Non-Americans:

[btownmeggy]

As part of my job I often meet people from other countries and engage them in conversations about history.

I'm curious about how much the average non-American (on CC) knows about American history.

Without looking at Wikipedia or Googling or whatever, tell me:

What do you know about the US Civil War?

Do you know who Martin Luther King, Jr. was?

[Kaplowitz]

what the hell is your job?

[Stopper]

I know everything I know about the American Civil War from a very informative and exciting film I watched, Birth Of A Nation. Basically, if Abraham Lincoln hadn't been assassinated, those carpetbaggers and mulattos wouldn't have got away with it, goldarnit!

MLK Jnr is presumably the son of the bloke who hammered that stuff on the door.

You gotta admit, the questions are pretty open-ended...

[Bad Speler]

ok...random american history i know...
George washington was the first president of the U.S
Nixon was the first and only president to resign from office due to the watergate scandal
The U.S civil war was a war about slavery, the North opposing it, the South for it. the north won. I believe that the victory was complicated by the fact washington D.C legalized slavery.
Alaska was purchased from the Soviet Union.

[btownmeggy]

You gotta admit, the questions are pretty open-ended...

Yes, they are. I'm trying to get an idea of what people who know a lot about it know and what people who don't know a lot about it know.

[btownmeggy]

ok...random american history i know...
George washington was the first president of the U.S
Nixon was the first and only president to resign from office due to the watergate scandal
The U.S civil war was a war about slavery, the North opposing it, the South for it. the north won. I believe that the victory was complicated by the fact washington D.C legalized slavery.
Alaska was purchased from the Soviet Union.

Let's see... what do I know about Canadian history... Hmmm.

You kicked the Acadians out of Nova Scotia, thus blessing the United States with our most delicious cuisine.

You call your Indians "First Nations" and "Natives", though maybe that's not particularly historical.

I did read Anne of Green Gables as a girl, so I have a pretty good idea of what life was like for late-19th century Canadian orphans.

Oh yeah, a man once ran (half-way) across your country with only one leg.

[Beastly]

The U.S civil war was a war about slavery, the North opposing it, the South for it. the north won. I believe that the victory was complicated by the fact washington D.C legalized slavery.

Funny that is what "they" try to teach even the American children, but it was really about industry.

[muy_thaiguy]

ok...random american history i know...
George washington was the first president of the U.S
Nixon was the first and only president to resign from office due to the watergate scandal
The U.S civil war was a war about slavery, the North opposing it, the South for it. the north won. I believe that the victory was complicated by the fact washington D.C legalized slavery.
Alaska was purchased from the Soviet Union.

Not quite, it was purchased from Tsar Alexander II in the 19th century.

[pancakemix]

ok...random american history i know...
George washington was the first president of the U.S
Nixon was the first and only president to resign from office due to the watergate scandal
The U.S civil war was a war about slavery, the North opposing it, the South for it. the north won. I believe that the victory was complicated by the fact washington D.C legalized slavery.
Alaska was purchased from the Soviet Union.

Not quite, it was purchased from Tsar Alexander II in the 19th century.

PWNed...

[luns101]

I'm curious about how much the average non-American (on CC) knows about American history.

I'm begging you not to ask the same thing of Americans. I think Jay Leno has already exposed how weak knowledge of our own history is.

[strike wolf]

The U.S civil war was a war about slavery, the North opposing it, the South for it.

Actually, it was about economics and power just like every other war. Yes, slavery was an issue (especially since the Southern economy had become dependent on slavery.) but the issues revolved around state power and profit.

[cawck mongler]

The U.S civil war was a war about slavery, the North opposing it, the South for it.

Actually, it was about economics and power just like every other war. Yes, slavery was an issue (especially since the Southern economy had become dependent on slavery.) but the issues revolved around state power and profit.

Slavery was never an issue, they only used it as a way to ostracize the confederates from Europe. Abraham would've liked to free the slaves, but wasn't willing to go out of his way to do so. Also, it was cheaper for factory owners to pay the freed slaves 5 cents an hour or whatever, then it was to feed and cloth them. America's view of history can be summed up in the word bullshit.

[muy_thaiguy]

The U.S civil war was a war about slavery, the North opposing it, the South for it.

Actually, it was about economics and power just like every other war. Yes, slavery was an issue (especially since the Southern economy had become dependent on slavery.) but the issues revolved around state power and profit.

Slavery was never an issue, they only used it as a way to ostracize the confederates from Europe. Abraham would've liked to free the slaves, but wasn't willing to go out of his way to do so. Also, it was cheaper for factory owners to pay the freed slaves 5 cents an hour or whatever, then it was to feed and cloth them. America's view of history can be summed up in the word bullshit.

I would say something to counter this, but I know it would only be wasted.

