US History Quiz

1. What is the oldest continuously-inhabited city founded by Europeans in the region that would become the United States?

A. Plymouth, Massachusetts

B. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

C. Jamestown, Virginia

D. St. Augustine, Florida

2. Who wrote the pamphlet Common Sense, which influenced the colonists' movement for independence from Britain?

A. Benjamin Franklin

B. Thomas Paine

C. John Locke

D. Thomas Jefferson

3. Which of the following colonies was NOT founded by religious dissidents?

A. Rhode Island

B. Pennsylvania

C. Virginia

D. Maryland

4. Who became president when Abraham Lincoln was assassinated?

A. Andrew Johnson

B. James Buchanan

C. Rutherford B. Hayes

D. Hannibal Hamlin

5. What was the purpose of the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848?

A. to address the rights of women

B. to demand an immediate end to slavery

C. to contest the election of James K. Polk

D. to sign a treaty ending the Mexican-American War

6. The "Shot Heard 'Round the World" in Ralph Waldo Emerson's poem refers to

A. The beginning of the land grab in the Oklahoma territory

B. The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln

C. The firing at Fort Sumter

D. The battle fought at Lexington and Concord

7. Which of the following was NOT a major business magnate of the Gilded Age?

A. John D. Rockefeller

B. Rutherford B. Hayes

C. John P. Morgan

D. Andrew Carnegie

8. Which of the following was NOT a figure involved in the abolitionist movement?

A. Frederick Douglass

B. Sojourner Truth

C. John C. Calhoun

D. William Lloyd Garrison

9. Which figure was most closely aligned with education reform?

A. William Howard Taft

B. Frances Willard

C. Horace Mann

D. Dorothea Dix

10. Which figure ran as both a Populist Party and Democratic Party candidate for president in the Gilded Age?

A. William Howard Taft

B. Franklin Pierce

C. William Jennings Bryan

D. Grover Cleveland

11. Which event most immediately prompted the US to join the Allied Powers in World War I?

A. The Lusitania was sunk by German submarines

B. The Zimmermann Telegraph was intercepted and decoded

C. Russia withdrew from the conflict following the Bolshevik Revolution

D. Woodrow Wilson won the election of 1916

12. Which of the following was NOT a major business magnate of the Gilded Age?

A. John D. Rockefeller

B. Rutherford B. Hayes

C. John P. Morgan

D. Andrew Carnegie

13. Which of the following social programs was initiated during the Great Depression and still exists today?

A. Social Security

B. Civilian Conservation Corp

C. Works Progress Administration

D. Environmental Protection Agency

14. Who is the author of the book Silent Spring, which helped launch the Environmental Movement?

A. Rachel Carson

B. Cesar Chavez

C. Upton Sinclair

D. Betty Friedan

15. Who was the first African-American student to be admitted to the segregated University of Mississippi?

A. Martin Luther King, Jr

B. Medgar Evers

C. Harriet Beecher Stowe

D. James Meredith

16. Who was the first woman to serve in the Presidential Cabinet?

A. Eleanor Roosevelt

B. Frances Perkins

C. Geraldine Ferraro

D. Elizabeth Stanton

17. The US military was defeated by Native American forces at which of the following battles?

A. Sand Creek

B. Wounded Knee

C. Little Bighorn

D. Black Hills

18. Which of the following events brought the US closest to nuclear war?

A. The Korean War

B. The Cuban Missile Crisis

C. The invasion of Iraq

D. The Soviet Sputnik mission

19. Which US president served more than two terms in office?

A. Grover Cleveland

B. William Howard Taft

C. George Washington

D. Franklin Roosevelt

20. Prior to the ratification of the Constitution, which document outlined the governmental structure of the United States?

