Americans Embarrass Themselves in New Survey (+ poll)

    If basic civics knowledge was a requirement for getting a driver’s license or opening a line of credit, most Americans would be screwed.

    A survey released by the U.S. Mint yesterday found that only 30 percent of Americans knew that Thomas Jefferson was a president and an embarrassingly low seven percent could name the first four presidents in order. The survey was conducted to promote the new $1 coin depicting a likeness of Thomas Jefferson that goes into circulation today.

    Additional survey responses to the Presidential Coin Survey found an appalling lack of knowledge about our nation’s leadership:

    • Only 22 percent of Americans know that there have been 43 U.S. Presidents to date.
    • Only 21 percent of Americans know that the faces of Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt are carved on Mount Rushmore.
    • Only 35 percent of Americans surveyed knew Thomas Jefferson is featured on the nickel.
    • Only 28 percent of Americans surveyed knew that John Adams and John Quincy Adams were the original father-son pair of Presidents.
    • However, 68 percent of Americans surveyed knew that George Washington led the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.

    While the sculpting and engraving of the new coin was done in Philadelphia, the U.S. Mint in Denver is responsible for the production of coin dies, circulated coins, and uncirculated “D” coin sets of all denominations and commemorative coins. The Denver production facility expects to produce 102,810,000 of the new $1 Jefferson coins.

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