[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 10]
[House]
[Pages 13555-13565]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING IMPORTANCE AND VALUE OF EDUCATION IN UNITED 
                             STATES HISTORY

  Mr. PETRI. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in 
the Senate concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 129) expressing the 
sense of Congress regarding the importance and value of education in 
United States history.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            S. Con. Res. 129

       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.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Wisconsin (Mr. Petri) and the gentleman from California (Mr. George 
Miller) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri).


                             General Leave

  Mr. PETRI. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks on S. Con. Res. 129.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Wisconsin?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. PETRI. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of Senate Concurrent 
Resolution 129, which is identical to House Concurrent Resolution 366, 
a resolution introduced in the House before the Independence Day 
recess.
  I would like first to thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Armey), the 
House majority leader, and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. 
Goodling), chairman of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, 
whose cooperation has expedited the consideration of this resolution. I 
would also like to thank Senators Lieberman and Gorton for their 
support of this resolution and commend the Senate for passing it on the 
Friday before the 4th of July holiday.
  I am pleased to be here today with my colleague from California as 
cosponsor to offer this resolution to draw attention to the troubling 
historical illiteracy of our Nation's next generation of leaders. 
Senate Concurrent Resolution 129 expresses the sense of Congress 
regarding the importance and value of education in American history.
  The need for this resolution is demonstrated by a Roper Center survey 
commissioned by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni. The Roper 
Center surveyed college seniors from the Nation's best colleges and 
universities as identified by the U.S. News & World Report's annual 
college rankings.
  Specifically, the top 55 liberal arts colleges and research 
universities were sampled during the month of December 1999. The 
results of this survey revealed that seniors from America's elite 
colleges and universities received a grade of D or F on history 
questions drawn from a basic high school exam. Seniors could not 
identify Valley Forge, words from the Gettysburg Address, or even the 
basic principles of the United States Constitution.
  Despite this lack of knowledge, according to reports by the American 
Council of Trustees and Alumni, many of today's colleges and 
universities no longer demand that their students study U.S. history. 
Students can now

[[Page 13556]]

graduate from all of the top colleges and universities without taking a 
single course in U.S. history. At 78 percent of the institutions, 
students are not required to take any history at all.
  Madam Speaker, I believe we should be alarmed by the findings of this 
study. When we lose our civic memory, when we lose our understanding of 
the remarkable individuals, events, and values that have shaped our 
experiment in self-government, we are losing much of what it means to 
be an American. We are losing sight of the responsibilities we share as 
citizens in a free democracy.
  Having just celebrated the 4th of July, our Nation's day of 
independence and freedom, a day that evokes strong emotions and 
feelings of pride in our country, I believe it is particularly 
appropriate to emphasize our need to know and to understand U.S. 
history.
  Madam Speaker, I include the following material for the Record:

                [From the New York Times, June 28, 2000]

               Basic History Test Stumps Many Collegians

       Washington, June 27--Nearly 80 percent of seniors at 55 top 
     colleges and universities, including Harvard and Princeton, 
     received a D or an F on a 34-question high-school level test 
     on American history.
       More than a third of the students did not know that the 
     Constitution established the division of power in American 
     government, said the Center for Survey Research and Analysis 
     at the University of Connecticut, which administered the test 
     as part of a study to measure the teaching of American 
     history.
       Students were much more knowledgeable about popular 
     culture--99 percent of the seniors tested identified ``Beavis 
     and Butthead'' as ``television cartoon characters.''
       But confronted with four options in a multiple-choice test, 
     only 35 percent could name who was president when the Korean 
     War began. And only 23 percent identified James Madison as 
     the principal framer of the Constitution.
       Asked the era in which the Civil War was fought, 40 percent 
     did not know the correct period, 1850-1900.
       Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, Democrat of Connecticut, said 
     that he and other members of Congress would introduce 
     resolutions calling on college and state officials to 
     strengthen American history requirements at all levels of the 
     educational system.
       The study, sponsored by the American Council of Trustees 
     and Alumni, found that none of the 55 institutions required 
     American history for graduation. And only 78 percent of them 
     required students to take any history classes, said Jerry 
     Martin, one of the report's authors.
       The history test was given by telephone to 556 college 
     seniors chosen at random. The questions were drawn from a 
     basic high school curriculum, and many had been used in the 
     National Assessment of Education Program tests given to high 
     school students.
                                  ____


                [From the New York Times, July 2, 2000]

                   History 101: Snoop Doggy Roosevelt

                            (By Scott Veale)

       Listen up, class. We hate to spoil your holiday weekend, 
     but an alarming new survey of American history knowledge--
     released just days before Independence Day, no less--suggests 
     that the nation is in desperate need of summer school. The 
     report, sponsored by the American Council of Trustees and 
     Alumni, a Washington-based nonprofit group that promotes 
     liberal-arts study, posed 34 high-school level questions 
     randomly to 556 seniors at 55 leading colleges and 
     universities, including Harvard, Princeton and Brown.
       Only one student answered all the questions correctly, and 
     the average score was a sobering 53 percent--even with a 
     couple of gimmes about cartoon characters and rap stars 
     tossed in. But maybe it's not too surprising: according to 
     the survey, none of the schools examined require American 
     history courses for graduation.
       So put down those tube steaks and sharpen your pencils. 
     It's time to match wits with tomorrow's leaders.
       1. When was the Civil War?
       a. 1750-1800
       b. 1800-1850
       c. 1850-1900
       d. 1900-1950
       e. after 1950
       2. Who said ``Give me liberty or give me death?''
       a. John Hancock
       b. James Madison
       c. Patrick Henry
       d. Samuel Adams
       3. What is the Magna Carta?
       a. The foundation of the British parliamentary system
       b. The Great Seal of the monarchs of England
       c. The French Declaration of the Rights of Man
       d. The charter signed by the Pilgrims on the Mayflower
       4. The term Reconstruction refers to:
       a. Payment of European countries' debts to the United 
     States after the First World War
       b. Repairing of the physical damage caused by the Civil War
       c. Readmission of the Confederate states and the protection 
     of the rights of black citizens
       d. Rebuilding of the transcontinental railroad and the 
     canal system
       5. Are Beavis and Butthead . . .
       a. A radio show
       b. Television cartoon characters
       c. A musical group
       d. Fictional soldiers
       6. The Scopes trial was about:
       a. Freedom of the press
       b. Teaching evolution in the schools
       c. Prayer in the schools
       d. Education in private schools
       7. The Emancipation Proclamation issued by Lincoln stated 
     that:
       a. Slaves were free in areas of the Confederate states not 
     held by the Union
       b. The slave trade was illegal
       c. Slaves who fled to Canada would be protected
       d. Slavery was abolished in the Union
       8. The purpose of the authors of the Federalist Papers was 
     to:
       a. Establish a strong, free press in the colonies
       b. Confirm George Washington's election as the first 
     president
       c. Win foreign approval for the Revolutionary War
       d. Gain ratification of the U.S. Constitution
       9. Sputnik was the name given to the first:
       a. Telecommunications system
       b. Animal to travel into space
       c. Hydrogen bomb
       d. Man-made satellite
       10. The Missouri Compromise was the act that:
       a. Funded the Lewis and Clark expedition on the upper 
     Missouri River
       b. Granted statehood to Missouri but denied the admission 
     of any other states
       c. Settled the boundary dispute between Missouri and Kansas
       d. Admitted Maine into the Union as a free state and 
     Missouri as a slave state
       11. Which document established the division of powers 
     between the states and the federal government?
       a. The Marshall Plan
       b. The Constitution
       c. The Declaration of Independence
       d. The Articles of Confederation
       12. When was Thomas Jefferson president?
       a. 1780-1800
       b. 1800-1820
       c. 1820-1840
       d. 1840-1860
       e. 1860-1880
       13. What was the lowest point in American fortunes in the 
     Revolutionary War?
       a. Saratoga
       b. Bunker Hill
       c. Valley Forge
       d. Fort Ticonderoga
       14. In his farewell address, President George Washington 
     warned against the danger of:
       a. Expanding into territories beyond the Appalachian 
     Mountains
       b. Having war with Spain over Mexico
       c. Entering into permanent alliances with foreign 
     governments
       d. Building a standing army and strong navy
       15. The Monroe Doctrine declared that:
       a. The American blockade of Cuba was in accord with 
     international law
       b. Europe should not acquire new territories in Western 
     Hemisphere
       c. Trade with China should be open to all Western nations
       d. The annexation of the Philippines was legitimate
       16. Who was the European who traveled in the United States 
     and wrote down perceptive comments about what he saw in 
     ``Democracy in America''?
       a. Lafayette
       b. Tocqueville
       c. Crevocoeur
       d. Napoleon
       17. Identify Snoop Doggy Dog.
       a. A rap singer
       b. Cartoon by Charles Schultz
       c. A mystery series
       d. A jazz pianist
       18. Abraham Lincoln was president between:
       a. 1780-1800
       b. 1800-1820
       c. 1820-1840
       d. 1840-1860
       e. 1860-1880
       19. Who was the American general at Yorktown?
       a. William T. Sherman
       b. Ulysses S. Grant
       c. Douglas McArthur
       d. George Washington
       20. John Marshall was the author of:
       a. Roe v. Wade
       b. Dred Scott v. Kansas
       c. Marbury v. Madison
       d. Brown v. Board of Education
       21. Who was the ``Father of the Constitution?''
       a. George Washington
       b. Thomas Jefferson
       c. Benjamin Franklin

