Quiz: How Much Do You Know About American History?
New pieces of history happen in the United States about everyday. There have been so many historic events that it can be hard to keep up with everything. America has been a part of some of history’s biggest moments, including World War II, space exploration, revolutionary Civil Rights movements, and more.
This quiz isn’t for just anyone, but history buffs will most likely get a great score. Try your best to see how much you know about US history’s most important events of all time.
Which of these documents was published on July 4, 1776?
A. Declaration of Independence
B. Constitution of the United States
C. Bill of Rights
D. Emancipation Proclamation
Answer: Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was approved by the Second Continental Congress and published on July 4, 1776. This important document allowed the original 13 colonies to finally gain their independence from the monarchy of Great Britain.
Who accompanied Lewis and Clark on their expedition?
A. Pocahontas
B. Sacagawea
C. Tacumwah
D. Watseka
Answer: Sacagawea
![[redacted] in the Countryside](https://media.tellmebest.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/sacajawea-in-the-countryside-99102.jpeg)
Sacagawea met Lewis and Clark while they were exploring the Louisiana Territory when she was 16-years-old. She traveled with them for thousands of miles to help them communicate with other Native Americans around the country.
Which of these was not one of the basic themes of Manifest Destiny?
A. The special virtues of the American people and their institutions
B. The mission of the United States to redeem and remake the west in the image of the agrarian America
C. The ability for Americans to live peacefully with one another and provide prosperity for others
D. An irresistible destiny to accomplish this essential duty
Answer: The ability for Americans to live peacefully with one another and provide prosperity for others
Manifest Destiny was a belief shared across the country during the 19th century that the United States was destined to expand across the rest of North America. There were three basic themes to Manifest Destiny including special virtues, remaking the west, and accomplishing this essential duty.
Which constitutional amendment involved the abolishment of slavery?
A. 13th
B. 14th
C. 1st
D. 6th
Answer: 13th
Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in September of 1862. The Thirteenth Amendment of the US Constitution, ratified on December 6, 1865, abolished slavery and involuntary servitude after the Civil War ended.
What historic event occurred on June 19, 1865?
A. Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address.
B. General Gordon Granger read federal orders that all slaves in Texas were free.
C. It was the first day of the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
D. It was the final day of the Civil War.
Answer: General Gordon Granger read federal orders that all slaves in Texas were free.
June 19, 1865, or as it’s now known as Juneteenth, was the day that a Union general named Gordon Granger read federal orders in Galveston, Texas that all previously enslaved people in Texas were free.
Which team was not one of the original Major League Baseball teams in 1901?
A. Philadelphia Athletics
B. Chicago White Sox
C. San Diego Padres
D. Cleveland Blues
Answer: San Diego Padres
The American League of Major League Baseball was established on January 28, 1901. It started with eight teams including the Philadelphia Athletics, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Blues, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Americans, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, and Washington Senators.
What did Wilbur and Orville Wright do on December 17, 1903?
A. Invented popcorn
B. Sailed around the world
C. Started a factory fire
D. Made the first plane flight
Answer: Made the first plane flight
On December 17, 1903, brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright succeeded in the first successful manned plane flight in North Carolina. The plane flew 120 feet in 12 seconds and later that day flew 852 feet in 59 seconds.
What prompted the US to join World War I?
A. The sinking of an ocean liner
B. They never joined World War I.
C. The sinking of a submarine
D. The decline in the economy
Answer: The sinking of an ocean liner
America was prompted to join the efforts of World War I after a German submarine sank an unarmed British ocean liner called the Lusitania. It was carrying 128 American passengers, so the US joined forces with the Allies.
Which illness ran rapid through America starting in 1918?
A. Measles
B. Spanish flu
C. Polio
D. Bubonic Plague
Answer: Spanish flu
One of the most widespread illnesses in history was the Spanish flu. It started to spread in August of 1918 and took the lives of nearly 548,000 people in the United States.
What is the 19th Amendment?
A. Right of citizens to vote
B. Income tax
C. Women’s suffrage rights
D. Search and seizure
Answer: Women’s suffrage rights
The 19th Amendment in the US Constitution is for women’s suffrage rights. It basically states that the country cannot deny someone the right to vote based on their sex. Doing so is unconstitutional.
How much money did America lose during the Great Depression?
A. $80 million
B. $394 million
C. $12 billion
D. $50 billion
Answer: $50 billion
The stock market crash in 1929 led to losses that lasted nearly two years. During that time America experienced a $50 billion loss. Many people lost their jobs and could barely afford to live.
Name Franklin D. Roosevelt’s solution to help the economy after the Great Depression.
A. New Deal
B. Great Deal
C. New Order
D. Executive Order
Answer: New Deal
During the early 1930s over a quarter of Americans were unemployed, so Franklin D. Roosevelt came up with the New Deal. It was a federal government program designed to bring economic relief to various industries such as agriculture, finance, labor, and housing.
Which famous landmark opened on May 27, 1937?
A. Statue of Liberty
B. Golden Gate Bridge
C. St. Louis Arch
D. Hollywood Sign
Answer: Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge first opened to pedestrians on May 27, 1937, and a day later cars were allowed to drive on it. At the time the price of a trip across the bridge cost five cents.
Ray Kroc founded this famous business in 1954.
A. McDonald’s
B. Walmart
C. Pizza Hut
D. Toys ‘R Us
Answer: McDonald’s
The first McDonald’s restaurant was created in 1940 by Dick and Mac McDonald, but in 1954 Ray Kroc had the idea to turn them into a franchise. He eventually bought out the McDonald’s brothers in 1961.
The opening day of this place had a bunch of counterfeit tickets, wet paint, and the weather was over 100 degrees.
A. Knott’s Berry Farm
B. Disneyland
C. Six Flags
D. Disney World
Answer: Disneyland
Walt Disney opened Disneyland on July 17, 1955. Even though it’s the most popular theme park in the world there were a lot of mishaps on opening day. For example, many people showed up with counterfeit tickets, the weather was over 100 degrees, and the paint for the rides and attractions hadn’t dried yet.
Where did Martin Luther King Jr. deliver his “I Have a Dream” speech?
A. Constitutional Hall
B. Library of Congress
C. Lincoln Memorial
D. The White House
Answer: Lincoln Memorial
Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his historic “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963. Over 200,000 people were in attendance after participating in the March on Washington.
Which of these astronauts was not a part of the Apollo 11 mission?
A. Neil Armstrong
B. Buzz Aldrin
C. Michael Collins
D. Jim Lovell
Answer: Jim Lovell
July 20, 1969, is an important date in American history because it’s when man first walked on the moon. Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins were the astronauts aboard the Apollo 11.
The National Guardsmen came to this university to stop a protest against the Vietnam War.
A. Kent State University
B. UC Berkeley
C. Stanford
D. Yale
Answer: Kent State University
On May 4, 1970, the National Guardsmen were sent to stop a protest at Kent State University in Ohio. Four of the students lost their lives and nine were wounded.
Name the company founded in Cupertino, California in 1976.
A. Microsoft
B. Apple
C. Dell
D. Samsung
Answer: Apple
Apple started out as Apple Computer Company and was founded on April 1, 1976, by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne in Cupertino, California. It is now one of the most profitable companies in the world.
Which of these events did not happen in the 1980s?
A. Mount St. Helens erupts
B. CNN was established
C. Watergate trials
D. Falling of Berlin Wall
Answer: Watergate trials
History wasn’t dull during the 1980s. Several pivotal events occurred such as the eruption of Mount St. Helen, the creation of CNN, and the falling of the Berlin Wall. The Watergate trials were in the 1970s.
