- Just two in five could place the Civil War in the correct 50-year period, and just half knew that The Federalist papers were written to encourage ratification of the U.S. Constitution.
- Nearly a quarter could not correctly identify Adolf Hitler.
- Less than half could identify the literary figures of Job or Oedipus, while barely one in two could identify the plot of George Orwell's immortal book "1984."
"What should we take from these findings? It is essential that parents, policymakers, and educators examine what we are doing when it comes to the teaching of history and culture," Hess said.
"We must ask whether popular reform currents are delivering the results we wish and, if not, what we should do about it."
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