[[Page 13557]]

       d. James Madison
       22. Who said, ``I regret that I have only one life to give 
     for my country?''
       a. John F. Kennedy
       b. Benedict Arnold
       c. John Brown
       d. Nathan Hale
       23. What was the source of the following phrase: 
     ``Government of the people, by the people, for the people?''
       a. The speech: ``I have a Dream?''
       b. Declaration of Independence
       c. U.S. Constitution
       d. Gettysburg Address
       24. Who was the second president of the U.S.?
       a. Thomas Jefferson
       b. James Madison
       c. John Adams
       d. Benjamin Franklin
       25. Who was president when the U.S. purchased the Panama 
     Canal?
       a. Theodore Roosevelt
       b. Jimmy Carter
       c. Franklin D. Roosevelt
       d. Woodrow Wilson
       26. Who was the leading advocate for the U.S. entry into 
     the League of Nations?
       a. George C. Marshall
       b. Woodrow Wilson
       c. Henry Cabot Lodge
       d. Eleanor Roosevelt
       27. Who said, ``Speak softly but carry a big stick?'''
       a. William T. Sherman
       b. Sitting Bull
       c. John D. Rockefeller
       d. Theodore Roosevelt
       28. The Battle of the Bulge occurred during:
       a. The Vietnam War
       b. World War II
       c. World War I
       d. The Civil War
       29. Which of the following was a prominent leader of the 
     Abolitionist Movement?
       a. Malcolm X
       b. Martin Luther King Jr.
       c. W.E.B. Du Bois
       d. Frederick Douglass
       30. Who was the president of the United States at the 
     beginning of the Korean War?
       a. John F. Kennedy
       b. Franklin D. Roosevelt
       c. Dwight Eisenhower
       d. Harry Truman
       31. When the United States entered World War II, which two 
     major nations were allied with Germany?
       a. Italy and Japan
       b. Italy and Poland
       c. Italy and Russia
       d. Russia and Japan
       32. Social legislation passed under President Lyndon B. 
     Johnson's Great Society program included:
       a. The Sherman Antitrust Act
       b. The Voting Rights Act
       c. The Tennessee Valley Authority
       d. The Civilian Conservation Corps
       33. Who was ``First in war, first in peace, first in the 
     hearts of his countrymen?''
       a. George Washington
       b. Woodrow Wilson
       c. Dwight Eisenhower
       d. Abraham Lincoln
       34. Who was the leader of the Soviet Union when the United 
     States entered World War II?
       a. Peter Ustinov
       b. Nikita Khrushchev
       c. Marshal Tito
       d. Joseph Stalin
                                  ____


                [From the Washington Post, July 2, 2000]

                        Neglecting History . . .

                          (By David S. Broder)

       A question for you before you set off your fireworks: Who 
     was the American general at Yorktown? You have four guesses: 
     William Tecumseh Sherman, Ulysses S. Grant Douglas MacArthur 
     or George Washington.
       When that question was asked late last year of 556 randomly 
     chosen seniors at 55 top-rated colleges and universities, one 
     out of three got it right. Stunningly, more of those about to 
     graduate from great liberal arts colleges such as Amherst and 
     Williams and Grinnell and world-class universities such as 
     Harvard and Duke and the University of Michigan named Grant, 
     the victorious general in the Civil War, than Washington, the 
     commander of the Continental Army, as the man who defeated 
     the British in the final battle of the Revolutionary War.
       That was not the worst. Only 22 percent could identify the 
     Gettysburg Address as the source of the phrase ``government 
     of the people, by the people, for the people.'' Most thought 
     it came from the Declaration of Independence or the 
     Constitution.
       The results of this survey, using 34 questions normally 
     asked of high school students, not elite college and 
     university seniors, justify the term ``historical 
     illiteracy.'' That is what four members of Congress called 
     the situation in a joint resolution they introduced last week 
     warning that ``the next generation of American leaders and 
     citizens is in danger of losing America's civic memory.''
       Congress can do nothing but decry the situation. As Sen. 
     Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, one of the sponsors, said, ``We 
     are not here to establish a national curriculum.'' But the 
     challenge to parents and to educators is not to be ignored.
       The college student poll was taken for a private group, the 
     American Council of Trustees and Alumni. Its report makes two 
     points: If these high school questions were used as a college 
     test, 65 percent of the college students would flunk. Equally 
     troubling, it said, none of the 55 elite colleges and 
     universities (as rated by U.S. News & World Report) requires 
     a course in American history before graduation.
       This, I would add, despite the fact that it has been known 
     for a long time that high school students aren't learning 
     much about our history from their teachers. The most recent 
     report from the National Assessment of Educational Progress 
     (NAEP) was in 1994, and it too was devastating. That massive 
     survey found that even though most students reported having 
     taken American history in the eighth and 11th grades, little 
     of it stuck. ``Few students (11 percent) reached the 
     proficient achievement level--defined as solid grade-level 
     performance--and only 1 or 2 percent reached the advanced 
     achievement level,'' the report said. Fully 57 percent of the 
     high school seniors failed to demonstrate a basic level of 
     understanding of American history and institutions--the 
     lowest category in the test.
       The Council of Trustees and Alumni, whose chairman is Lynne 
     V. Cheney, is engaged in an ongoing debate with academics 
     over a range of curriculum issues. But on this one, I found 
     the heads of the major historical groups largely in 
     agreement.
       Dr. Arnita Jones, executive director of the American 
     Historical Association told me, ``Of course, students should 
     be taking American history, and I would extend that to world 
     history as well.'' But she said that on too many campuses, 
     ``resources are being pulled away from history and given to 
     areas that seem to be more practical.''
       The reaction of Kenneth T. Jackson, the president of the 
     Organization of American Historians and a professor at 
     Columbia University, one of the elite schools whose students 
     were surveyed, was more skeptical. He said, ``The best 
     colleges and universities have strong history departments and 
     high enrollments. The smarter you are and the better college 
     you attend, the more likely you are to take history.''
       But he said that in his first message to his fellow 
     academics as association president, ``I said we don't take 
     our teaching seriously enough. We may be too free to teach 
     our own speciality, rather than what students need to know. 
     If you have a big department, it usually works out, but 
     sometimes the only course that's open may be a history of 
     19th-century railroads in Tennessee.''
       As Lieberman said, ``With the Fourth fast approaching, I 
     can think of no better way to celebrate the anniversary of 
     America's independence than for us to remember what moved a 
     determined band of patriots to lay down all for liberty, and 
     then to promise never to forget.'' Of course, you can't 
     forget what you never learned.
                                  ____


                  [From World News Now, July 3, 2000]

           A History Survey Taken at 55 Top Colleges in U.S.

       Anderson Cooper. A new survey shows that most college 
     seniors don't know jack about American history. Jim Sciutto 
     here was an American history major but we'll talk to him 
     about that later. Seniors at 55 top colleges and universities 
     including Harvard and Princeton, almost 80 percent of them 
     got a D or an F on a high school level history test. 
     Apparently only 23 percent knew that James Madison was a 
     principle framer of the Constitution. But on the upside, 99 
     percent knew who Beavis and Butthead were. Don't worry, sleep 
     safely.
       George Will. Yes, Beavis--`Identify Beavis and Butthead.' 
     That was one of the questions.
       Derek McGinty. Three percent missed that, though, which I 
     was wondering who they were.
       George Stephanopoulos. I'll--I'll--I'll confess. I took the 
     test and I got--I got two wrong. But I think George is on to 
     something. I actually taught at--at Columbia the last couple 
     of years, and they have a core curriculum which helps. What I 
     saw among the students now is they're in some ways very--so 
     much smarter than students in the past. Their SAT scores are 
     through the roof, but they don't necessarily know as much 
     because they're not getting this concentrated teaching in 
     history and other subjects.
       Sam Donaldson. Derek, a lot of white Americans look at some 
     courses that introduce African history at the expense of US 
     history and they say, `They got it wrong.'
       Mr. McGinty. Well, I mean, you're acting like there's only 
     room for one. I think you have to have an inclusive view of 
     history . . .
       Mr. Donaldson. I'm not acting any way, but I'm asking you 
     about that because what I told you is correct. A lot of white 
     Americans look at these courses and say, `Well, I should be 
     studying Texas history.'
       Mr. McGinty. Well, I think they should be studying history 
     as it--as it goes. It shouldn't be African or anything else. 
     It--it never was that before, you know. Just when it was--to 
     began to become--become more inclusive, suddenly it was 
     African or whatever. I think that there is room to have a 
     wide-ranging knowledge without leaving out anybody's history.
       Mr. Cooper. And that was some of ``This Week'' from 
     yesterday.
       Jim Sciutto. We have the quiz right here. And Anderson has 
     not taken it, so I'm going

