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We know there are archaeologists during the time of the Galactic Empire, examples being Dr. Aphra and her father, but their knowledge of the force and religions/organizations associated with it doesn't strike me as something Sidious would allow to be known to the general populous.
So how much did the average citizen know about the Force and its relation to Galactic History?
The Force and especially the organizations connected to it were few and relatively small. As discussed in this other question at the time of the Purge there were around 10 000 Jedi, which is a nearly irrelevant number compared to a Galaxy full of planets. The number of the Sith in the same era can be counted in single digits and the Nightsisters - probably the only other canon Force-related organization of the same period - were on only one planet - which isn't famous for its spaceports or trading routes.
We had then a very limited number of Force users while - as covered in this other question - we had nearly 100 quadrilions sentients in known space.
The fact Force users are really rare makes them something the common folk don't know about, or at most they have just "heard stories." During the various movies we had some examples to remind us that the Force is something the "common folk" doesn't really know about. In the very first film there is one of the - in my opinion - most relevant quotes:
Admiral Motti: Don't try to frighten us with your sorcerer's ways, Lord Vader. [Vader walks toward Motti, then slowly raises his hand] Your sad devotion to that ancient religion has not helped you conjure up the stolen data tapes, [begins to sound strained] or given you clairvoyance enough to find the Rebels' hidden fort— [grasps his throat as if he is being choked]
Episode IV : A New Hope
Admiral Motti speaks about the Force as "sorcery" and "ancient religion" and I think this nails the point of the question: the average person thinks the Force is just fairy tales of people capable of doing some strange mumbo-jumbo and dismiss it as such.
Another iconic quote can be found in Episode VII, by Han Solo himself
Han Solo: I used to wonder about that myself. Thought it was a bunch of mumbo-jumbo. A magical power holding together good and evil, the dark side and the light? Crazy thing is, it’s true. The Force, the Jedi — all of it. It’s all true.
Episode VII : The Force Awakens
He gives the point of view of a "random guy", who doesn't really belive in the Force and everything related to it, at least until he came to confront it and than realized it's true. But only few people had the same experience Solo had.
Since the Force is dismissed as mere myth or legend, the organizations related to the Force are seen without their Force-implications, more like sects, cults, religions or organisations which may have been pivotal during the history of the galaxy, but without the Force-implications. For instance, the average citizen view of the Jedi Order could be something like:
The Jedi were an organization who followed an ancient religion, they helped the Republic for long time before betraying it and trying to seize power. They eventually fail the coup d'état and have been eradicated.
depended where you lived on the galaxy if you lived in the core worlds you might know a little more. while if you lived in the outer rim you knew basically nothing other then hearing stories or legends of force wielders
