Why do Americans seem to know so little about world history and world geography and foreign societies and languages?

Answer YOU ARE RIGHT ABOUT THE PUBLIC SCHOOL ANSWER. I AM CANADIAN AND I HAVE HAD PEOPLE FREOM MICHIGAN ASK ME WHERE THEY CAN GO SKI. THIS IS SOUTH WESTERN ONTARIO AND IN AUGUST.

ALSO SOME HISTORY IS CHANGED TO SUITE WHAT THE AMERICANS CHOOSE TO BELIEVE.I HAVE A GOOD FRIEND FROM COLORADO AND SHE WAS TAUGHT THAT THE U.S. WON THE WAR OF 1812 AGAINST CANADA.THIS IS EVEN WHEN IT WAS ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE CANADIANS BURNED THE U.S. CAPITOL. REGARDLESS THAT IS WHAT HER HISTORY BOOK INDICATED.

If your impression is that Americans seem to know little about world history, geography, societies and languages you may be speaking with the wrong Americans. Some are quite well educated and do have cosmopolitan interests.

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I can't speak for all Americans, of course. But, personally, I blame the public school system.

When I was in high school we didn't even learn much American history. We were required to take only one year of History. I recall wondering many times why it took so long to cover so little material. I'm certain that by the end of the school year, we never even got to the end of the American Civil War. Forget about the World Wars, Viet Nam and all the rest.

The curriculum probably should be changed. World History classes should be mandatory as well as American History.

However, a lot of important events have occured in America in a relatively short time. After all, America is very young.

And, in all honesty, when I was in high school, I could not possibly have cared less about World History.

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Why would they know about world history? They don't even learn about American history. We have college graduates who can't tell you WHEN we fought the War of 1812, let alone who we were fighting. Many would have difficulty naming five presidents.

• America is a relatively YOUNG country in comparison with most others.

It is a sad fact though that so few do know about World History or American History. It is through knowledge of the past that we can try to prevent making the same mistakes in the future. It also could give one a much stronger connection with their country and government. It is hard to listen to people opine about the condition of America today when they would be unable to answer even ONE basic question in regards to American History or government. As shown on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in his 'Jaywalking' skits...very few American's can answer simple questions regarding the very country they live in. Sad.

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Most American high school students could care less about anything that has to do with "history". In my country I was required to memorize all the continents and countries with their capital cities. I even learned the old name of a country if there was any and knew all the basics such as weather, economic state, and popular politicians in each country.

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Speak for yourselves. I've learned plenty about history, and then some in my high school. I guess that's what happens with you inner-city schools. To those that answered this stupid question, I guess you're not that good at finding a joke when it's right in front of you. The author was mocking American intelligence of World History.

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I have a theory about this. History is definite and deals with absolutes. Teachers today believe there are no absolutes. Most live in a theoretical dreamworld of socialist idealism and other off the wall ideas. They do not want to be confronted with the cause and effect of history since it would involve the admission of good and evil which has become more and more unfathomable to them.Students then get an overview of history that is revisionist,watered down and mostly misunderstood by the teacher themselves.

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I went to a public school but it was hardly 'inner-city.' In fact, for a public school, in was rather elite.

I recall quite clearly that only one year of American History was required. In fact, I believe that was the *only* history class even available!

It was a joke. We never even got through the Civil War, let alone other countries' histories. It is really a sad thing. I've learned far more about US history, as well as quite a bit of world history on my own when I took up genealogy as a hobby.

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I don't think you can blame the education system. It needs to be put on the student. I took 2 History classes in High School, several in college; I've read dozens of books (maybe even a hundred). I love history. I know a lot. World and American. My education came from my interest in the subject.

I don't know much about Asian literature or Himalayan climbing techniques, but I wouldn't blame the school system for that. Those subjects have about as much real world applicability as World History. (Seriously, does knowing the causes of the Barbary Wars really help you get to work in the morning? Of course not)

Schools only expose you to subjects, it up to the individual to decide what they want to learn, bases o the there individual interest or needs.

A more accurate question would be "Why don't more Americans care about world history?"