[[Page 13558]]

     to take this opportunity to ask him a couple of questions.
       Mr. Cooper. Uh-huh, Do you know what they teach you in your 
     first year of correspondence--of anchor school, by the way?
       Mr. Sciutto. Never be quizzed on air, right.
       Mr. Cooper. Exactly.
       Mr. Sciutto. George W. Bush should have learned that 
     lesson.
       Mr. Cooper. Do you want to know what other questions you're 
     never suppose to . . .
       Mr. Sciutto. See, he's stalling so I can't ask him a single 
     question.
       Mr. Cooper. I'm using up time is what I'm doing.
       Mr. Donaldson. I want to now come to something that has 
     nothing to do with politics. It has to do with education. 
     Published in the New York Times is an interesting History 101 
     quiz. It was not given by the Times, but someone gave this to 
     55 universities. These are college seniors and Harvard and 
     other prestigious schools were included. Here were some of 
     the questions and some of the percentages of right answers.
       Number one. Folks, play along. Who was the American general 
     at Yorktown? William T. Sherman, Ulysses S. Grant, Douglas 
     McArthur, George Washington. Derek:
       Mr. McGinty. George Washington.
       Mr. Donaldson. Well, only 34 percent--34 percent--got that 
     right.
       Number two. John Marshall was the author of Roe vs. Wade, 
     Dred Scott and Kansas, Murbury vs. Madison, Brown vs. the 
     Board of Education. George:
       Mr. Will. Marbury vs. Madison.
       Mr. Donaldson. That's correct. I mean, the great chief 
     justice. Twenty-one percent of college seniors got that 
     right.
       Number three. The Battle of the Bulge occurred during the 
     Vietnam War, World War II, World War I, the Civil War. I 
     could add the Peloponnesian War. George Will:
       Mr. Will. World War II.
       Mr. Donaldson. World War II.
       Mr. Will. Sam . . .
       Mr. Donaldson. Well, let me just tell them--only 37 percent 
     got that right. But what do you make of this?
       Mr. Will. Well, all of these seniors at some very 
     prestigious schools, I don't know all of them, but they 
     included Harvard, Princeton and Brown. All these schools had 
     one thing in common: none of them have an American History 
     prerequisite requirement for graduation.
       Mr. Donaldson. Why not?
       Mr. Will. Well, that's an excellent question, having seen 
     that.
       Mr. McGinty. If we're fair, though, some of those questions 
     that had the lower percentages--because some of the answers 
     70 and 80 percent did get correct--some of the more obscure 
     questions were . . .
       Mr. Sciutto. Who said ``Give me liberty or give me death?''
       Mr. Cooper. And my options are?
       Mr. Sciutto. Patrick Henry, James Madison, John Hancock, or 
     Samuel Adams.
       Mr. Cooper. Patrick Henry.
       Mr. Sciutto. Right on. You're watching World News Now.
                                  ____


         [From CNN Late Edition With Wolf Blitzer July 2, 2000]

       Wolf Blitzer. Time now for Bruce Morton's ``Last Word,'' On 
     this holiday weekend, when we celebrate America's past, some, 
     it seems, may have to go back and hit the history books.
       Bruce Morton, CNN correspondent. Independence Day is coming 
     up--a good time to think about U.S. history, a subject 
     America's young adults may not have a very good grasp of 
     these days. A new survey asked randomly selected seniors from 
     the country's top colleges and universities, among them 
     Amherst, Harvard, Stanford, 34 multiple choice questions 
     about American history.
       Ninety-nine percent knew that Beavis and Butthead were TV 
     cartoon characters. Eighty-nine percent knew that Sputnik was 
     the first man-made satellite. Just one in four, 26 percent, 
     knew that the emancipation Proclamation said that slaves in 
     Confederate territory were free. Just 60 percent knew that 
     the Constitution was the document which established the 
     division of powers between the states and the federal 
     government.
       Thirty-eight percent correctly said Valley Forge was the 
     lowest point in America fortunes during the Revolutionary 
     War. Twenty-four percent said Bunker Hill was. Asked who was 
     the American general at Yorktown, where the British 
     surrendered ending the Revolutionary War, 34 percent 
     correctly said George Washington, but 37 percent picked 
     Ulysses Grant, a Union general in the Civil War.
       Only 23 percent, correctly picked James Madison as the 
     father of the Constitution. Fifty-three percent Thomas 
     Jefferson, who instead wrote the Declaration of Independence, 
     signed 224 years ago this week.
       Forty percent knew it was accused spy Nathan Hale who said, 
     ``I regret that I have only one life to give for my 
     country,'' Just 22 percent knew that the phrase ``government 
     of the people, by the people, and for the people'' came from 
     Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. Thirty-one percent said the 
     U.S. Constitution, 43 percent the Declaration of 
     independence.
       One student of the 556 surveyed got all 34 questions right. 
     Two students tied for worst--two questions right, the score 
     of 6 percent. Overall, the average was 53 percent right. Put 
     another way, if this had been a regular college test, 65 
     percent would have flunked, 16 percent gotten Ds, and 19 
     percent C or higher. Why such poor scores? Maybe because 100 
     percent of the colleges and universities in this survey, 
     require no American history courses; 78 percent require no 
     history at all.
       A philosopher named George Santayana once wrote, ``Those 
     who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.'' 
     What if he was right?
       Happy Independence Day.
       I'm Bruce Morton.
                                  ____


                [From the Chicago Tribune, July 2, 2000]

                   Jefferson, Not ``The Jeffersons''

                          (By William Hageman)

       Another wave of college graduates is heading off into the 
     real world, armed with degrees and eager to make their mark. 
     Just don't ask them anything about history.
       The American Council of Trustees and Alumni recently 
     commissioned a survey of more than 500 college seniors from 
     some of the top colleges and universities in the U.S. 
     According to the results, four out of five seniors quizzed 
     received a grade of D or F on history questions drawn from a 
     basic high school curriculum. How bad was it?
       --Only 34 percent of the students surveyed could identify 
     George Washington as an American general at the Battle of 
     Yorktown, the culminating battle of the American Revolution.
       --Only 22 percent knew the line ``Government of the people, 
     by the people, for the people'' came from the Gettysburg 
     Address.
       --Only 26 percent were familiar with the Emancipation 
     Proclamation.
       But all is not lost. Ninety-nine percent of the students 
     knew who the cartoon characters Beavis and Butt-head are, and 
     98 percent could identify the rap singer Snoop Doggy Dogg.
       On second thought, maybe all is lost.
                                  ____


                 [From the Boston Herald, July 2, 2000]

                        History's Greek To Them

       ``Don't know much about history,'' goes the refrain to an 
     old pop tune. According to a survey by the American Council 
     of Trustees and Alumni, it should be the theme song at 
     America's elite institutions of higher education.
       In the survey of seniors at 55 of the nation's top schools, 
     including Harvard and Princeton, nearly 80 percent received a 
     ``D'' or ``F'' grade on a 34-question, high-school level 
     American history exam.
       Most didn't know that the U.S. Constitution establishes a 
     division of power in the national government--a real brain-
     teaser.
       While 99 percent were familiar with the foul-mouthed 
     cartoon characters Beavis and Butthead, only 23 percent 
     identified James Madison as the principal framer of the 
     Constitution.
       None of these colleges has an American history graduation 
     requirement, and 78 percent have no history requirement at 
     all.
       Public schools share responsibility for this tragedy. 
     American history is too often relegated to minor league 
     status, squeezed in amid the trendy programs du jour.
       Sen. Joseph Lieberman, (D-Conn.), and others have 
     introduced a resolution calling on administrators, trustees 
     and state officials to strengthen the teaching of American 
     history at all levels. When you're starting with next to 
     nothing, there's nowhere to go but up.
                                  ____


               [From the Dayton Daily News, July 5, 2000]

                      Info-Age Students Missing It

                           (By Mary McCarty)

       Welcome back to work. If we can believe our daily 
     newspapers--and of course we can, every blessed word--we 
     spent this extravagant gift of a four-day weekend in style: 
     traveling, barbecuing, ooh-ing and aah-ing over dozens of 
     area fireworks displays.
       But not, apparently, teaching our young anything about the 
     significance of the holiday.
       Sunday's New York Times raised the question: What in Bunker 
     Hill do our college seniors know about history?
       The Times reported that a Washington-based nonprofit, the 
     American Council of Trustees and Alumni, conducted a survey 
     of 556 seniors at 55 ``leading colleges,'' including Harvard 
     and Brown. They asked 32 high school-level history questions, 
     throwing in a couple of pop-culture gimmes.
       One student scored 100 percent. The average score was 53 
     percent.
       Ninety-nine percent could identify Beavis and Butthead as 
     cartoon characters.
       But, given four multiple-choice answers--with the answers 
     staring them in the face as expectantly as Regis Philbin--a 
     mere 22 percent could place the phrase ``Government of the 
     people, by the people, for the people'' in the Gettysburg 
     Address.
       Ninety-eight percent knew that Snoop Doggy Dog is a rap 
     artist; 28 percent knew the Battle of the Bulge took place in 
     World War II.
       Thirty-eight percent guessed that the ``lowest point in the 
     Revolutionary War'' was Valley Forge.
       Yikes! These are the scions of the Information Age. An 
     unprecedented amount of

[[Page 13559]]

     knowledge is literally at their fingertips, only a mouse 
     click away. Miles and miles and miles of memory. Yet their 
     cultural memory banks appear to be running alarmingly low.
       Is that their fault or ours?
       How long has it been since American history was truly part 
     of the national conversation?
       Over the four-day weekend, we did Fourth of July with all 
     the trimmings: Fireworks, hot dogs and mustard, cookouts. 
     Only once, during that time, did any or our friends mention 
     the significance of the holiday. That was Zafar Rizvi of 
     Butler Twp. He was born in Pakistan.
       He brought us an essay making the Internet rounds, 
     ``Remembering Independence Day.'' ``Have you ever wondered 
     what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of 
     Independence?'' the essay begins, and proceeds to elaborate, 
     in gruesome detail.
       At Zafar's insistence, we reluctantly turned our attention 
     away from the grill. ``I didn't know any of these things!'' 
     he exclaimed.
       He wanted to know. ``I think a lot of times people take for 
     granted the freedom that they have--the right to vote, 
     freedom of religion, the right to change the system,'' be 
     said. ``I never voted until I became an American citizen.''
       Zafar hasn't missed a change to vote in 15 years. He brings 
     his 9-year-old son with him. He wears an ``I voted'' sticker 
     back to the office.
       He thinks it's important not only that we exercise our 
     present-day freedoms, but also that we remember and celebrate 
     our past. ``A lot of people don't know the sacrifices made by 
     their grandparents and great-great-grandparents,'' he said. 
     ``The Fourth of July is always a great feeling. I'm proud to 
     be an American.''
       Maybe Harvard should appoint him honorary professor. We 
     seem to be in danger of raising future generations with 
     gigabytes of information instantly at their disposal.
       And none of it engraved in their hearts.
                                  ____


