Majority of Americans don’t know why U.S. declared independence from Britain
Fifty-three percent of Americans don’t know the main reason American colonies declared independence from Britain in 1776, according to a June survey conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of the Cato Institute.
Respondents were asked, “What was the main reason the American colonies declared independence from Britain in 1776?” and were given six options to pick from:
- To protest high taxes and a lack of representation in government
- To stop Britain from restricting westward expansion
- To prevent Britain from ending slavery in the colonies
- To escape religious persecution under British rule
- To form a military alliance with France against Britain
- Not sure
Forty-seven percent answered correctly (“to protest high taxes and a lack of representation in government”) with the remaining 53 percent giving an incorrect answer.
“What was the main reason the American colonies declared independence from Britain in 1776?”
Among the 2,026 adults polled across the country, young American respondents (ages 18-29) were the least likely to know the reason for the Declaration of Independence from Britain, with only 35 percent answering correctly, followed by only 39 percent of respondents ages 30-44 knowing the answer and 42 percent of respondents ages 45-54 answering correctly. Respondents ages 65+ were the most likely to know the answer, with 63 percent answering the question correctly.