A Nation That Can’t Explain 1776 Urgently Needs a Civic Education Revival

Originally published by The American Spectator.

Why did the United States of America declare its independence from England in 1776?

If you know the answer to this question, you are—tragically—in the minority. A recent civics quiz conducted by the Cato Institute yielded some alarming results: More than half of test-takers—ages 18 and older—couldn’t correctly explain why the 13 original colonies issued the Declaration of Independence.

This startling ignorance is demonstrative of an existential educational crisis taking place across the United States. Increasingly, Americans are unable to demonstrate a fundamental understanding of “the basics” of our nation’s history—everything from the Constitutional Convention to the freedoms our Founding Fathers secured and codified.

Read more at The American Spectator.