               [From the Hartford Courant, July 2, 2000]

                      History is a Mystery to Many

       Maybe it's not surprising that far more college seniors can 
     identify Beavis and Butt-head than can describe James 
     Madison's role in framing the Constitution. But it's 
     disconcerting nevertheless.
       A test to measure the teaching of American history was 
     given to seniors at 55 top colleges and universities, 
     including Harvard and Princeton. Administered by the Center 
     for Survey Research and Analysis at the University of 
     Connecticut, the 34-question test revealed a depressing 
     dearth of knowledge about the United States. Nearly 80 
     percent of this country's best and brightest got a D or an F. 
     More than a third of the students didn't know, for example, 
     that the Constitution established the division of powers in 
     American government.
       Thomas Jefferson, who understood better than most that 
     democracy depends on an educated public, must be tossing in 
     his grave. Those who have knowledge about the nation's past 
     are more likely to be invested in its future and to 
     participate in its democratic processes. Sen. Joseph I. 
     Lieberman quoted the sage of Monticello as saying, ``If a 
     nation expects to be ignorant and free, it expects that never 
     was and never will be.'' The United States seems ``well on 
     its way to testing this proposition,'' Mr. Lieberman said.
       Across the years, students have always been more familiar 
     with the popular culture of their own era than with history. 
     But perhaps never during the life of the Republic have so 
     many known so little about the past.
       One of the reasons is the weakening of curriculums. The 
     UConn study found that none of the 55 colleges taking part in 
     the survey require American history for graduation. Only 78 
     percent of the schools require students to take any history 
     classes. Course catalogs are filled with too much politically 
     correct drivel.
       Mr. Lieberman is part of a bipartisan group in Congress 
     that has introduced resolutions in the Senate and House 
     calling on boards of trustees, college administrators and 
     state education officials to strengthen American history 
     requirements at all levels of the educational system. 
     Ordinarily politicians should keep their hands off 
     curriculums, but somebody has to speak up about the sorry 
     state of history instruction today.
                                  ____


               [From the Chicago Sun-Times, July 4, 2000]

                     Unhappy Course of Human Events

       Today is Independence Day, the day we observe the July 4, 
     1776, signing of the Declaration of Independence. Oh, for you 
     college kids out there? That's . . . independence . . . from 
     . . . England.
       We feel compelled to make that clear after reading the 
     other day about a recent history quiz given to seniors at 55 
     top universities and colleges. The results of the 34-question 
     American history test--high school level, at that--revealed 
     that nearly 80 percent of the students received a D or an F.
       The sorry showing revealed that college students--our, 
     gulp, future leaders--are rather illiterate, history-wise. 
     Beavis and Butt-head? Ninety-nine percent knew those cartoon 
     miscreants. James Madison? the ``Father of the Constitution'' 
     was accurately identified by only 23 percent.
       The survey was commissioned by the American Council of 
     Trustees and Alumni, which used it to bemoan the back seat 
     that history courses have taken in many of the nation's 
     universities. ``Students are allowed to graduate as if they 
     didn't know the past existed,'' said one of the study's 
     authors. That is a damning indictment of the nation's 
     colleges and schools. Surely, one of the functions of 
     education is to pass on the responsibilities of citizenship. 
     Too many kids leave high school unable to read; now we have 
     evidence that too many leave college unable to answer the 
     most fundamental of history questions.
       Those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it, 
     was the warning of philosopher George Santayana. But we don't 
     have to wait long to see the consequences of being 
     disconnected from our history. Every election it becomes more 
     and more apparent as voter turnout declines. Too many 
     Americans have forgotten--or never learned about--the blood, 
     sweat and tears that have been shed in the past for the 
     freedoms we enjoy--and take for granted--in the 21st century. 
     Young people have a particularly disappointing level of non-
     involvement at the ballot box. They are ignorant of this 
     country's tradition of representative democracy, its record 
     of expanding liberty and the duty of responsible adults to 
     participate in our republic's political life.
       Is it any wonder so many young people see no relevance in 
     politics?
                                  ____


                 [From the Detroit News, July 2, 2000]

                      Beavis Meets ``The Patriot''

       The new Mel Gibson movie, The Patriot, a historical epic 
     about the American Revolution, opened on this most patriotic 
     of weekends to generally upbeat reviews. If the results of a 
     recent survey are considered, however, one wonders where its 
     audience may be.
       The survey indicated that 80 percent of college seniors, 
     tested at some of this nation's most prestigious schools, 
     could not pass a very basic quiz on American history.
       Only 23 percent, for example, correctly identified James 
     Madison as the principal framer of the U.S. Constitution. 
     However, 99 percent knew who Beavis and Butthead were. So 
     they certainly wouldn't be expected to know much about how 
     the War for Independence was conducted in South Carolina 220 
     years ago.
       The survey results are hardly a surprise, given the way 
     that history has been watered down, politically cleansed or 
     eradicated for an entire generation of students. The 
     universities chosen for the study were, in fact, selected on 
     the basis of not requiring any American history course for 
     graduation.
       The English critics, who tend to take history a good deal 
     more seriously, have complained that Mr. Gibson's film is 
     perfectly beastly to the Brits. And in fact the Revolution, 
     for all its glorification in American folklore, was a nasty, 
     vicious war on both sides. It wasn't pretty, but it's a real 
     part of U.S. history.
       Mr. Gibson is, or course, a major star who turned 
     Braveheart, a film about the 13th-century struggle of Scots 
     under William Wallace to be free of English rule, into a box 
     office success. One of its big scenes featured the hero's 
     soldiers baring their backsides in a gesture of defiance.
       Not much of that went on in the Revolutionary War. If it 
     had, Mr. Gibson may have found a way to bring in the Beavis 
     and Butthead crowd.
                                  ____


              [From Newsday (New York, NY), July 4, 2000]

                 Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Barbecue

                        (By James P. Pinkerton)

       July 4 was once known as Independence Day, but now it's 
     simply ``The Fourth of July.'' The sense of history that once 
     motivated parades and patriotic displays is gone, maybe 
     forever.
       So today those who know that the Fourth commemorates the 56 
     signers of the Declaration of Independence, who risked all 
     for ``life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,'' are 
     joined by those who see the holiday as an opportunity for 
     barbecue, fireworks and party-heartying. And, although there 
     is nothing wrong with revelry, remembrance is even better.
       A new survey of 556 college seniors conducted by the 
     American Council of Trustees and Alumni finds that, while 99 
     percent can correctly identify the cartoon characters Beavis 
     and Butt-head, only 45 percent know even vaguely when Thomas 
     Jefferson, principal author of the Declaration, served as 
     president.
       And, while 98 percent can identify the rap singer Snoop 
     Doggy Dog, only 34 percent know that George Washington was 
     the commander at the Battle of Yorktown, which settled the 
     question of American independence.
       To be sure, there's often an element of snobbery in polls 
     that show Americans don't know much about history. No doubt 
     many of the heroes of Yorktown, Gettsburg or the Battle of 
     the Bulge had little or no formal education (although 
     surviving veterans of that last Nazi offensive in late 1944 
     might be dismayed to know that just 37 percent of college 
     seniors recognize the Battle of the Bulge took place during 
     World War II).

[[Page 13560]]

       But this poll was different: It wasn't directed toward 
     ordinary students but rather toward students at 55 leading 
     liberal-arts colleges, including Harvard and Princeton.
       George Santayana, an Ivy Leaguer, once wrote that ``those 
     who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.'' 
     But just the opposite can be argued, too: Those who don't 
     remember the past are doomed, or perhaps destined, never to 
     repeat it.
       It's possible that the United States has reached such a 
     high plateau of economic prosperity and technologically based 
     military superiority that the old values of heroism and 
     sacrifice are no longer deemed necessary.
       As evidence, consider the most useful look at the state of 
     the union in print today: a new book, ``Bobos in Paradise: 
     The New Upper Class and How They Got There,'' by David 
     Brooks. Bobos--a neologism combining ``bourgeois'' and 
     ``bohemian''--are defined as ``the new information-age 
     elite'' for whom ``self-cultivation is the imperative, with 
     the emphasis on self.''
       So much, then, for the dying words--``I only regret that I 
     have but one life to lose for my country''--of Revolutionary 
     patriot Nathan Hale (whom just 40 percent of the college 
     seniors could identify).
       Freely identifying himself as a Bobo, Brooks writes, 
     ``We're not so bad. All societies have elites, and our 
     educated elite is a lot more enlightened than some of the 
     older elites, which were based on blood or wealth or military 
     valor.''
       It would be easy to dismiss Bobos as selfish hedonists with 
     no larger interests beyond themselves, but that wouldn't tell 
     the whole story.
       It's more accurate to assert that the Bobos, and all other 
     less-well-off Americans who follow their politico-cultural 
     leadership, are developing loyalties to newer ideas and 
     institutions that seem more relevant to them than the 
     American heritage.
       For example, while the Stars and Stripes are as scarce as 
     chewing tobacco in Bobo neighborhoods, it's easy to find 
     environmentally-themed bumper strips, window decals, even 
     flags and banners. Similarly, other cultural and political 
     beliefs--from abortion rights to gay rights to gun control--
     are visibly represented in Bobo enclaves.
       If patriotism can be defined as loyalty to the group, then 
     Bobos are patriotic in their own fashion. Their loyalties are 
     tilted away from the nation-state and toward new categories 
     that often transcend national boundaries.
       But even Brooks, bard of the Bobos, worries that Americans 
     have drifted away from patriotic moorings.
       ``The Bobo task,'' he writes, ``is to rebuild some sense of 
     a united polity, some sense of national cohesion.''
       That's what ``Independence Day'' was once all about.
       But today ``interdependence'' seems to many to be a more 
     useful concept. If so, then maybe history, with all its 
     bloody memories, really can be a thing of the past.
       But, if not, the Bobos of today will have a hard time 
     summoning up old-fashioned patriotism out of the fog of 
     forgetfulness.
                                  ____


