D1. First, which of the following BEST describes what you think the term “history” means?
History is names, dates, and other facts about what happened in the past66%
History is what people remember about the past5%
History is an explanation of experiences in the past17%
History is what historians have concluded about the past9%
Something else3%
N = 1811
D2. In your own words, please tell us what you think the term “history” means? [Asked of respondents who selected “something else” in D1] [Verbatim responses]
S1. Since January of 2019, did you do any of the following activities to learn about events in the past?
Took a college course, either in person or online8% (143)
Listened to a podcast or radio program about historical events25% (449)
Watched a documentary film or video about historical events69% (1253)
Went on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and other sources to learn about historical events26% (453)
Watched cable or network television news about historical events62% (1126)
Read a newspaper or magazine article about historical events, either online or in print55% (1114)
Visited a museum in person or online35% (1012)
Visited a historic site, such as a battlefield, monument, or building, either in person or online38% (695)
Read a nonfiction book about historical events32% (584)
Read a historical fiction book26% (481)
Talked with someone in my community about historical events37% (690)
Read a religious document, such as the Bible or Qur’an39% (692)
Took a DNA test such as those offered by companies like 23andMe and AncestryDNA11% (201)
Attended a lecture about history, either in person or online12% (212)
Looked into the history of your family or worked on your family tree33% (621)
Watched a fictional film, television, or online program set in the past66% (1212)
Consulted Wikipedia about historical events46% (845)
Did a search on the internet (not including Wikipedia) about historical events59% (1073)
Played history-related video games11% (217)
S2. Are there other activities not mentioned that you did since January of 2019 to learn about the past? If yes, please specify:
Yes [Verbatim responses]11%
I did not do anything since January of 2019 to learn about the past89%
N = 1816
S3. Out of these, which FIVE did you use the most for learning about events since January of 2019? [Asked only of those who selected more than 5 sources in S1 and S2; otherwise S3 skipped]

Summary measure of sources identified as those relied upon most frequently through combination of S1 and S2.
Took a college course, either in person or online5% (71)
Listened to a podcast or radio program about historical events12% (184)
Watched a documentary film or video about historical events55% (770)
Went on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and other sources to learn about historical events14% (197)
Watched cable or network television news about historical events42% (530)
Read a newspaper or magazine article about historical events, either online or in print33% (464)
Visited a museum in person or online18% (266)
Visited a historic site, such as a battlefield, monument, or building, either in person or online18% (277)
Read a nonfiction book about historical events17% (276)
Read a historical fiction book10% (154)
Talked with someone in my community about historical events15% (211)
Read a religious document, such as the Bible or Qur’an26% (298)
Took a DNA test such as those offered by companies like 23anMe and AncestryDNA6% (81)
Attended a lecture about history, either in person or online4% (59)
Looked into the history of your family or worked on your family tree18% (254)
Watched a fictional film, television, or online program set in the past37% (446)
Consulted Wikipedia about historical events27% (414)
Did a search on the internet (not including Wikipedia) about historical events36% (524)
Played history related video games3% (53)
S4b. Please identify how much, if at all, each of these made you want to learn more about history.
A great dealSomeJust a littleNot at allN
Took a college course, either in person or online41%31%22%6%71
Listened to a podcast or radio program about historical events43%41%11%4%184
Watched a documentary film or video about historical events36%45%15%4%768
Went on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and other sources to learn about historical events23%48%23%7%196
Watched cable or network television news about historical events25%50%19%7%527
Read a newspaper or magazine article about historical events, either online or in print27%47%19%7%464
Visited a museum in person or online42%42%15%1%266
Visited a historic site, such as a battlefield, monument, or building, either in person or online47%34%15%4%277
Read a nonfiction book about historical events43%40%14%2%276
Read a historical fiction book36%42%19%3%153
Talked with someone in my community about historical events26%49%19%7%209
Read a religious document, such as the Bible or Qur'an49%36%11%5%298
Took a DNA test such as those offered by companies like 23andMe and AncestryDNA33%40%23%4%81
Attended a lecture about history, either in person or online35%39%19%7%59
Looked into the history of your family or worked on your family tree43%40%17%1%254
Watched a fictional film, television, or online program set in the past19%47%25%9%444
Consulted Wikipedia about historical events28%46%23%3%414
Did a search on the internet (not including Wikipedia) about historical events23%49%23%5%522
Played history related video games22%37%26%16%53
S5a. Following any of these activities, did you take any action as a result of what you learned? This can include seeking out additional information, visiting a historical site or museum (either in-person or online), contacting a public official about historical preservation, or something else.
