What were you thinking?
Appalling misconceptions: Facts about the US that many people get wrong
Some people believe that the Liberty Bell cracked upon its first toll. That would speak of a very poorly built bell, don’t you think? Others believe that the Declaration of Independence was signed by all 56 delegates on the same day. Another common misconception! And can you believe that some people thought the faces on Mount Rushmore were random profiles carved naturally by some wind? Let’s look into myths about the US, ranging from understandable to appalling, and see if you fell for any of these!
Image: Mick Haupt
1
There are 52 states in the U.S.
Remember that Friends episode where the characters were racing to write down as many state names as they could? When they asked Joey how many he’d gotten, he leaned back and proudly announced: "Fifty-six."
While not many Americans would share Joey’s confusion, believe it or not, some people are lost about the exact number . Many, when asked, reply that the country contains 52 states! Nope, it’s still just 50. People often mistakenly include Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. as states.
Image: Chris Lawton
2
The Declaration of Independence was signed by everyone on July 4th, 1776
You’ve seen the paintings—quills raised, scroll unfurled, patriotic ambiance in full bloom. You probably pictured the famous document (scribbled on dramatically aged paper) being passed around the table and filled with names.
But reality was less cinematic . While July 4, 1776, is when the Declaration was adopted, only a few signatures made it on the page that day. Most of the 56 signers added their names over the course of weeks, and some not until August... or even later!
Image: Ryan Wallace
3
The Founding Fathers were all old men with powdered wigs
You’d think the Founding Fathers were all 60-something aristocrats in wigs , sitting by candlelight. But many were in their twenties and thirties—Alexander Hamilton was just 21, and James Madison 25. Wigs weren’t as common as Hollywood would have you believe. Most preferred their natural hair, styled with a bit of 18th-century flair.
Image: The New York Public Library
4
The U.S. Constitution was signed on July 4th, 1776
It’s easy to jumble up America’s important dates , but this one’s a whopper. July 4th marks the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, not the Constitution. The Constitution came along in 1787, over a decade later, and was signed on September 17.
Image: Tara Winstead
5
The Statue of Liberty belongs to New Jersey
You’d be right to observe that Lady Liberty is surrounded by Jersey’s waters. But there’s a caveat: Liberty Island itself is federal property administered by the National Park Service. And while the island is closer to the shores of New Jersey, it remains under the sovereignty of New York State .
Image: Avi Werde
6
Benjamin Franklin was a U.S. president
No! He may have earned his place on the $100 bill, but it wasn’t for being the POTUS. He will always remain, however, one of the most recognizable Founding Fathers . He flew kites in storms, and he founded institutions like it were a hobby. He was a diplomat, inventor, philosopher... basically everything but president.
Image: Adam Nir
7
The Liberty Bell cracked on the first ring
Not exactly. But it sounds poetic, right? A symbol of freedom breaking as it sounded its first call. Except... not true. The Liberty Bell didn’t crack on its first ring. It cracked years after its arrival and was recast twice before the famous fracture, which likely developed in the early 1800s, during a routine toll.
Image: Joe Richmond
8
The Grand Canyon is visible from the moon
The Grand Canyon is not visible from the moon. At least not to the naked human eye! Neither is the Great Wall of China, as great as it may be. In fact, no man-made structure or geological feature is visible from the moon with the naked eye.
Image: Tim Hart
9
Walt Disney is cryogenically frozen
Disney was cremated in 1966, and his ashes rest at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale. No secret cryo-labs under Disneyland. Just a very enduring urban legend. But the myth persists ; some even think he's buried under Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean ride.
Image: Steve DiMatteo
10
Hawaii is the westernmost state
Alaska is officially considered the westernmost state, even when counting Hawaii. That’s because the Aleutian Islands stretch so far west that some cross the 180th meridian, which is the line that separates the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. And here’s the twist: since those islands wrap around the globe’s edge, they also make Alaska the easternmost state.
Image: Roberto Nickson
11
Hollywood is a city
It might feel like its own world (glamorous, chaotic, full of paparazzi), but Hollywood isn’t its own standalone city. Sure, it has its own sign and red carpet events, which led people around the globe to believe it was independent from L.A., but "Tinseltown" is technically a neighborhood within Los Angeles
Image: De'Andre Bush
12
Mount Rushmore is a natural formation
Finally, the unbelievable one. Some tour guides from Mount Rushmore report that tourists have, indeed, looked them straight in the face and asked about the natural phenomenon that carved those profiles into the mountains. Nope —Gutzon Borglum and his team spent 14 years blasting the four former presidents into the rock.
Image: VERONICA LIVESEY