          [From the Roanoke Times & World News, July 3, 2000]

                 Don't Let America's History Fade Away

       Suppose you had to pass a pop quiz on America's history 
     before you could eat a hot dog or take in a fireworks display 
     tomorrow in celebration of the nation's founding. Could you?
       Or are you in the category with about 80 percent of seniors 
     at some of the nation's top colleges and universities who--
     according to a survey released last week by the University of 
     Connecticut--are more familiar with America's bad boys Beavis 
     and Butt-head than with America's Founding Fathers and the 
     principles that guided them?
       If the answer to the last question is ``yes,'' perhaps you 
     should skip the hot dogs and fireworks and instead attend one 
     of the many naturalization ceremonies that will be held 
     tomorrow for immigrants to become American citizens.
       Those immigrants must pass a test about U.S. history and 
     government, and often, say some officials of the Immigration 
     and Naturalization Service, they are more knowledgeable on 
     the subjects than many folks born, bred and educated in the 
     USA.
       OK, pretend the game isn't ``Who Wants to Be a 
     Millionaire'' but ``Who Wants to Be an American?'' Pretend 
     the stakes are--more valuable than money--the freedoms and 
     privileges that most Americans consider their birthright. 
     Could you, as immigrants must, correctly answer such 
     questions as:
       Why did the Pilgrims come to America? Name the 13 original 
     states. What did the Emancipation Proclamation do? How many 
     amendments are there to the Constitution? Why are there 100 
     members of the U.S. Senate? Who has the power to declare war? 
     Who was Martin Luther King Jr.? Who is the commander in chief 
     of the U.S. military? Which countries were our enemies during 
     World War II? What are the two major political parties in 
     America today? Who selects Supreme Court justices? What is 
     the basic premise of the Declaration of Independence?
       Granted, many immigrants participating in naturalization 
     ceremonies tomorrow might think Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 
     (rather than Abraham Lincoln) freed the slaves. But few would 
     confuse Jerry Springer with Patrick Henry, and almost all 
     would know that the basic premise of the Declaration of 
     Independence is that ``all Men are created equal'' and ``are 
     endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.''
       Any American born-and-bred college senior who doesn't know 
     that should be flogged around the ears and jowls with a raw 
     wiener.
                                  ____


             [From the Ledger (Lakeland, FL), July 2, 2000]

           Give Me Liberty or Give Me . . . Beavis?; Opinion

                          (By Thomas Roe Oldt)

       They say the kiddies don't know much about history. And 
     we're not talking little kiddies, either. We're talking 
     college seniors from the nation's allegedly top universities.
       ``They'' are the Center for Survey Research and Analysis at 
     the University of Connecticut, which recently conducted a 
     review of what those seniors know about American history.
       Turns out, not much. Given a 34-question multiple-guess 
     high school exam on the subject, 80 percent received a D or 
     F.
       More than a quarter couldn't pick the leader of the 
     Abolitionist Movement when given a choice among four people, 
     three of whom weren't even alive prior to the Civil War.
       Defining ``Abolitionist'' doubtless would have been a 
     problem, but the kiddies were saved the embarrassment of 
     being subjected to an exam even moderately comprehensive.
       When asked to select the time frame of the Civil War in 50-
     year increments from 1750 to 1950 and beyond, 40 percent were 
     stymied.
       When it came to Supreme Court Justice John Marshall, 67 
     percent couldn't pick him as the author of Marbury v. 
     Madison. The other choices included two 20th century picks, 
     Roe v. Wade and Brown v. Board of Education.
       Asked under whose administration the Korean War began, 65 
     percent thought it was someone other than Harry Truman.
       The source of the phrase ``Government of the people, by the 
     people, for the people'' was misidentified by 78 percent of 
     respondents.
       Only 26 percent knew that the Emancipation Proclamation 
     freed slaves only in areas of the Confederacy not held by the 
     Union. Reconstruction was believed by all but 29 percent to 
     refer to something other than readmission of the Confederate 
     states and protection of the rights of former slaves. Almost 
     60 percent thought it referred to repairing physical damage 
     caused by the Civil War.
       While 72 percent knew that Joseph Stalin was leader of the 
     Soviet Union when the United States entered World War II, 
     some picked Peter Ustinov, the actor. Too bad for the 
     millions who died under Stalin, a very bad actor, that 
     Ustinov wasn't head honcho. Thomas Jefferson was thought by 
     53 percent to be ``Father of the Constitution'' and 23 
     percent believed John F. Kennedy uttered the words, ``I 
     regret that I have only one life to give for my country.''
       Thirteen percent identified Sitting Bull as the phrase-
     maker who came up with ``Speak softly but carry a big 
     stick.''
       Basic cultural stuff, all in all.
       But take heart! Speaking of base culture, all but 2 percent 
     could identify Beavis, Butthead and Snoop Doggy Dog. It's a 
     good thing Our Future Leaders weren't asking about world 
     history. If the Magna Carta posed problems for them--only 56 
     percent got it right--imagine what the Hundred Years War 
     would do?
       So as an Independence Day weekend public service exercise, 
     here is a simple quasi-world history exam sent in by a 
     friend. Try this out on your college senior.
       1. How long did the Hundred Years War last?
       2. Which country makes Panama hats?
       3. Where do we get catgut?
       4. In which month do Russians celebrate the October 
     Revolution?
       5. What is a camel's hair brush made of?
       6. The Canary Islands are named after what animal?
       7. What was King George VI's first name?
       8. What color is a purple finch?
       9. What country do Chinese gooseberries come from?
       10. How long did the Thirty Years War last?
       While it's highly tempting to stretch this out over two 
     columns in order to fill the greatest possible space with the 
     least imaginable effort, it doesn't seem fair. So here are 
     the answers?
       1. 116 years, from 1337 to 1453.
       2. Ecuador.
       3. From sheep and horses.
       4. November, since the Russian calendar was 13 days behind 
     ours in 1917.
       5. Squirrel fur.
       6. The Latin name was Insularia Canaria, ``Island of the 
     Dogs.''
       7. Albert.
       8. Distinctively crimson.
       9. New Zealand.
       10. At last! Thirty years, from 1618 to 1648. On the advice 
     of counsel, there will be no disclosure as the columnist's 
     grade. Suffice it to say that the American history exam 
     offered much less resistance.
       Thomas Roe Oldt is a Winter Haven-based columnist for The 
     Ledger. His opinion column appears on Sunday.

[[Page 13561]]

     
                                  ____
                [From the Times-Picayune, July 4, 2000]

                  Students Should at Least Know George

                            (By James Gill)

       ``The Patriot'' is released at the same time as the latest 
     survey to conclude that young Americans don't know squat.
       What they are ignorant of on this occasion is American 
     history, ``they'' being seniors at such tony schools as 
     Harvard, Princeton and Brown. If they catch the flick, they 
     may learn a thing or two about the Revolutionary War, which 
     appears to be a closed book right now.
       If your kid's an Ivy League hot shot who hasn't yet seen 
     ``The Patriot,'' please do not spoil it by revealing how that 
     war turned out. Since Mel Gibson is the star, they will 
     probably have their money on Australia.
       Ok, let us not exaggerate, for it is not necessary. The 
     American Council of Trustees and Alumni asked 556 students 34 
     easy questions. Although multiple choice made them even 
     easier, only one kid got them all right, and the average 
     score was 53 percent.
       But the students are not so savvy as the numbers suggest. 
     Two of the questions were gimmes, with only 1 percent failing 
     to identify Beavis and Butthead as television carton 
     characters and 2 percent laboring under the misapprehension 
     that Snoop Doggy Dog was either a Charles Schultz cartoon, a 
     mystery series or a jazz pianist.
       Some of the answers suggested to serious questions, 
     moreover, were too outlandish for consideration. Anyone not 
     knowing who was leader of the Soviet Union at the outbreak of 
     World War II, for instance, should not have had much trouble 
     ruling out the English actor Peter Ustinov or the late 
     Yugoslavian premier Marshal Tito. The fourth option was 
     Khrushchev. The students did better on that question than on 
     most, with 72 percent plumping for Stalin.
       For 32 of the questions, four possible answers were 
     suggested--five for each of the other two. A troglodyte asked 
     to complete the survey might therefore expect to score close 
     to 25 percent with the aid of a pin.
       If the survey is to be trusted, the most privileged and 
     educated of American kids are worth two troglodytes. Perhaps 
     it is best if we do not know what the ratio is in Louisiana 
     public colleges.
       Today's students have such a shaky grasp of the 
     revolutionary era that even George Washington is quite a 
     mystery to them. Only 34 percent identified him as the 
     American general at Yorktown, and 42 percent as being ``first 
     in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his 
     countrymen.''
       One suspects that these kids must have been in puckish 
     mood, deliberately giving wrong answers. It is hard to 
     believe, for instance,that anyone could get through grade 
     school without knowing that Patrick Henry said, ``Give me 
     liberty or give me death.'' Yet there we have 34 percent of 
     college seniors who purportedly do not know.
       It is not that these kids have anything against the 
     revolution. They are just as ill-informed about everything 
     else.
       A stock question in these surveys seems to be when the 
     Civil War took place. Not precisely, of course, but within 50 
     years. The results are always shocking. This time there were 
     five answers to choose from, starting with 1750-1800 and 
     ending with the half-century now about to conclude. A 
     pathetic 60 percent nailed it.
       Applicants for American citizenship have to know more than 
     plenty of these guys. A standard question for immigrants, for 
     instance, is what the Emancipation Proclamation was all 
     about, and there is no multiple choice. Of the students in 
     this survey, 26 percent chose the right answer. Only 52 
     percent knew that the division of powers between the states 
     and the federal government is spelled out in the 
     Constitution.
       Ask about anything--the Federalist Papers, Alexis de 
     Tocqueville, the Scopes trial, the Monroe Doctrine--and a 
     profound ignorance is revealed. Let us hope that Henry Ford 
     was right when he said, ``History is more or less bunk,'' and 
     George Santayana was wrong when he said, ``Those who cannot 
     remember the past are condemned to repeat it.''
       Unfortunately, one suspects that Ford was about as good at 
     philosophy as Santayana was at making cars.
       While college seniors appear to be lacking in intellectual 
     curiosity, today's sixth-graders, The New York Times reports, 
     are under such pressure to excel in school that they study 
     constantly and may ``suffer tension headaches and bouts of 
     anxiety.''
       Maybe everyone should make time to go see a movie.
                                  ____


