed the Battle of the Bulge in the history of World War II.

• One-third of college graduates were unaware that FDR introduced the New Deal.

• Nearly half did not know that Teddy Roosevelt played a major role in constructing the Panama Canal. 

• Over one-third of the college graduates surveyed could not place the American Civil War in its correct 20-year time frame.

• Nearly half of the college graduates could not identify correctly the term lengths of U.S. senators and representatives."

Without a firm knowledge of the history of the founding of this republic, graduating young adults will not have the foundation to protect the morals and principles on which this country was established and we can expect to see a continuing deterioration of the fabric and institutions of the United States of America.

At least the University of Texas still requires a course in U.S. History for history majors to graduate with a degree in history.