Most Americans are skeptical of what schools have taught them about Columbus: poll

A new poll finds that most Americans are skeptical of what they were taught in schools about Christopher Columbus.

The poll, conducted by YouGov and released on October 12, two days before the anniversary of Columbus’ arrival on the continent, shows that while 52 percent of Americans have somewhat or very positive views of Columbus, they also do not trust him completely taught him.

Many people in the United States celebrate Columbus Day on the second Monday in October to commemorate the date the explorer arrived in the Americas in 1492. In recent years, many institutions have begun to refer to the holiday as Indigenous Peoples Day instead or as Columbus Day in recognition of the communities that suffered after Columbus’ exploration of the Americas.

The YouGov survey asked 1,137 adults in the U.S. the question: “Do you think the things you learned about Christopher Columbus in school as a child were…?” Only 38 percent of all adults responded in the USA with “completely true” or “mostly true”.

Another 29 percent of respondents answered “about equally true and false,” 17 percent answered “mostly false,” and 5 percent answered “completely false,” which together results in 51 percent of respondents being somewhat to completely skeptical about their training are Columbus.

These gaps vary depending on age. According to the survey, Millennials are the most skeptical about their Columbus education, with only 4 percent of 30- to 44-year-olds saying they believe what they learned about the explorer in school was “completely true.” .

When respondents were asked whether they believe children today are learning truthful information about Columbus, those who had the best impression of Columbus also reported the least favorable impression of how children learn about Columbus.

Survey respondents over 65 gave Columbus a 68 percent positive rating, but only 18 percent of those over 65 believed that what children are learning today is completely or mostly true.

Conversely, a third of 18- to 29-year-olds said they believe what students are now learning is completely or mostly true. This age group responded with the second-lowest positive rating of Columbus, with only 43 percent rating him somewhat or very favorably.

The White House released a statement signed by President Joe Biden declaring Indigenous Peoples Day a holiday on October 11 for the third consecutive year. It read: “I, Joseph R. Biden Jr., President of the United States of America, By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, I hereby proclaim October 14, 2024, as Indigenous Peoples Day.”

As part of the proclamation, Biden said: “Since time immemorial, Indigenous peoples have built and sustained powerful tribal nations, nurtured rich cultures, and established vibrant communities. And their discoveries and knowledge continue to benefit us today.”

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