                   [From The Reporter, July 2, 2000]

      History 101: Americans Flunk When it Comes to U.S. Knowledge

                           (By Amy Baumhardt)

       If the words, ``Give me liberty or give me death,'' sound 
     only vaguely familiar, you apparently have plenty of company.
       According to a recent survey, nearly 80 percent of seniors 
     at 55 top colleges and universities--including Harvard and 
     Princeton--received a D or F on a 34 question, high school 
     level American history test. Yet, 98 percent were able to 
     recognize the music of recording artist Snoop Doggy Dogg and 
     99 percent could identify cartoon characters Beavis and 
     Butthead.
       How is this possible? Sixth District Rep. Thomas Petri, R--
     Fond du Lac, is asking the same question.
       Petri has joined with U.S. Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, D-
     Conn., to announce the introduction of a resolution 
     expressing ``the importance and value of United States 
     history'' and calling on boards of trustees, college 
     administrators and state officials to strengthen American 
     history requirements.
       On June 27, the Petri-Lieberman bill was introduced, urging 
     colleges to take seriously the need to teach American 
     history.
       Petri said, ``As we prepare to celebrate the Fourth of 
     July, it is particularly appropriate to emphasize our need to 
     know U.S. history.
       He added, ``A basic knowledge of United States history is 
     essential to a full and informed participation in civic life. 
     It is also the one bond that brings together our diverse 
     peoples into a single nation with a common purpose.''
       Petri feels that ``when we lose our civic memory, when we 
     lose our understanding of the remarkable individuals, events 
     and values that have shaped our experiment in self-
     government, we are losing much of what it means to be an 
     American.''
       Local high school history teachers and college professors 
     agree, to a point.
       The consensus seems to be that history is obviously 
     important. However, today's teachers are placing less of an 
     emphasis on specific dates and times and more concentration 
     on the overall impact history has on the lives of Americans.
       ``In my classroom, I teach my students historical 
     concepts,'' said Lisa Steinacker, history teacher at Goodrich 
     High School. ``I think it gives kids a better understanding 
     of why things are the way they are today.''
       At Ripon college, Professor Russell Blake shares the same 
     philosophy.
       ``There needs to be an assurance that all citizens have 
     some understanding of American history. However, I am not so 
     much concerned that the students know exact dates but that 
     they learn how to acquire historical knowledge.''
       Acquiring the knowledge doesn't seem to be a problem in the 
     Fond du Lac area, especially on the high school level.
       Steinacker was pleased to announce that history was the 
     highest scoring subject on standardized tests for Fond du Lac 
     students.
       ``I think that speaks highly for the K-12 curriculum in 
     this area,'' she said.
       Blake has no complaints on the college-end either.
       ``I think as a teacher, I will always have the wish that 
     students would know more, but I have been a professor at 
     Ripon since 1981 and have seen no decline in my students' 
     performances,'' he said.
       Perhaps Petri is correct in assuming the problems lies in 
     the fact that many students, once they reach the college 
     level, are no longer required to take U.S. history courses.
       At present, students can graduate from 100 percent of the 
     top colleges and universities in the nation without taking a 
     single course in U.S. history. At 78 percent of the 
     institutions, students are not required to take any history 
     at all.
       ``The focus always seems to be on math and science,'' said 
     Steinacker. ``An understanding of history is important to be 
     a well-rounded individual.''
       With the Fourth of July, the day of American independence, 
     fast approaching, the need for historical understanding seems 
     relevant to fully appreciate the holiday. Most of us enjoy a 
     holiday on the Fourth, but do we know why?
       Here's a quick history lesson:
       Independence Day is the national holiday of the United 
     States of America, commemorating this nation's split from 
     England and the beginning of self government.
       U.S. colonists were angered with King George III, due to 
     England's ``taxation without representation'' policy. When 
     nothing was done to change the situation, colonists took 
     matters into their own hands.
       In June 1776, a committee was formed to compose a formal 
     declaration of independence. Headed by Thomas Jefferson, the 
     committee included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Philip 
     Livingston and Roger Sherman.
       Together the men created the document that Americans still 
     cherish and abide by today . . . the Declaration of 
     Independence. The Continental Congress approved this document 
     on July 4, 1776.
       American history helps to define the nation's culture. It 
     is not possible to bury the past if we hope to have a 
     prosperous future.
       Like Goodrich teacher Mike Dressler said last week. ``The 
     purpose of learning about history is so we don't repeat it.''
                                  ____


 Education: Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb? (a) Beavis and Butthead, (b) 
            Lee, (c) Grant, (d) Brains of Today's Collegians

       Like other Americans, many of this year's graduating 
     seniors from the nation's top colleges and universities 
     celebrated Independence Day with fireworks and barbecues. But 
     according to a recent survey sponsored by the American 
     Council of Trustees and Alumni, a Washington-based non-profit 
     organization that promotes academic excellence in higher 
     education, those graduates would have better spent the day 
     learning what the Fourth of July means in history.
       In the survey, the Roper organization last fall asked 556 
     seniors at the 55 highest-rated

[[Page 13562]]

     colleges and universities to complete a test on 34 high-
     school-level questions about American history. What do they 
     know about their own country's past? Not much. Only one-third 
     of the students could correctly answer more than 60 percent 
     of the questions, even with a couple of pop-culture gimmes 
     thrown in; just one correctly answered all of them. Overall, 
     the average score was an appalling 53 percent.
       How badly ignorant are the nation's young best and 
     brightest about American history? Match yourself against the 
     elite from Stanford, UC-Berkeley, UCLA, Harvard and other top 
     colleges by taking the same test. Find out who are the real 
     Yankee Doodle Dandies.

     1. When was the Civil War?
       a. 1750-1800
       b. 1800-1850
       c. 1850-1900
       d. 1900-1950
       e. after 1950

     2. Who said ``Give me liberty or give me death''?
       a. John Hancock
       b. James Madison
       c. Patrick Henry
       d. Samuel Adams

     3. What is the Magna Carta?
       a. The foundation of the British parliamentary system
       b. The Great Seal of the monarchs of England
       c. The French Declaration of the Rights of Man
       d. The charter signed by the Pilgrims on the Mayflower

     4. The term Reconstruction refers to:
       a. Payment of European countries' debts to the United 
         States after the First World War
       b. Repairing of the physical damage caused by the Civil War
       c. Readmission of the Confederate states and the protection 
         of the rights of black citizens
       d. Rebuilding of the transcontinental railroad and the 
         canal system

     5. Are Beavis and Butthead . . .
       a. A radio show
       b. Television cartoon characters
       c. A musical group
       d. Fictional soldiers

     6. The Scopes trial was about:
       a. Freedom of the press
       b. Teaching evolution in the schools
       c. Prayer in the schools
       d. Education in private schools

     7. The Emancipation Proclamation issued by Lincoln stated 
     that:
       a. Slaves were free in areas of the Confederate states not 
         held by the Union
       b. The slave trade was illegal
       c. Slaves who fled to Canada would be protected
       d. Slavery was abolished in the Union

     8. The purpose of the authors of the Federalist Papers was 
     to:
       a. Establish a strong, free press in the colonies
       b. Confirm George Washington's election as the first 
         president
       c. Win foreign approval for the Revolutionary War
       d. Gain ratification of the U.S. Constitution

     9. Sputnik was the name given to the first:
       a. Telecommunications system
       b. Animal to travel into space
       c. Hydrogen bomb
       d. Man-made satellite.

