| 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 past | 66% |
| History is what people remember about the past | 5% |
| History is an explanation of experiences in the past | 17% |
| History is what historians have concluded about the past | 9% |
| Something else | 3% |
| 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 online | 8% (143) |
| Listened to a podcast or radio program about historical events | 25% (449) |
| Watched a documentary film or video about historical events | 69% (1253) |
| Went on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and other sources to learn about historical events | 26% (453) |
| Watched cable or network television news about historical events | 62% (1126) |
| Read a newspaper or magazine article about historical events, either online or in print | 55% (1114) |
| Visited a museum in person or online | 35% (1012) |
| Visited a historic site, such as a battlefield, monument, or building, either in person or online | 38% (695) |
| Read a nonfiction book about historical events | 32% (584) |
| Read a historical fiction book | 26% (481) |
| Talked with someone in my community about historical events | 37% (690) |
| Read a religious document, such as the Bible or Qur’an | 39% (692) |
| Took a DNA test such as those offered by companies like 23andMe and AncestryDNA | 11% (201) |
| Attended a lecture about history, either in person or online | 12% (212) |
| Looked into the history of your family or worked on your family tree | 33% (621) |
| Watched a fictional film, television, or online program set in the past | 66% (1212) |
| Consulted Wikipedia about historical events | 46% (845) |
| Did a search on the internet (not including Wikipedia) about historical events | 59% (1073) |
| Played history-related video games | 11% (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 past | 89% |
| 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 online | 5% (71) |
| Listened to a podcast or radio program about historical events | 12% (184) |
| Watched a documentary film or video about historical events | 55% (770) |
| Went on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and other sources to learn about historical events | 14% (197) |
| Watched cable or network television news about historical events | 42% (530) |
| Read a newspaper or magazine article about historical events, either online or in print | 33% (464) |
| Visited a museum in person or online | 18% (266) |
| Visited a historic site, such as a battlefield, monument, or building, either in person or online | 18% (277) |
| Read a nonfiction book about historical events | 17% (276) |
| Read a historical fiction book | 10% (154) |
| Talked with someone in my community about historical events | 15% (211) |
| Read a religious document, such as the Bible or Qur’an | 26% (298) |
| Took a DNA test such as those offered by companies like 23anMe and AncestryDNA | 6% (81) |
| Attended a lecture about history, either in person or online | 4% (59) |
| Looked into the history of your family or worked on your family tree | 18% (254) |
| Watched a fictional film, television, or online program set in the past | 37% (446) |
| Consulted Wikipedia about historical events | 27% (414) |
| Did a search on the internet (not including Wikipedia) about historical events | 36% (524) |
| Played history related video games | 3% (53) |
| S4b. Please identify how much, if at all, each of these made you want to learn more about history. | |||||
| A great deal | Some | Just a little | Not at all | N | |
| Took a college course, either in person or online | 41% | 31% | 22% | 6% | 71 |
| Listened to a podcast or radio program about historical events | 43% | 41% | 11% | 4% | 184 |
| Watched a documentary film or video about historical events | 36% | 45% | 15% | 4% | 768 |
| Went on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and other sources to learn about historical events | 23% | 48% | 23% | 7% | 196 |
| Watched cable or network television news about historical events | 25% | 50% | 19% | 7% | 527 |
| Read a newspaper or magazine article about historical events, either online or in print | 27% | 47% | 19% | 7% | 464 |
| Visited a museum in person or online | 42% | 42% | 15% | 1% | 266 |
| Visited a historic site, such as a battlefield, monument, or building, either in person or online | 47% | 34% | 15% | 4% | 277 |
| Read a nonfiction book about historical events | 43% | 40% | 14% | 2% | 276 |
| Read a historical fiction book | 36% | 42% | 19% | 3% | 153 |
| Talked with someone in my community about historical events | 26% | 49% | 19% | 7% | 209 |
| Read a religious document, such as the Bible or Qur'an | 49% | 36% | 11% | 5% | 298 |
| Took a DNA test such as those offered by companies like 23andMe and AncestryDNA | 33% | 40% | 23% | 4% | 81 |
| Attended a lecture about history, either in person or online | 35% | 39% | 19% | 7% | 59 |
| Looked into the history of your family or worked on your family tree | 43% | 40% | 17% | 1% | 254 |
| Watched a fictional film, television, or online program set in the past | 19% | 47% | 25% | 9% | 444 |
| Consulted Wikipedia about historical events | 28% | 46% | 23% | 3% | 414 |
| Did a search on the internet (not including Wikipedia) about historical events | 23% | 49% | 23% | 5% | 522 |
| Played history related video games | 22% | 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 events | 39% |
| I find learning about past events entertaining | 33% |
| The experience or knowledge gained by learning about past events is important to share with my children | 19% |
| Learning about past events is required for a class | 2% |
| I do not want to learn about past events | 8% |
| N = 1811 | |
| S7. How much, if at all, would you like to learn more about the following: | |||||
| A great deal | Some | Just a little | Not at all | N | |
| The histories of foreign places or people | 21% | 43% | 24% | 12% | 1811 |
| My own family's history | 45% | 35% | 14% | 7% | 1809 |
| The history of my country | 33% | 44% | 15% | 8% | 1810 |
| The history of my ethnic group | 22% | 35% | 25% | 18% | 1815 |
| History that happened more than 500 years ago | 22% | 38% | 26% | 15% | 1810 |
| Histories of people who are different from me | 21% | 44% | 24% | 11% | 1811 |
| The history of my state or local community | 18% | 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? | |
| Yes | 34% |
| No | 66% |
| 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 remember | 52% |
| I did not take any history or social studies classes in high school | 6% |
| N = 1816 | |
