Gallup data cited by Townhall shows 30 percent of Gen Z and 58 percent of Millennials describing themselves as extremely or very proud to be American, down from 76 percent of Millennials in 2011-2015. The National Center for Education Statistics reported 13 percent of eighth-graders at or above proficient in U.S. history in 2024. George Washington issued the Circular Letter to the States in June 1783, and the United States marked its bicentennial in 1976.