Yes. If yes, what did you do? [Verbatim responses]30% (N = 541)
S6. Which of the following reasons BEST describes why you want to learn about events in the past?
I want to be more informed about past events39%
I find learning about past events entertaining33%
The experience or knowledge gained by learning about past events is important to share with my children19%
Learning about past events is required for a class2%
I do not want to learn about past events8%
N = 1811
S7. How much, if at all, would you like to learn more about the following:
A great dealSomeJust a littleNot at allN
The histories of foreign places or people21%43%24%12%1811
My own family's history45%35%14%7%1809
The history of my country33%44%15%8%1810
The history of my ethnic group22%35%25%18%1815
History that happened more than 500 years ago22%38%26%15%1810
Histories of people who are different from me21%44%24%11%1811
The history of my state or local community18%44%26%12%1810
S8. Did you have plans to visit a museum or historic site, such as a battlefield, monument, building, or neighborhood, this summer that you could not accomplish because of pandemic related closures?
Yes34%
No66%
N = 1815
SCH1. Thinking back on your experiences in high school history or social studies classes, what words or short phrases come to mind?
[Recorded responses]42%
Don't know or remember52%
I did not take any history or social studies classes in high school6%
N = 1816
SCH2. Did you take any history courses in college?
Yes52%
No40%
Don't remember8%
N = 1179
SCH3. Thinking back on your experiences in college history classes, what words or short phrases come to mind?
[Recorded responses]88%
Don't know or remember12%
N = 627
T1. How much, if at all, do you trust each of the following sources to provide an accurate account of history?
A great dealSomeJust a littleNot at allN
High school teachers18%52%21%8%1796
College and university professors31%45%14%10%1793
Podcasts or radio programs6%45%34%15%1791
Documentary films or videos31%53%13%4%1799
Social media, including Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and other sources2%18%37%43%1800
Cable or network television news7%48%32%14%1796
Newspapers or magazine articles, either online or in print13%51%27%10%1794
Museums56%34%6%4%1794
Historic sites, such as battlefields, monuments, buildings, and neighborhoods49%39%8%5%1799
Nonfiction books26%47%17%10%1793
Historical fiction books9%36%37%19%1800
Conversations with people in my community7%48%34%11%1798
Religious documents, such as the Bible or Qur'an31%30%21%17%1796
DNA tests such as those offered by companies like 23andME and AncestryDNA18%43%23%16%1796
Public lectures about history17%55%20%8%1787
Genealogy research about my family24%49%18%9%1796
Fictional films, television, or online programs about the past6%34%42%19%1795
Wikipedia15%43%28%14%1801
Information from searches done on the Internet, not including Wikipedia13%57%23%7%1792
History-related video games2%12%32%54%1794
T2. Which of the following statements BEST describes you personally even if neither statement is perfect:
I prefer to learn about history by reading or looking at documents and objects from the past, such as diaries, letters, maps or clothing items from the past64%
I prefer to learn about history by receiving information from an expert, such as a teacher, professor, or museum professional36%
N = 1804
HR1. In your opinion, should what we know about the history of people and events ever change?
Yes62%
No38%
N = 1804
HR2. Which of the following statements BEST explain why YOU think our understanding of what happened in history changes from time to time: [Asked if previous question = Yes]
New information becomes available that requires people to change their understanding of history61%
As values change, people reconsider their understanding of history16%
The political agendas of historians, museum directors, and other leaders in the field of history influence the teaching of history15%
As times change historians ask new questions8%
N = 1140
CE1. Since January 2019, have you worked with others in your community to try to solve a community problem, either in-person or online?
Yes14%
No86%
N = 1814
CE2. How often do you vote in elections?
All of the time52%
Most of the time24%
Some of the time7%
Only a little of the time4%
None of the time5%
Not registered to vote8%
N = 1806
CE3. Since January 2019, have you done any volunteer activities through or for an organization, either in person or online?
Yes30%
No70%
N = 1812
CE4. Since January 2019, did you contact an elected official to register your opinion or express a concern?
Yes22%
No79%
N = 1811
Here are some pairs of statements that will help us understand how you feel about a number of things. Please indicate which statement comes closer to your own views, even if neither is exactly right.

