[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 129 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        S.Con.Res.129
                                         Agreed to July 10, 2000        

                       One Hundred Sixth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

           Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday,
             the twenty-fourth day of January, two thousand


                          Concurrent Resolution

Whereas basic knowledge of United States history is essential to full 
  and informed participation in civic life and to the larger vibrancy 
  of the American experiment in self-government;
Whereas basic knowledge of the past serves as a civic glue, binding 
  together a diverse people into a single Nation with a common purpose;
Whereas citizens who lack knowledge of United States history will also 
  lack an understanding and appreciation of the democratic principles 
  that define and sustain the Nation as a free people, such as liberty, 
  justice, tolerance, government by the consent of the governed, and 
  equality under the law;
Whereas a recent Roper survey done for the American Council of Trustees 
  and Alumni reveals that the next generation of American leaders and 
  citizens is in danger of losing America's civic memory;
Whereas the Roper survey found that 81 percent of seniors at elite 
  colleges and universities could not answer basic high school level 
  questions concerning United States history, that scarcely more than 
  half knew general information about American democracy and the 
  Constitution, and that only 22 percent could identify the source of 
  the most famous line of the Gettysburg Address;
Whereas many of the Nation's colleges and universities no longer 
  require United States history as a prerequisite to graduation, 
  including 100 percent of the top institutions of higher education;
Whereas 78 percent of the Nation's top colleges and universities no 
  longer require the study of any form of history;
Whereas America's colleges and universities are leading bellwethers of 
  national priorities and values, setting standards for the whole of 
  the United States education system and sending signals to students, 
  teachers, parents, and public schools about what every educated 
  citizen in a democracy must know;
Whereas many of America's most distinguished historians and 
  intellectuals have expressed alarm about the growing historical 
  illiteracy of college and university graduates and the consequences 
  for the Nation; and
Whereas the distinguished historians and intellectuals fear that 
  without a common civic memory and a common understanding of the 
  remarkable individuals, events, and ideals that have shaped the 
  Nation, people in the United States risk losing much of what it means 
  to be an American, as well as the ability to fulfill the fundamental 
  responsibilities of citizens in a democracy: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that--
        (1) the historical illiteracy of America's college and 
    university graduates is a serious problem that should be addressed 
    by the Nation's higher education community;
        (2) boards of trustees and administrators at institutions of 
    higher education in the United States should review their curricula 
    and add requirements in United States history;
        (3) State officials responsible for higher education should 
    review public college and university curricula in their States and 
    promote requirements in United States history;
        (4) parents should encourage their children to select 
    institutions of higher education with substantial history 
    requirements and students should take courses in United States 
    history whether required or not; and
        (5) history teachers and educators at all levels should 
    redouble their efforts to bolster the knowledge of United States 
    history among students of all ages and to restore the vitality of 
    America's civic memory.
  Attest:

                                               Secretary of the Senate.

  Attest:

                                 Clerk of the House of Representatives.