     10. The Missouri Compromise was the act that:
       a. Funded the Lewis and Clark expedition on the upper 
         Missouri River
       b. Granted statehood to Missouri but denied the admission 
         of any other states
       c. Settled the boundary dispute between Missouri and Kansas
       d. Admitted Maine into the Union as a free state and 
         Missouri as a slave state

     11. Which document established the division of powers between 
     the states and the federal government?
       a. The Marshall Plan
       b. The Constitution
       c. The Declaration of Independence
       d. The Articles of Confederation

     12. When was Thomas Jefferson president?
       a. 1780-1800
       b. 1800-1820
       c. 1820-1840
       d. 1840-1860
       e. 1860-1880

     13. What was the lowest point in American fortunes in the 
     Revolutionary War?
       a. Saratoga
       b. Bunker Hill
       c. Valley Forge
       d. Fort Ticonderoga

     14. In his farewell address, President George Washington 
     warned against the danger of:
       a. Expanding into territories beyond the Appalachian 
         Mountains
       b. Having war with Spain over Mexico
       c. Entering into permanent alliances with foreign 
         governments
       d. Building a standing army and strong navy

     15. The Monroe Doctrine declared that:
       a. The American blockade of Cuba was in accord with 
         international law
       b. Europe should not acquire new territories in Western 
         Hemisphere
       c. Trade with China should be open to all Western nations
       d. The annexation of the Philippines was legitimate

     16. Who was the European who traveled in the United States 
     and wrote down perceptive comments about what he saw in 
     ``Democracy in America''?
       a. Lafayette
       b. Tocqueville
       c. Crevecoeur
       d. Napoleon

     17. Identify Snoop Doggy Dog.
       a. A rap singer
       b. Cartoon by Charles Schultz
       c. A mystery series
       d. A jazz pianist

     18. Abraham Lincoln was president between:
       a. 1780-1800
       b. 1800-1820
       c. 1820-1840
       d. 1840-1860
       e. 1860-1880

     19. Who was the American general at Yorktown?
       a. William T. Sherman
       b. Ulysses S. Grant
       c. Douglas McArthur
       d. George Washington

     20. John Marshall was the author of:
       a. Roe v. Wade
       b. Dred Scott v. Kansas
       c. Marbury v. Madison
       d. Brown v. Board of Education

     21. Who was the ``Father of the Constitution''?
       a. George Washington,
       b. Thomas Jefferson
       c. Benjamin Franklin
       d. James Madison

     22. Who said, ``I regret that I have only one life to give 
     for my country''?
       a. John F. Kennedy
       b. Benedict Arnold
       c. John Brown
       d. Nathan Hale

     23. What was the source of the following phrase: ``Government 
     of the people, by the people, for the people''?
       a. The speech: ``I have a Dream''
       b. Declaration of Independence
       c. U.S. Constitution
       d. Gettysburg Address

     24. Who was the second president of the U.S.?
       a. Thomas Jefferson
       b. James Madison
       c. John Adams
       d. Benjamin Franklin

     25. Who was president when the U.S. purchased the Panama 
     Canal?
       a. Theodore Roosevelt
       b. Jimmy Carter
       c. Franklin D. Roosevelt
       d. Woodrow Wilson

     26. Who was the leading advocate for the U.S. entry into the 
     League of Nations?
       a. George C. Marshall
       b. Woodrow Wilson
       c. Henry Cabot Lodge
       d. Eleanor Roosevelt

     27. Who said, ``Speak softly but carry a big stick''?
       a. William T. Sherman
       b. Sitting Bull
       c. John D. Rockefeller
       d. Theodore Roosevelt

     28. The Battle of the Bulge occurred during:
       a. The Vietnam War
       b. World War II
       c. World War I
       d. The Civil War

     29. Which of the following was a prominent leader of the 
     Abolitionist Movement?
       a. Malcolm X
       b. Martin Luther King Jr.
       c. W.E.B. Du Bois
       d. Frederick Douglas

     30. Who was the president of the United States at the 
     beginning of the Korean War?
       a. John F. Kennedy
       b. Franklin D. Roosevelt
       c. Dwight Eisenhower
       d. Harry Truman

     31. When the United States entered World War II, which two 
     major nations were allied with Germany?
       a. Italy and Japan
       b. Italy and Poland
       c. Italy and Russia
       d. Russia and Japan

     32. Social legislation passed under President Lyndon B. 
     Johnson's Great Society program included:
       a. The Sherman Antitrust Act
       b. The Voting Rights Act
       c. The Tennessee Valley Authority
       d. The Civilian Conservation Corps

     33. Who was ``First in war, first in peace, first in the 
     hearts of his countrymen?''
       a. George Washington
       b. Woodrow Wilson
       c. Dwight Eisenhower
       d. Abraham Lincoln

     34. Who was the leader of the Soviet Union when the United 
     States entered World War II?
       a. Peter Ustinov
       b. Nikita Khruschev
       c. Marshal Tito
       d. Joseph Stalin

       The answers, along with the percentage of respondents who 
     answered correctly:
       1. C/60; 2. C/66; 3. A/56; 4. C/29; 5. B/99; 6. B/61; 7. A/
     26; 8. D/53; 9. D/89; 10. D/52; 11. B/60; 12.

[[Page 13563]]

     B/45; 13. C/38; 14. C/52; 15. B/62; 16. B/49; 17. A/98; 18. 
     E/44; 19. D/34; 20. C/33; 21. D/23; 22. D/40; 23. D/22; 24. 
     C/73; 25. A/53; 26. B/69; 27. D/70; 28. B/37; 29. D/73; 30. 
     D/35; 31. A/67; 32. B/30; 33. A/42; 34. D/72.
                                  ____


                   We Ignore History at Our Own Peril

       Is it really surprising that 99 percent of college students 
     can identify ``Beavis and Butthead'' as television cartoon 
     characters but fail to identify key figures and concepts in 
     American history?
       The only eye-raising revelation in the study by the Center 
     for Survey Research and Analysis at the University of 
     Connecticut was that the students surveyed were seniors at 
     the nation's top 55 top colleges and universities, including 
     Harvard and Princeton.
       Nearly 80 percent of the students received a D or F on a 
     34-question, high school level American history test. They 
     had trouble identifying Valley Forge, words from the 
     Gettysburg Address or the basic principles of the U.S. 
     Constitution.
       During this Independence Day weekend, this apparent 
     ignorance takes on a greater significance as we ponder the 
     words of Thomas Jefferson.
       No. Not because Jefferson's DNA is being analyzed on Court 
     TV over that nasty paternity battle. He was the principal 
     author of the Declaration of Independence. Remember, ``We the 
     people . . .''
       Naw. That guy Adams came up with the ``We the people . . 
     .'' slogan. ``We the people . . . in order to brew a tastier 
     beer.'' That's Samuel Adams. We are talking about James 
     Madison, the president and lead author of the Constitution 
     and Bill of Rights.
       Rep. Tom Petri, R-Fond du Lac, was among the four members 
     of Congress last week that promises to introduce a resolution 
     calling on boards of trustees, college administrators and 
     state officials to strengthen American history requirements 
     in all levels of the educational system.
       A high percentage of colleges and universities don't 
     require a single U.S. history class for graduation--lending 
     an unusual understanding to the phrase ``higher education.'' 
     Even so, high school graduates should not get a degree unless 
     they know the basics of American history.
       ``As we prepare to celebrate the Fourth of July, it is 
     particularly appropriate to emphasize our need to know U.S. 
     history,'' Petri said. ``Without that familiarity, we lack an 
     understanding and appreciation of the democratic principles 
     which define and sustain us as a free people--namely liberty, 
     justice, tolerance, government by the consent of the 
     governed, and equality under the law.''
       Although the most a Congressional resolution can do is 
     raise awareness, we were glad to see Petri help bring this 
     troubling information to light.
       Is it any wonder that we cannot get people to vote or 
     involved in civic life?
       We are not teaching our children why it is so absolutely 
     important.
       The final thought: Americans should be ashamed that so many 
     young people are ignorant about U.S. history.

  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such 
time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of Senate Concurrent Resolution 129, 
and I want to thank the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri) for 
bringing this to the floor.
  We frequently hear concerns regarding the adequacy of education our 
children are receiving in the areas of math, science, and technology. 
Indeed, our committee, Congress, and the community as a whole currently 
focuses a great deal of attention on improving programs aimed at 
increasing the literacy of students in these subjects. We should, of 
course, continue to pursue excellence in the areas of math, science and 
technology, if we intend for the United States to remain a world leader 
in the increasingly competitive global economy.
  However, is it not just as important that our citizens understand and 
appreciate the history of this great Nation, the democratic principles 
that define and sustain this Nation, such as liberty, justice, 
tolerance and equality under the law? For in the words of the third 
President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, ``If a Nation expects 
to be ignorant and free, it expects what never was and never will be.''
  However, as my colleague, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri), 
has already stated, according to a recent study commissioned by the 
American Council of Trustees and Alumni, knowledge of American history 
in today's students is sorely lacking.
  According to this study, which surveyed students from the top 
colleges and universities of this Nation, less than 20 percent of 
today's students could pass a high school level American history exam. 
Barely half possess the basic knowledge about American democracy and 
the Constitution.
  We are not talking here about very difficult subjects, but we are 
talking about the great history of this country, the great history of 
the documents and theories of government that govern this Nation. We 
are talking about the roles of Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, George 
Washington, about the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. 
These are basic fundamental tenets of this Nation. They are also basic 
and fundamental tenets that so many other nations aspire to, and yet we 
find out that knowledge of these documents and of this Nation's history 
is sorely lacking.