[magneticgoop]

The Civil War was a result of large cultural differences and political tensions between the northern and southern states (if slavery was legal they were considered a southern state). each side was determined to take control of congress. many "Band-Aide" solutions were attempted to appease the ever dissatisfied south. once California joined the union as a northern state the south was outnumbered in Congress (there was a 50:50 split at the time) and were barred from congress. the south then left the union. the north then went to take back the south and the south fought off the north. abolishing slavery was never part of the original reason to go to war, however Lincoln abolished it near the end of the war to prevent another civil war from happening.

[Skittles!]

How can you not know who Martin Luther King Jr. is? He was a main starter of the Bus Boycott, he wrote the "I have a dream.." speech, he was a minister for the church of some random state, and blah blah blah.

[McSnipe]

On another note, I wasn't born in the US, but I moved to NJ a year ago...you guys are too cocky about the revolutionary war. I have to remind people that it happened over 200 years ago, and all the wars you've had since then are either with yourself, or with somebody else, but you were later critisized by the international comuminty, and even your own people later.

The only possible one was WWII, but I just had an argument with with my class and teacher, where I said that you only joined in because of pearl harbor, then glorified yourselves for freeing the jews later on.

Saving Private Ryan: the real-life story was about BRITISH soldiers...guess us limeys don't make for good heros....

[magneticgoop]

On another note, I wasn't born in the US, but I moved to NJ a year ago...you guys are too cocky about the revolutionary war. I have to remind people that it happened over 200 years ago, and all the wars you've had since then are either with yourself, or with somebody else, but you were later critisized by the international comuminty, and even your own people later.

The only possible one was WWII, but I just had an argument with with my class and teacher, where I said that you only joined in because of pearl harbor, then glorified yourselves for freeing the jews later on.

Saving Private Ryan: the real-life story was about BRITISH soldiers...guess us limeys don't make for good heros....

ok ever herd of blood beach aka Omaha beach 2000 American men died on that one section of the beach. and Eisenhower was the mastermind behind d day. we single handedly beat back japan and simultaneously fought Hitler and mousolini and stalin (at one piont).

well it seems like without us you would be speaking german, or maybe that is how you prefer it

[nath21]

WWII won by allies (lots of countries other than USA as well) and russians fought 2/3 of the german armies so they should get the most credit.

Anwswer to original post:

Th very question you think no one outside the US would not know much of american history gets to the very essence of anti american sentiment.

[Skittles!]

On another note, I wasn't born in the US, but I moved to NJ a year ago...you guys are too cocky about the revolutionary war. I have to remind people that it happened over 200 years ago, and all the wars you've had since then are either with yourself, or with somebody else, but you were later critisized by the international comuminty, and even your own people later.

The only possible one was WWII, but I just had an argument with with my class and teacher, where I said that you only joined in because of pearl harbor, then glorified yourselves for freeing the jews later on.

Saving Private Ryan: the real-life story was about BRITISH soldiers...guess us limeys don't make for good heros....

ok ever herd of blood beach aka Omaha beach 2000 American men died on that one section of the beach. and Eisenhower was the mastermind behind d day. we single handedly beat back japan and simultaneously fought Hitler and mousolini and stalin (at one piont).

well it seems like without us you would be speaking german, or maybe that is how you prefer it

HAHAHA. Single handedly beat back Japan? You're obviously count off a couple of allies in the Pacific, erm, let's say Australia and Papau New Guinea, okay? Did they ever teach that to you?

And no, we wouldn't just be speaking German, we would be speaking all the languages still that we speak now. English would still frequently used, like German is still the main language in Germany and not English or Russian. Please don't plague us with your narrow minded views.

[McSnipe]

Skittles raises an interesting point.

Did they ever teach you that?

I have to pass an american history course at some point to pass high school. I can see me being expelled for my maverick ideals, and actualy knowing the the US didn't single-handedly win WWII, they helped...but that's why we're called allies, not "America & Pals"

[DeCaptain]

Anwswer to original post:

Th very question you think no one outside the US would not know much of american history gets to the very essence of anti american sentiment.

nowhere in the original post does it say anything about lack of knowledge from those outside of the US on US history. she was just curious about how much people know about it. i wouldnt be offended if someone asked how much i know about European history.

[Skittles!]

Anwswer to original post:

Th very question you think no one outside the US would not know much of american history gets to the very essence of anti american sentiment.

nowhere in the original post does it say anything about lack of knowledge from those outside of the US on US history. she was just curious about how much people know about it. i wouldnt be offended if someone asked how much i know about European history.

Is that meaning that you don't have much knowledge about European history or do you?

[DeCaptain]

eh decent amount I'd say. Enough to get me to pass a test getting me college credit while still in high school. To be honest though if your looking to test me on that subject it just so happens to be 2 in the morning here so I may not be in peak mental condition.

[Skittles!]

Ah, I hope that's more than the average-American. I really don't see how you could miss out on a whole continent + other's worth of history. It encompasses thousands of years. How can you seriously not teach that? it's sickening that they don't unless you do World History.

That about right?

[DeCaptain]

Basically. World History is required but thanks in part to Bush and my states gov., school funding has been cut drastically so unless you take a more advanced course you get a very vague lesson.