15 All-Time U.S. History Myths That Everyone Believes
Many dramatic historical accounts fill America’s narrative. Although some emerged from truthful events, most became exaggerated and outright falsities. We cling to these myths. They comfort us. History generally offers a different picture than we typically imagine because its reality tends to be confusing and unexpected, but unquestionably fascinating.
In a 2023 poll, 68% of Americans admitted they’d shared at least one historical “fact” later debunked by a quick Google search. The inaccurate historical information extends far beyond those documented cases. For a long period, historians have worked to unravel numerous historical legends. Historians have found documentation such as letters, diaries, and government files. Their verdict? A significant number of popular stories exist as myths.
The following piece debunks 15 persistent myths about U.S. history. It exposes the genuine dates, statistical evidence, and authoritative statements that explain how these popular myths developed into cultural misconceptions.
The Declaration of Independence Was Signed on July 4, 1776
The original July 4 signing event consisted only of John Hancock and Charles Thomson, along with the Continental Congress’ approval. The Continental Congress endorsed the document on that day, though the signature conclusion process took place on August 2, 1776. Thomas Jefferson prepared the text in June before Congress debated and altered it on July 2, and only two men signed it on the Fourth of July.
Most citizens mistakenly believe that July 4th was the day most signatures appeared. It wasn’t. Pulitzer-winner Joseph Ellis explains that the actual dramatic moment occurred after July 4 during the following thirty-day period.
On August 2, fifty of the 56 delegates signed the document. After sitting unpublished for six months, the list of signers was finally released to the public in January 1777 because Congress needed to protect the delegates from British retribution.
The United States Became Independent on July 4, 1776
Although we observe the Fourth, we actually gained independence during the following seven years. Sovereignty emerged through the Declaration on July 4, 1776, yet Great Britain needed the Treaty of Paris on September 3, 1783, to offer formal recognition.
Meanwhile, the war raged on. According to the American Battlefield Trust, between 1775 and 1783, death took over 25,000 American soldiers who perished in combat as well as 17,000 who died from diseases in battle. Such considerable sacrifices and an official treaty enabled the United States to become independent.
There Were 13 Original Colonies
The flag contains 13 stripes, yet Delaware was no separate colony beyond 1775. History Channel notes that it was Pennsylvania’s “Lower Counties” until June 15, 1776, when it declared itself an independent state, just weeks before the Declaration.
Some historians maintain that the twelve colonies began their rebellion in 1775 before Delaware joined the breakaway in 1776 as the twelfth rebel colony.
Betsy Ross Designed and Sewed the First American Flag
The story of George Washington selecting Ross to make the original Stars and Stripes flag first appeared in 1870 through a speech from her grandson, William Canby. However, actual records from that period do not mention her, and no contemporary records mention her.
Vexillologist Whitney Smith states that Ross’ story creates a pleasant legend without historical records supporting it.
The widespread belief that Betsy Ross created the first flags persists despite a lack of evidence, since 75% of surveyed Americans endorse this idea in research results.
The United States Was Founded as a Christian Nation
According to a 2022 Pew poll, Three-quarters of Republicans (76%) say the founders intended for the U.S. to be a Christian nation, compared with roughly half of Democrats (47%). The constitutional document fails to recognize any reference to Christianity.
“The founders aimed to protect freedom of conscience, not enforce a single faith,” explains historian Jon Meacham.
Many founders practiced Christianity, but Jefferson and Franklin led the movement for religious freedom. During the past twelve years, Republican support for Christian nationalism has heightened substantially from 18% to 35%, but this movement opposes the secular system established through legislation.
Paul Revere Rode Alone Shouting “The British Are Coming!”
In 1861, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow published his famous poem, which declared that Revere traveled alone through the night with news about advancing enemy soldiers. The historical record confirms that on April 18th, William Dawes and Samuel Prescott constituted the messengers, while Revere was captured before reaching Concord. They alerted militias with the cry “The Regulars are coming out,” not “the British”—colonists still saw themselves as British subjects.
The historical record refutes the single hero depiction presented by Wadsworth Longfellow in his 1861 poem, according to David Hackett Fischer in his work, Paul Revere’s Ride.
Pocahontas Fell in Love with John Smith and Saved His Life
The 1995 release from Disney reached $346 million at the global box office to confirm the romantic story. Historical evidence shows that Pocahontas, whose birth name was Matoaka, was between ten and twelve when she first encountered John Smith. His reference to her heroics of saving his life first emerged in his 1624, which came after her passing, where some academics started questioning its validity.
In 1614, Pocahontas married John Rolfe rather than Smith, which led to a short truce between colonists and members of the Powhatan Confederacy.
George Washington Had Wooden Teeth
Washington wore dentures made of ivory, brass, gold, and human teeth, which he purchased from enslaved persons from Mount Vernon. Throughout his lifetime, he received four different denture sets before his first inauguration, during which he maintained only his surviving natural tooth, a premolar.
“The myth arose from the stained, grainy look of ivory dentures,” says Mount Vernon president James Rees.