                              {time}  1415

  The purpose of this resolution is to call attention to that problem 
and to try and get people to understand the need to pursue the 
knowledge of history in this country and the history of this Nation to 
better serve the Nation as we govern it.
  I would like to thank the involvement of John Patrick Diggins, one of 
my former professors, at that time at San Francisco State who is now at 
the State University in New York, and I want to thank again my 
colleague, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri) and Senator 
Lieberman and Senator Gorton for introducing this legislation in the 
Senate, and I would hope that all of my colleagues would support it.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PETRI. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time.
  Mr. SKEEN. Madam Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to 
thank the House for the expedited consideration of Senate Concurrent 
Resolution 129, Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the 
importance and value of education in United States history. In the 
House of Representatives I had the honor of cosponsoring, along with 
four other members of Congress, Congressman Petri's House Concurrent 
Resolution 366, our companion resolution.
  In many ways this resolution could be one of the most important 
legislative efforts this Congress makes this year. What we are asking 
is for America's colleges and universities to review their curricula 
and add requirements in United States history. Many of us were shocked 
to find out that 100 percent of the nation's top institutions of higher 
learning no longer require United States history as a pre-requisite to 
graduate. Almost as shocking is the 78 percent of schools that have 
eliminated any history requirements.
  Related to this news was the fact that the Roper organization 
conducted a study of students from these institutions and found a 
shocking level of history illiteracy. In fact many could not answer 
history questions that are found on 8th grade tests. This is not good 
news for our nation. Our next generations deserve more guidance from us 
and that what this resolution calls for.
  Our citizens, to fully participate in our government and in our 
civilization need to understand where this nation has been. They need 
to know the sacrifices our parents and grandparents made for our 
democracy. They need to be able to fully celebrate the historical 
successes we have had and they also need the knowledge to beware of the 
mistakes we have made as a nation. Many will say that history is 
cyclical. We still have much to learn as individuals and even more to 
learn as a nation. History education can teach us much. It will provide 
us with the information we need to pass on to the future generations. 
It will provide the road map for a great future. I am extremely proud 
to be a cosponsor of this important resolution.
  Mr. KIND. Madam Speaker, this great country has an incredibly rich 
history. From the great Native American civilizations to the current 
era of global engagement, American history describes an incredible, 
sometimes turbulent journey toward the greatest democracy in the world. 
If the statistics cited in this bill are accurate, it is a shame so 
many of our college graduates know so little about that history.
  I am proud to sit on the subcommittee on Higher Education, 
particularly since six universities are located in my district. It is 
important that we promote U.S. history in our colleges and universities 
to ensure that our future generations know we developed as a society 
and a culture. For example, the Constitution embodies our most 
cherished beliefs of democracy, liberty, justice, and equality. The 
fact that scarcely half of the college students recently tested knew 
even general information about

[[Page 13564]]

the principles and institutions that make up the backbone of our 
country is sadly unacceptable. We cannot afford to have our colleges 
graduate historically illiterate citizens.
  I admit I have a personal passion for history, and for me I benefit 
from working in Washington and city's close proximity to so many 
historical treasures. In particular I truly enjoy visiting the sites of 
the Civil War to pay homage to the men and women. Such opportunities 
have allowed me to actually experience parts of our history, and the 
excitement and interest of these places are only enhanced by reading 
about them and studying them beforehand.
  I am also a student of European history, in particular, the history 
of 20th Century Europe. In this information age and new economy I would 
like to point out to college students that world history also remains 
important to their education. Learning the history of other cultures 
will greatly prepare them for their future in this rapidly changing 
world.
  Improvement of education remains one of my top priorities in 
Congress. Therefore, I support this bill in order to encourage our 
college students to learn the history of their nation; a history that 
laid the foundation for their current and future opportunities.
  Ms. JONES of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of S. Con. 
Res. 129, which recognizes the importance of education in U.S. History. 
Last week, we celebrated the 224th birthday of the United States. 
Within this historic context, this resolution is particularly fitting 
because throughout American history, education has enabled Americans to 
embrace opportunity.
  For African-Americans, literacy was key to ending the bondage of 
slavery. For Americans of every background, education has been the key 
to escaping poverty. For this reason, we in Congress bear significant 
responsibility for increasing support to educational programs, such as 
Head Start, Title I, Pell Grants and other aid to college students, 
particularly students who are the first in their families to attend 
college. We know that disadvantaged students are more likely to drop 
out of high school and college without completing a degree. Yet, most 
jobs that pay a living wage now require knowledge of technology and 
training beyond high school. It is our responsibility as a wealthy 
nation to provide students with the support needed to graduate, join 
the economic mainstream and contribute to our national success story.
  Moreover, in our current consideration of welfare reform, we have 
seen that targeted education and training can provide a leg up for 
working poor families to raise earnings and escape poverty. In the 
Eleventh Congressional District of Ohio, Cuyahoga Community College has 
done an excellent job of reaching out to adults in transition, and in 
preparing high school students for careers in technology. Around the 
country, community colleges enable disadvantaged people to realize 
their own potential and prepare to move into the economic mainstream.
  The last seven years of prosperity we have enjoyed have not benefited 
everyone in our society. Education and training are the keys that will 
fling wide the portals of opportunity. America was founded on the 
principles of ``Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.'' I salute 
our American history, and the key role of education to ensure 
opportunity for all.
  Mr. PAUL. Madam Speaker, I rise to address two shortcomings of S. 
Con. Res. 129. I am certainly in agreement with the sentiments behind 
this resolution. The promotion of knowledge about, and understanding 
of, American history are among the most important activities those who 
wish to preserve American liberty can undertake. In fact, I would 
venture to say that with my work with various educational 
organizations, I have done as much, if not more, than any other member 
of Congress to promote the study of American history.
  Unfortunately, while I strongly support efforts to increase the 
American public's knowledge of history, I cannot support a resolution 
claiming to encourage Americans to embrace their constitutional 
heritage, while its very language showcases a fundamental 
misunderstanding of the beliefs of America's founders and the drafters 
of the United States Constitution. Popular acceptance of this 
misunderstanding of the founders' thought is much more dangerous to 
American liberty than an inability to name the exact date of the Battle 
at Bunker Hill.
  In particular, the resolution refers to American ``democracy'' and 
the ``democratic'' principles upon which this country was founded. 
However, this country was founded not as a democracy but as a 
constitutional republic. Madam Speaker, the distinction between a 
democracy and a republic is more than just a matter of semantics. The 
fundamental principle in a democracy is majority rule. Democracies, 
unlike republics, do not recognize fundamental rights of citizens 
(outside the right to vote) nor do they limit the power of the 
government. Indeed, such limitations are often scored as ``intrusions 
on the will of the majority.'' Thus in a democracy, the majority, or 
their elected representatives, can limit an individual's right to free 
speech, defend oneself, form contracts, or even raise ones' children. 
Democracies recognize only one fundamental right: the right to 
participate in the choosing of their rulers at a pre-determined time.
  In contrast, in a republic, the role of government is strictly 
limited to a few well-defined functions and the fundamental rights of 
individuals are respected. A constitution limiting the authority of 
central government and a Bill of Rights expressly forbidding the 
federal government from abridging the fundamental rights of a people 
are features of a republican form of government. Even a cursory reading 
of the Federalist Papers and other works of the founders shows they 
understood that obtaining the consent of 51 percent of the people does 
not in any way legitimize government actions abridging individual 
liberty.
  Madam Speaker, the confusion over whether America is a democracy, 
where citizens' rights may be violated if the consent of 51 percent of 
the people may be obtained, or a republic, where the federal government 
is forbidden to take any actions violating a people's fundamental 
rights, is behind many of the flawed debates in this Congress. A 
constitutionally literate Congress that understands the proper function 
of a legislature in a constitutional republic would never even debate 
whether or not to abridge the right of self-defense, instruct parents 
how to raise and educate their children, send troops to intervene in 
distant foreign quarrels that do not involve the security of the 
country, or even deny entire classes of citizens the fundamental right 
to life.
  Secondly, it is not the proper role of the United States Congress to 
dictate educational tenets to states and local governments. After all, 
the United States Constitution does not give the federal government any 
power to dictate, or even suggest, curriculum. Instead the power to 
determine what is taught in schools is reserved to states, local 
communities, and, above all, parents.
  In conclusion, by mistaking this country's founding as being based on 
mass democracy rather than on republican principles, and by ignoring 
the constitutionally limited role of the federal government, this 
resolution promotes misunderstanding about the type of government 
necessary to protect liberty. Such constitutional illiteracy may be 
more dangerous than historical ignorance, since the belief that America 
was founded to be a democracy legitimizes the idea that Congress may 
violate people's fundamental rights at will. I, therefore, encourage my 
colleagues to embrace America's true heritage: a constitutional 
republic with strict limitations on the power of the central 
government.
  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Madam Speaker, in 1988, National Endowment for the 
Humanities issued a report concluding that more than 80 percent of 
colleges and universities permitted students to graduate without taking 
a course in American history. Now, thirteen years later, standards have 
fallen even further with 78 percent of America's elite college and 
universities not requiring their student to take any history course at 
all. The results of this lackadaisical approach to learning and 
understanding our own country's history is devastating.
  In a survey conducted by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, 
only 23 percent of the students surveyed correctly identified James 
Madison as the ``Father of the Constitution'' while 54 percent 
incorrectly identified Thomas Jefferson. Unfortunately, the final 
results of the survey are equally embarrassing, with 65 percent of the 
students receiving a 59 percent or an ``F'' grade. This is 
unacceptable.
  The poor performance of these students from America's top 
universities and colleges should serve as a wake-up call to Members of 
Congress that the academic quality of our history education programs is 
deteriorating to the point of no return.
  But rather than take steps to improve these horrendous statistics 
with actual education reforms, the majority voted to slash teacher-
training and student loan programs and recently rejected my amendment 
to moderately increase funding for the National Endowment for the 
Humanities, one of the only agencies that strives to preserve our 
nation's history through education.
  I am a proud co-sponsor of S. Con. Res. 129 and I wholeheartedly 
agree that Congress needs to eradicate the profound historical 
illiteracy that currently plagues our nation's young people, but we can 
do better than to pass a ``feel-good, do-nothing'' resolution.

[[Page 13565]]


  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Madam Speaker, I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. PETRI. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Biggert). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri) that the House 
suspend the rules and concur in the Senate concurrent resolution, S. 
Con. Res. 129.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate concurrent resolution 
was concurred in.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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