V1. Please indicate which statement comes closer to your own views, even if neither is exactly right.
Learning about history is not very complicated because facts don't change38%
Learning about history is complicated because our understanding of facts often changes.63%
N = 1797
V3. Please indicate which statement comes closer to your own views, even if neither is exactly right.
It is more important to know about the history of the United States than the history of other parts of the world18%
It is just as important to know about the history of other parts of the world as it is to know about the history of the United States82%
N = 1791
V4. Please indicate which statement comes closer to your own views, even if neither is exactly right.
It is more important to know about the history of my racial or ethnic community than the history of others11%
It is just as important to know about the history of others as it is to know about the history of my racial or ethnic community89%
N = 1791
V5. Please indicate which statement comes closer to your own views, even if neither is exactly right.
Knowing about events that happened in the past 100 years is more important than knowing about events that happened a very long time ago20%
Knowing about events that happened a very long time ago is just as important as knowing about events that happened in the past 100 years81%
N = 1795
V6. Please indicate which statement comes closer to your own views, even if neither is exactly right.
History is easier for me to learn about when it is presented as entertainment73%
When history is presented as entertainment, I don't learn much27%
N = 1786
V7. Please indicate which statement comes closer to your own views, even if neither is exactly right.
Teaching about the past should not make people feel uncomfortable even if that history is about harm that some groups did to others23%
It is acceptable to teach history about harm that some groups did to others, even if that makes people feel uncomfortable77%
N = 1795
V8. Please indicate which statement comes closer to your own views, even if neither is exactly right.
History is as important to learn about in school as business or engineering84%
History is less important to learn about in school than business or engineering16%
N = 1798
V9. Please indicate which statement comes closer to your own views, even if neither is exactly right.
I am drawn to history that challenges what I think I already know about events, people, and places in the past73%
I prefer history that reinforces what I already know about events, people, and places in the past27%
N = 1787
V10. Please indicate which statement comes closer to your own views, even if neither is exactly right.
History is something you mainly learn about in schools10%
History is something you can learn about anywhere
90%
N = 1805
V11. Please indicate which statement comes closer to your own views, even if neither is exactly right.
When I encounter something in history that makes me uncomfortable, I try to learn more about that event, time, place, or person90%
I avoid learning more about something in history that makes me feel uncomfortable10%
N = 1788
V12. Please indicate which statement comes closer to your own views, even if neither is exactly right.
History should celebrate the nation's past53%
History should question the nation's past47%
N = 1792
V13. Please indicate which statement comes closer to your own views, even if neither is exactly right.
My high school history courses were about names, dates, and other facts76%
My high school history classes taught me to ask questions about history25%
N = 1794
V14. Please indicate which statement comes closer to your own views, even if neither is exactly right.
My high school history courses made me want to learn more about history68%
My high school history courses discouraged me from learning more about history32%
N = 1789
V15. Please indicate which statement comes closer to your own views, even if neither is exactly right. [Asked of those with college attendance history]
My college history courses were about names, dates, and facts44%
My college history classes taught me to ask questions about history56%
N = 622
V16. Please indicate which statement comes closer to your own views, even if neither is exactly right. [Asked of those with college attendance history]
My college history courses made me want to learn more about history83%
My college history courses discouraged me from learning more about history17%
N = 624
V18. Please indicate whether or not you believe historians and their work (including museums, textbooks, etc.) have paid too much attention, about the right amount of attention, or not enough attention to the following groups and institutions.
Too much attentionAbout the right amount of attentionNot enough attentionDon't knowN
Women4%35%52%10%1804
Racial and ethnic minorities11%28%51%10%1806
Religious groups and institutions17%45%25%13%1804
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals22%19%40%19%1800
Politics and government22%49%19%10%1800
The military15%50%23%12%1803
Business leaders16%48%19%17%1801
Men27%53%8%13%1801
The Framers of the Declaration of Independence or US Constitution10%51%25%14%1802
V19. And finally, do you live in a community where there have been or are current restrictions on where you can go and what you can do because of the coronavirus pandemic?
Yes80%
No20%
N = 1810
Just a few more questions for classification purposes.
QPID100. Generally speaking, do you think of yourself as a
Republican27%
Democrat34%
Independent24%
Another party, please specify [Verbatim response]2%
No preference13%
N = 1804
GENDER. Do you consider yourself
Female52%
Male47%
Gender nonconforming0%
Prefer not to answer1%
N = 1813

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