The belief that Washington had wooden teeth continued to appear in 19th-century historical textbooks used in school districts after his passing more than 150 years ago.
George Washington Chopped Down a Cherry Tree
Parson Mason Weems created this story for his 1806 Life of Washington biography to present Washington as an honest man. The hatchet or burned wood marks did not exist during Washington’s Ferry Farm residence, as no earlier documents mention this story, and the archaeological team failed to find evidence of these elements.
The primary papers of Parson Mason Weems confirm that he modified and published Washington’s tale to teach morals. By the late 19th century, more than 80% of elementary-grade readers had included this story.
Benjamin Franklin Discovered Electricity with a Kite
Franklin didn’t “discover” electricity. The scientific world has understood electricity since Gilbert introduced his discoveries in 1600. Franklin proved with his 1752 kite experiment that lightning consists of electrical elements. Benjamin Franklin shared his findings of electricity through The Pennsylvania Gazette in its October 19th, 1752 edition.
Brands states in his historical account that Franklin’s most significant achievements were his discovery of the nature of electricity and his creation of the lightning protection system. In ten years, pointed rods spread across European and American buildings, protecting many lives and buildings.
The Salem Witches Were Burned at the Stake
During 1692–93, over 200 people received accusations, which led to 30 convictions. Nineteen people were hanged during the trials, while Giles Corey received death by pressing for refusing to enter a plea, and at least five inmates died in prison without ever being burned to death.
Legends about Salem reemerged in 2023 as Disney+ launched its TV show, followed by new museum presentations, though the enduring stake‑burning myth exists in Halloween traditions.
The Civil War Was Not Fought Over Slavery
The basis of the Lost Cause argument claims that states’ rights have been the root issue in history since its inception. The real conflict resulted explicitly from the movement to expand slavery beyond its original boundaries. The Confederate Declaration of Secession and Vice President Alexander Stephens’s 1861 “Cornerstone Speech” cite slavery as the “greatest material interest” and the Confederacy’s foundation.
“Slavery was the central cause of secession and the Civil War,” writes James M. McPherson in Battle Cry of Freedom.
Between 1861 and 1865, the war caused the loss of 620,000 people, which exceeds all other U.S. wars combined. The educational conflict over textbook content continues into the present times since 30% of high‑school seniors wrongly believe states’ rights were the sole basis for the secession struggle.
Christopher Columbus Discovered America
Columbus never reached any point on the North American continent. He arrived on the island of Guanahani (modern-day San Salvador Island in the Bahamas) on October 12, 1492, and later surveyed Cuba and Hispaniola. Scientists have performed research that shows the Vikings commanded by Leif Erikson voyaged to Newfoundland near AD 1000 because solar-storm-aged tree rings discovered at L’Anse aux Meadows match the year 1021.
“To say Columbus discovered America ignores the presence of earlier explorers and indigenous peoples,” argues historian Edmundo O’Gorman.
The Economic Times affirms that although many cities have transitioned to Indigenous Peoples’ Day, city-wide federal support for Columbus Day remains.
The Pilgrims and Native Americans Came Together for the First Thanksgiving
According to the National Archives Museum and Plimoth Patuxet Museums, the 1621 harvest feast at Plymouth lasted three days. It involved about 50 Pilgrims and 90 Wampanoag—more of a diplomatic alliance ritual than a “Thanksgiving” holiday.
“That feast was a one‑time harvest celebration, not the origin of an annual holiday,” writes Neal Salisbury in Manitou and Providence.
A communal harvest festival that united English colonists and Wampanoag people appeared in 1621, as both events took place before the start of the Civil War in 1861. The National Park Service mentions that Lincoln initiated National Thanksgiving Day by announcing the last Thursday of November to serve as a national feast in his 1863 proclamation. The proclamation emerged during the active Civil War while the country sought domestic harmony after the Battle of Gettysburg.
Marie Antoinette Said, “Let Them Eat Cake.”
While this myth is not really American, Britannica affirms that no records of Marie Antoinette using the line “qu’ils mangent de la brioche” exist in her written works or historical testimonies. Jean‑Jacques Rousseau’s Confessions (1766) attributes it to a “great princess,” but he was only nine and living in Austria then. Marie Antoinette was nine years old and lived in Austria when Rousseau was writing. Folklore featuring detached royal persons probably created this phrase, which revolutionary publicists used to vilify Marie Antoinette.
The words that slandered Antoinette always lacked credible evidence. By 1793, the false accusation that the queen used such words had spread through pamphlets and satirical prints to solidify her cold reputation, although she never said them.
These historical myths continue because they offer memorable feelings that students can easily grasp. Documents, data, and expert evaluations combined provide a more complicated but appealing account that exceeds simplistic representations. Doubting baseless legends helps us recognize and appreciate the authentic individuals and historical situations responsible for founding America and the rest of the world. We acquire an essential lesson about how historical truths reside exclusively within what objective evidence reveals.
Disclaimer – This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information. It is not intended to be professional advice.
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