American News Jul 3, 2026
46% of Americans don't know what the 250th celebration is commemorating: Cato Institute poll
Among Gen Z Americans, that number rose to 61 percent.
Hannah Nightingale
Washington DC
Jul 3, 2026
A new poll conducted ahead of America’s semiquincentennial has found that nearly half of Americans don’t know what the 250th celebration is commemorating.
The Cato Institute poll, conducted in collaboration with Morning Consult, found that 46 percent of Americans overall did not know what the 250th celebration commemorates. Among Gen Z Americans, that number rose to 61 percent. Just over half of respondents and around one third of Gen Zers correctly said that the holiday marked the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.
Most respondents had a positive view of the United States, with 76 percent holding a favorable view of the founding of the country. Nearly nine in 10 Americans, 86 percent, said they were "grateful" to be American, while 79 percent said they were "proud" to be American.
Additionally, 61 percent said they believe America is the "land of opportunity," and 74 percent believe the American dream is available to them.
https://thepostmillennial.com/46-of-americans-dont-know-what-the-250th-celebration-is-commemorating-cato-institute-poll#google_vignette