| SCH2. Did you take any history courses in college? | |
| Yes | 52% |
| No | 40% |
| Don't remember | 8% |
| 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 remember | 12% |
| 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 deal | Some | Just a little | Not at all | N | |
| High school teachers | 18% | 52% | 21% | 8% | 1796 |
| College and university professors | 31% | 45% | 14% | 10% | 1793 |
| Podcasts or radio programs | 6% | 45% | 34% | 15% | 1791 |
| Documentary films or videos | 31% | 53% | 13% | 4% | 1799 |
| Social media, including Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and other sources | 2% | 18% | 37% | 43% | 1800 |
| Cable or network television news | 7% | 48% | 32% | 14% | 1796 |
| Newspapers or magazine articles, either online or in print | 13% | 51% | 27% | 10% | 1794 |
| Museums | 56% | 34% | 6% | 4% | 1794 |
| Historic sites, such as battlefields, monuments, buildings, and neighborhoods | 49% | 39% | 8% | 5% | 1799 |
| Nonfiction books | 26% | 47% | 17% | 10% | 1793 |
| Historical fiction books | 9% | 36% | 37% | 19% | 1800 |
| Conversations with people in my community | 7% | 48% | 34% | 11% | 1798 |
| Religious documents, such as the Bible or Qur'an | 31% | 30% | 21% | 17% | 1796 |
| DNA tests such as those offered by companies like 23andME and AncestryDNA | 18% | 43% | 23% | 16% | 1796 |
| Public lectures about history | 17% | 55% | 20% | 8% | 1787 |
| Genealogy research about my family | 24% | 49% | 18% | 9% | 1796 |
| Fictional films, television, or online programs about the past | 6% | 34% | 42% | 19% | 1795 |
| Wikipedia | 15% | 43% | 28% | 14% | 1801 |
| Information from searches done on the Internet, not including Wikipedia | 13% | 57% | 23% | 7% | 1792 |
| History-related video games | 2% | 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 past | 64% |
| I prefer to learn about history by receiving information from an expert, such as a teacher, professor, or museum professional | 36% |
| N = 1804 | |
| HR1. In your opinion, should what we know about the history of people and events ever change? | |
| Yes | 62% |
| No | 38% |
| 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 history | 61% |
| As values change, people reconsider their understanding of history | 16% |
| The political agendas of historians, museum directors, and other leaders in the field of history influence the teaching of history | 15% |
| As times change historians ask new questions | 8% |
| 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? | |
| Yes | 14% |
| No | 86% |
| N = 1814 | |
| CE2. How often do you vote in elections? | |
| All of the time | 52% |
| Most of the time | 24% |
| Some of the time | 7% |
| Only a little of the time | 4% |
| None of the time | 5% |
| Not registered to vote | 8% |
| N = 1806 | |
| CE3. Since January 2019, have you done any volunteer activities through or for an organization, either in person or online? | |
| Yes | 30% |
| No | 70% |
| N = 1812 | |
| CE4. Since January 2019, did you contact an elected official to register your opinion or express a concern? | |
| Yes | 22% |
| No | 79% |
| 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 change | 38% |
| 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 world | 18% |
| 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 States | 82% |
| 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 others | 11% |
| 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 community | 89% |
| 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 ago | 20% |
| Knowing about events that happened a very long time ago is just as important as knowing about events that happened in the past 100 years | 81% |
| 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 entertainment | 73% |
| When history is presented as entertainment, I don't learn much | 27% |
| 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 others | 23% |
| It is acceptable to teach history about harm that some groups did to others, even if that makes people feel uncomfortable | 77% |
| 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 engineering | 84% |
| History is less important to learn about in school than business or engineering | 16% |
| 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 past | 73% |
| I prefer history that reinforces what I already know about events, people, and places in the past | 27% |
| 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 schools | 10% |
| 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 person | 90% |
| I avoid learning more about something in history that makes me feel uncomfortable | 10% |
| 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 past | 53% |
| History should question the nation's past | 47% |
| 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 facts | 76% |
| My high school history classes taught me to ask questions about history | 25% |
| 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 history | 68% |
| My high school history courses discouraged me from learning more about history | 32% |
| 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 facts | 44% |
| My college history classes taught me to ask questions about history | 56% |
| 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 history | 83% |
| My college history courses discouraged me from learning more about history | 17% |
| 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 attention | About the right amount of attention | Not enough attention | Don't know | N | |
| Women | 4% | 35% | 52% | 10% | 1804 |
| Racial and ethnic minorities | 11% | 28% | 51% | 10% | 1806 |
| Religious groups and institutions | 17% | 45% | 25% | 13% | 1804 |
| Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals | 22% | 19% | 40% | 19% | 1800 |
| Politics and government | 22% | 49% | 19% | 10% | 1800 |
| The military | 15% | 50% | 23% | 12% | 1803 |
| Business leaders | 16% | 48% | 19% | 17% | 1801 |
| Men | 27% | 53% | 8% | 13% | 1801 |
| The Framers of the Declaration of Independence or US Constitution | 10% | 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? | |
| Yes | 80% |
| No | 20% |
| N = 1810 | |
| Just a few more questions for classification purposes. | |
| QPID100. Generally speaking, do you think of yourself as a | |
| Republican | 27% |
| Democrat | 34% |
| Independent | 24% |
| Another party, please specify [Verbatim response] | 2% |
| No preference | 13% |
| N = 1804 | |
| GENDER. Do you consider yourself | |
| Female | 52% |
| Male | 47% |
| Gender nonconforming | 0% |
| Prefer not to answer | 1% |
| N = 1813 | |
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