89% of US College Students Know Amazon’s Founder, But Only 28% the Amendment That Ended Slavery: Survey

Very few college students in the United States have basic knowledge of American history, while a vast majority know who the founder of Amazon is, according to a recent survey.

The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) has recently released “Losing America’s Memory 2.0,” a report compiled based on a 35-question survey of 3,026 undergraduate students in the US to assess their knowledge of the nation’s history and the government.

The survey conducted by College Pulse between May and June 2024 found that only 28 percent of students knew that the 13th Amendment was the government action that ended slavery.

On the other hand, a vast majority of students (89 percent) knew Jeff Bezos founded Amazon. Only 4 percent thought he was the owner of Meta, and 5 percent were not sure which company he founded, Erudera.com reports.

More than half, 56 percent, thought the Emancipation Proclamation was the action that ended slavery. Men were more likely than women, 35 and 24 percent, respectively, to know that the 13th Amendment freed enslaved people in the US.

Commenting on the concerning findings, Bradley Jackson of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni said students sadly lack preparation to participate in the democratic republic.

“Our form of government requires citizens who understand its nature and history. It should not be possible to get a bachelor’s degree without learning the basics of American history and government, but this is the norm on our college campuses,” Jackson added.

Kamala Harris is the Senate’s President. How Many Students Know This?

The results show that just over one-quarter of college students knew Kamala Harris, the Democrat’s candidate for the US 2024 presidential election, also sits as the Senate’s president.

When asked "Who the president of the Senate is?", 32 percent of males correctly identified Harris, compared to only 25 percent of female students. 28 percent of students thought Joe Biden was the Senate’s president, while 20 percent answered with “not sure.”

Many students appeared unsure about the length of a senator’s term, with nearly one-third thinking it lasts four years. Less than half of respondents correctly answered, saying, “Senate terms are six years and House of Representatives terms are two years.”

Over One-Third of Students Not Sure About the Year the Voting Age Was Set at 18

39 percent of students in college are not sure when the voting age was set at 18 and 20 percent said it happened in 1917.

Only 29 percent correctly knew that the voting age for Americans was lowered from 21 to 18 years old in 1971.

Other findings include:

• Only 35 percent knew that Mike Johnson was the speaker of the House of Representatives.
• Only 31 percent of students knew James Madison was the Father of the Constitution.
• Only 23 percent of students knew Abraham Lincoln said, “Government of the people, by the people, for the people.”

A large number of students (51 percent) thought the US Constitution was drafted in 1776, and 44 percent said Thomas Jefferson was the “father of the Constitution.”

“American colleges and universities must step up and take responsibility for this sorry state of affairs. They must lead the way toward a renewal of civic education, rather than aggravating polarization and flattening our discourse with illiberal ideology,” Jackson added.

A separate study from the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation found that over 70 percent of Americans lack basic knowledge of government and democracy. According to the survey of 2,000 registered voters, the results released in February this year, one in three did not know there were three branches of the government.

© Felicia Buitenwerf | Unsplash