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Twenty-three years ago, Americans came together – bonded by sadness and patriotism – after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Americans watched in horror as the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, left nearly 3,000 people dead in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pa. Nearly 20 years later, they watched in sorrow as the nation’s military mission in Afghanistan – which began less than a month after 9/11 – came to a bloody and chaotic conclusion.

The enduring power of the Sept. 11 attacks is clear: An overwhelming share of Americans who are old enough to recall the day remember where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news. Yet an ever-growing number of Americans have no personal memory of that day, either because they were too young or not yet born.

For days eyes were affixed to the TV and any news that came across the screen. Flags were flown from porches, public buildings, and on the streets of America. Shock, sadness, fear, anger: The 9/11 attacks inflicted a devastating emotional toll on Americans.

A badly shaken nation came together, briefly, in a spirit of sadness and patriotism. The public initially rallied behind the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, though support waned over time; and how Americans viewed the threat of terrorism at home and the steps the government took to combat it.

The impacts of the Sept. 11 attacks were deeply felt and slow to dissipate. Just as memories of 9/11 are firmly embedded in the minds of most Americans old enough to recall the attacks, their historical importance far surpasses other events in people’s lifetimes.

It is difficult to think of an event that so profoundly transformed U.S. public opinion across so many dimensions as the 9/11 attacks. While Americans had a shared sense of anguish after Sept. 11, the months that followed also were marked by a rare spirit of public unity. Moreover, the public largely set aside political differences and rallied in support of the nation’s major institutions, as well as its political leadership, which included George W. Bush as president .

Americans also turned to religion and faith in large numbers. In the days and weeks after 9/11, most Americans said they were praying more often. Yet in many ways, the “9/11 effect” on public opinion was short-lived. Public trust in government, as well as confidence in other institutions, declined throughout the 2000s. 

Support for the war in Afghanistan continued at a high level for several years to come. But as the conflict dragged on, first through Bush’s presidency and then through Obama’s administration, support wavered and a growing share of Americans favored the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan.

Over the next decade, U.S. forces in Afghanistan were gradually drawn down, in fits and starts, over the administrations of three presidents – Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Meanwhile, public support for the decision to use force in Afghanistan, which had been widespread at the start of the conflict, declined.

There have been no terrorist attacks on the scale of 9/11 in two decades, but from the public’s perspective, the threat has never fully gone away.

In recent years, the share of Americans who point to terrorism as a major national problem has declined sharply as issues such as the economy, the COVID-19 pandemic and racism have emerged as more pressing problems in the public’s eyes.

It has now been two decades since the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon and the crash of Flight 93 – where only the courage of passengers and crew possibly prevented an even deadlier terror attack.

For most who are old enough to remember, it is a day that is impossible to forget. In many ways, 9/11 reshaped how Americans think of war and peace, their own personal safety and their fellow citizens. And today, the violence and chaos in a country half a world away brings with it the opening of an uncertain new chapter in the post-9/11 era.

Today, our country is in disarray. Political parties fight against each other. We have a divided America. There are other threats to other counties, such as school shootings, immigration, civil violence, the economy, inflation, and a presidential election, which is coming in November. At this point, it will take more than a new president to bring the country together, considering the candidates.