A. Bill of Rights

B. Declaration of Independence

C. Articles of Confederation

D. Continental Congress

21. What is the name of the U.S. National Anthem?

A. The Star Spangled Banner

B. America the Beautiful

C. My Country Tis of Thee

D. God Bless The Queen

22. What was the main concern of the United States during the Cold War?

A. Communism

B. Slavery

C. Great Depression

D. Climate Change

23. What was One of the Thirteen Colonies?

A. Ohio

B. California

C. Georgia

D. Hawaii

24. What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do?

A. Ran for the president of the United States

B. Fought for women's suffrage

C. Became a U.S. Senator

D. Fought for civil rights

25. Why did the United States enter the Korean War?

A. It was rich in resources

B. Stop the spread of communism

C. Stop the spread of fascism

D. Fight the Japanese

26. Why did the United States enter the Persian Gulf War?

A. Stop the spread of communism

B. Stop the spread of Iran's influence

C. To force the Iraqi military from Kuwait

D. for its resources

27. What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did?

A. Declared war on Great Britain

B. Established the United Nations

C. Purchased Alaska

D. Saved (or preserved) the Union

28. What are the three rights of everyone living in the United States?

A. Freedom to petition the government, freedom of expression, and freedom to disobey traffic laws

B. Freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and freedom to run for president

C. Freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and freedom to make treaties with other countries

D. Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of expression

29. Who was the first president of the USA?

A. Donald Trump

B. Barack Obama

C. Abraham Lincoln

D. George Washington

30. What is the responsibility that is only for U.S. Citizens?

A. Serve on a jury

B. Obey the law

C. Be respectful of others

D. Pay taxes

31. What territory did the U.S. buy from France in 1803?

A. Minnesota

B. Alabama

C. Louisiana

D. Colorado

32. The Civil War had many important events. Name one?

A. 14th Amendment

B. Lincoln assassination

C. War of 1812

D. Emancipation Proclamation

33. Name the U.S. War between the North and the South.

A. The War of 1812

B. The Civil War

C. World War II

D. Ukraine War

34. What U.S. war ended slavery?

A. The Civil War

B. The Revolutionary War

C. War of 1812

D. World War III

35. What is Veterans Day?

A. A holiday to honor soldiers who died in military service

B. A holiday to honor the people who died fighting for civil rights

C. A holiday that recognizes everyone who served in the Armed Forces

D. A holiday to honor the victims of 9/11

36. Name two national U.S. holidays.

A. Valentine's Day and President's Day

B. April Fool's Day and Labor Day

C. Labor Day and Thanksgiving

D. Citizenship Day and Columbus Day

37. What movement tried to end racial discrimination?

A. Civil rights movement

B. Women's suffrage

C. Prohibition

D. Conservation

38. Who was the United States’ main rival during the Cold War?

A. Australia

B. Great Britain

C. China

D. The Soviet Union

39. When did the Great Depression Start?

A. 2020

B. 1929

C. 2014

D. 1914

40. Name one example of an American innovation

A. The Internet

B. The Airplane

C. The Assembly Line

D. All of the above

41. What year did the Declaration of Independence get signed?

A. 1776

B. 1772

C. 1789

D. 1812

42. Which country did the U.S. gain independence from?

A. France

B. Spain

C. Great Britain

D. Italy

43. Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II?

A. Franklin D. Roosevelt

B. Harry S. Truman

C. Herbert Hoover

D. Abraham Lincoln

44. Who was not one of the main Allied powers during World War II?

A. United States

B. Soviet Union

C. Germany

D. United Kingdom

45. What were the key effects of the Louisiana Purchase?

A. It doubled the size of NY

B. It reduced British influence in North America

C. It gave access to the Mississippi River

D. It ended slavery in the new territories

46. What document begins with “We the People”?

A. The Bill of Rights

B. The Declaration of Independence

C. The U.S. Constitution

D. Louisiana Purchase

47. Who issued the Emancipation Proclamation?

A. Abraham Lincoln

B. Ulysses S. Grant

C. George Washington

D. Thomas Jefferson

48. What year was the U.S. Constitution ratified?

A. 1772

B. 1776

C. 1787

D. 1791

49. Which state was the first to join the Union?

A. Massachusetts

B. Delaware

C. Virginia

D. Texas

50. What was the main cause of the American Revolution?

A. Taxation without representation

B. Disputes over slavery

C. Territorial expansion

D. Treasure scramble