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It is a great mystery that while American is a great country with a strong economy,people always inventing new things and new ways of doing things many Americans appear to Europeans to be not well educated or informed about things outside their own nation. Now I am not saying that Americans are alone in this because I know a lot of people in Britain who don't pay attention to things going on in their own coutry never mind the rest of the world. But sometimes Americans don't seem to know that they are part of the whole world. I think that the American media is a lot to blame. American news programmes concentrate on local and exciting items and not non visual things like famines or political changes. I am a history buff so often watch the History Channel and the American programmes on this channel are designed to bring out the American angle of every possible story. When a novel is made into a film it has to be set in America even if it was originally written about Britain or France or wherever. I meet lots of Americans in my job,I work in public transport,and it always gets me when they ask for McDonald's and Hertz and American banks. If I go abroad I have to accept that I have to experience new things,which is why I go abroad anyway.

Even American students, who are some of the most high scoring students in the world come across as being disinterested in things or even ignorant. We understand that America is a big place with different time zones and no national newspapers, and with terrible TV news, so people learn about what happens locally and really big stuff but not much about the outside world.

To get back to history it is asumed by Hollywood and people who make TV programmes and publish books that Americans will not be interested in things which do not only have Americans in them eg,"SAVING PRIVATE RYAN", U 531 and so on. I am not an American I am Scottish/British/European so hopefully a better answer will come from our American friends. And I do think they are our friends.

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The problem of historical ignorance doesn't lie in the school system, it teaches what the state dictates.

The problem isn't about the teachers being Marxists or what-have-you, there is no left-wing conspiracy. They teach what the schools tell them to.

The problem isn't students, I myself am a student at a high school in small town Nebraska, three years of social science required (one year world history, one year american history, one in government). Students learn what they choose to certainly, but sometimes the opportunity isn't there.

The problem may well be in our culture. Our country is based on English culture, which has most of its roots in the Romans and Christianity. Christianity teaches to a great degree the forgiving of past transgressions, which may involve just not learning about the past.

Our country was isolationist for a great deal of its time, this could have caused American society to lose interest in world history.

History and social science in general are declining as classes because in modern politics, the government is not the every-day man's friend. Reagan lied about Watergate, Bush Sr. lied about his economic success, Clinton lied about his affairs, and let's not get started with the Vietnam War and Bush's grand failures. If Americans applied law more then morals these wouldn't have been problems, but your average person doesn't live by logic. Logic can be ugly and inhuman.

History tells subjective stories about things that can't really be objective. Even the facts of a historical event are subjective, because intentions can't be objectified. Only interests. In modern American culture (60's onward) there was/is an amount of civil strife regarding equality, and everyone's voice being heard. History can be controversial, the same applies to science. Where the ugliness of logic and science meet the morals of some people, in some places Darwin's Theories/Laws can't be taught because it allegedly conflicts with the Bible.

Also, and conclusively. American culture has not, nor has ever, shown to be a backward looking society. All cultures can be said to have stressed and achieved things in particular areas, and America has shown an aptitude in only one thing- business. We handle our diplomacy like we're dealing with business partners, our military is built by non-government organizations, and our government is oftentimes run by people with large business experience. To a businessman, the past is irrelevant, only the present and future.

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First I can say unless an American wants to learn more about history on their own our school systems won't teach them! It's not the teachers or the students honestly it's the system. Schools only teach what is on the test and who makes the test? Well I'd really like to know. In fact as an American graduating from a "very good small wealthy school" I feel that I was cheated. I know there is no left wing conspiracy! In fact we're only taught about things they want us to know like we covered WWII I'd say 60 percent of our history class. Which by the way I graduated in 98 and only have American history 1/2 yr government 1/2 and world history as a sophomore full year. Yup that is it! You'd think that such a powerful country would teach more about its government right? No they don't want people to be intrested or even knowledgeable of how it works because they only want the elite rich in charge! Thats right I said it! Don't blame the Americans for their lack of knowledge; understand that they learn what is taught and that's very little! Schools lack fundings! Can't buy new books too large of classes and they drop arts and music but oh yeah they get new football fields (not all) yet the police department has brand new top of the line cars with spoilers and ground effects? See what the American kids are taught..........gotta be cool and it's not cool to be smart. AS Americans we need to demand real educations it's time for REAL REFORM not religious reform.

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With all eyes on the USA, it's safe to say that the world know's more about Americans than Americans know about the world. This is why it may SEEM that we're very defficient in world studies. Keep in mind that if you meet an American outside the USA they're probably a student so cut them a break.

First answer by ID0000000000. Last edit by Es138. Contributor trust: 0 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 248 [recommend question]