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About This Quiz
America has a lot of history and a lot of present, but how well do you know the land of the free? Test your knowledge of the U.S. with this HowStuffWorks quiz!
When was the Declaration of Independence issued?
April 15, 1992
July 4, 1776
The U.S. Declaration of Independence was issued on July 4, 1776. This is why Americans celebrate Independence Day on this day every year.
August 9, 1445
November 5, 1657
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America bought which U.S. state from Russia?
Hawaii
Louisiana
Alaska
The U.S. purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867. It is the largest US state.
California
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The U.S. is the largest country in the world: True or False?
True
False
America is the fourth-largest country on earth by land area. Russia is the largest.
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Where is the highest point in America?
Mt. St. Helens
Mt. McKinley
Mt McKinley is the highest point in America. This over 20,000 ft high mountain is in Alaska.
Mt. Whitney
Mt. Elbert
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Which is the most recent U.S. state?
Pennsylvania
Florida
Hawaii
Hawaii joined the US in 1959. It is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands.
Massachusetts
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Most of the world's _______ happen in the U.S.
Earthquakes
Tornadoes
The majority of the world's tornadoes happen in the Midwestern U.S. This area is called tornado alley.
Rainfall
Volcanic eruptions
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Who is currently the president of the U.S.?
Barack Obama
Ronald Reagan
Bernie Sanders
Donald Trump
Donald Trump is the 45th President of America. Barack Obama preceded him.
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The first capital of the U.S. was:
New York City
New York City was the first ever US capital. After that, it was moved south to Philadelphia before settling permanently in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Las Vegas
Baltimore
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Which state is known as the first U.S. state?
Texas
Virginia
Delaware
The U.S. Constitution was unanimously ratified by all 30 delegates of the Delaware Constitutional Convention on December 7, 1787. This makes it the first U.S. state.
Alaska
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Whose faces have been carved into Mount Rushmore?
George Washington
Abraham Lincoln
Theodore Roosevelt
All of the above
Mount Rushmore is located in South Dakota. The faces of these men, as well as Thomas Jefferson, are carved into the mountain.
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Willis Tower in Chicago is the _______ building in the US.
Widest
Oldest
Most expensive
Tallest
Willis Tower in Chicago is the tallest building in America and 9th tallest in the world. It is over 1,400 ft tall!
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Who was the first president of America?
Thomas Jefferson
George Washington
George Washington was the first-ever president of the U.S. He was also the first and last president to not belong to any political party.
Grover Cleveland
Barack Obama
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What continent is America a part of?
North America
The U.S. is part of North America. Canada, America and Mexico comprise the North American continent.
Antarctica
Eurasia
Africa
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Which of these languages are commonly spoken throughout the U.S.?
English
Spanish
Chinese
All of the above
The U.S. is a diverse and multicultural place where many people from around the world live. You can hear these languages and more spoken in many major US cities, many of which have entire Chinese districts or Chinatowns.
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Who was the first African-American president of the United States?
Benjamin Franklin
Barack Obama
Barack Obama was the 44th American president. He was born in Hawaii.
Ronald Reagan
FDR
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The first person to set foot on the moon was an American: True or False?
True
Neil Armstrong was the first person to set foot on the moon. This famous American astronaut lived from 1930-2012.
False
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Which of these holidays is celebrated only in America?
Christmas
Thanksgiving
Halloween
Halloween is an American holiday. Its origins are the Celtic festival of the dead, Samhain. Other countries have similar October festivals, but Halloween as we know it is distinctly American.
Chanuka
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Which of these American presidents were assassinated?
John F. Kennedy
JFK was assassinated during his term on Nov. 22, 1963. He was shot by Lee Harvey Oswald.
George Washington
Thomas Jefferson
Bill Clinton
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Which U.S. president had a big hand in writing the Declaration of Independence?
George Washington
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the U.S. He also was the main author of the Declaration of Independence.
John Tyler
James K Polk
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Which of these founding fathers is known for his many inventions?
Robert Morris
Patrick Henry
Alexander Hamilton
Benjamin Franklin
Ben Franklin invented bifocals, the lightning rod, swim fins, the catheter and much more. He never patented a single one of his inventions because he believed they should be freely shared.
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Which of these major mountain ranges is in America?
Ural Mountains
Himalayas
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian mountain range runs through a large portion of the Eastern U.S. They begin in Canada and stretch all the way south into Alabama.
Andes
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The U.S. is the most populous country on earth: True or False?
True
False
The U.S. is the world's third most populated country. China is the first and India is second, with over a billion citizens each.
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Is America landlocked?
Yes
No
America is not landlocked. It has large coastlines on both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
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Which country borders America to the north?
Canada
The US and Canada share an over 5,000-mile-long border. This is the longest border on earth between 2 countries.
Mexico
Switzerland
Australia
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Is Washington, D.C. a state?
Yes
No
There are 50 states in the U.S. Washington D.C. is not a state. but a federal district.
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America has:
50 states
Self-governing territories
A federal district
All of the Above
While America is often referred to as the 50 states, it also has five territories, like Puerto Rico, and a number of possessions and territories around the world. Many nations have territories.
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Death Valley is the ________ in America.
Highest point
Coldest place
Lowest point
Death Valley is the lowest point in America at 282 ft below sea level. It is in California.
Most populous place
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America is divided into how many regions?
1
3
6
America is divided into 6 regions. These are New England, the Mid-Atlantic, the South, the Midwest, the Southwest and the West.
10
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Which president is known for issuing the Emancipation Proclamation?
JFK
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th US president. He issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed the slaves.
Grover Cleveland
George W. Bush
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What is Martin Luther King Jr. associated with?
The Women's Rights Movement
The Sexual Revolution
The Civil Rights Movement
MLK was a Baptist minister and activist. He became the most famous leader and speaker of the Civil Rights Movement.
The Red Scare
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Who established the national bank?
James Madison
JFK
Ben Franklin
Alexander Hamilton
This founding father was the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. He also created the national bank.
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Which U.S. president drafted the Constitution and Bill of Rights?
James Madison
James Madison was the fourth U.S. president. He drafted the Constitution and Bill of Rights, as well as being one of the founding fathers to contribute to the Federalist Papers.
Andrew Jackson
James K. Polk
Abraham Lincoln
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Which figure is most associated with the Women's Rights Movement?
Susan B. Anthony
Susan B. Anthony was one of the most famous figures in the history of women's rights. She helped women get the right to vote.
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Sojourner Truth
Emily Dickinson
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Which American is known for inventing the lightbulb?
Woodrow Wilson
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ben Franklin
Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison helped to usher in the age of electricity. He invented the electric lightbulb.
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Which American made cars common for the first time?
Rosa Parks
FDR
Henry Ford
Businessman Henry Ford revolutionized mass car production. He made it so cheap that cars became available to working class people for the first time ever.
Walt Whitman
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You Got:
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