About This Quiz
"Are you ready to test your American general knowledge? From the Revolutionary War to the moon landing, this quiz covers it all! Do you remember how many terms Franklin Delano Roosevelt served or who authored the Declaration of Independence? Take this quiz to prove you still remember those basic facts from school!
American history can be complex, with 50 states and many territories each with their own unique history. Despite 12 years of history classes, we often forget key facts over time. But fret not! This quiz will give you a chance to show off your knowledge of American history, from the British colonies to George Washington to Pearl Harbor and beyond!
Think you have what it takes to ace this quiz? Put your knowledge to the test and prove you're an expert on American history! From the Constitution to the Supreme Court, this quiz will challenge your memory of the key events and figures that have shaped the United States. Take the american general knowledge quiz now and see how well you remember these important facts!
"George Washington was born on Feb. 22, 1732. He had three brothers: Samuel, John Augustin and Charles.
After President Franklin Roosevelt died in office, Congress passed the 22nd Amendment. This Amendment limits elected presidents to two terms in office.
In 1946, John F. Kennedy became the representative for Massachusett's 11th congressional district. He was 29 years old.
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During the American Revolutionary War, Benjamin Franklin led the team responsible for forming an alliance with France. Franklin's popularity in France led to French support from the country and its Foreign Minister Comte de Vergennes.
On the morning of Sept. 14, 1814, Francis Scott Key wrote the lyrics to "The Star Spangled Banner." He was inspired after seeing the American flag still waving above Fort McHenry.
The 13 original colonies were founded between 1607 and 1776. They are Delaware, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Massachusetts, Maryland and New Hampshire.
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Prior to the Executive Order of June 24, 1912, the design varied depending on who made the flag. This order dictated the proportions of the stripes and that the stars should be arranged in six horizontal rows with one point of each star facing upward.
Jefferson Davis was the first and only president of the Confederate States of America. He was born in Kentucky and raised in Mississippi.
The California Gold Rush was set off by the discovery of gold nuggets in the Sacramento Valley. Thousands of people made their way to California in the hopes of finding gold
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Andrew Jackson's Indian removal policy is responsible for the Trail of Tears. In 1838 and 1839, the Cherokee nation was forced to move to present-day Oklahoma.
Before Benedict Arnold defected to Britain, he participated in the capture of Fort Ticonderoga in 1775 and helped orchestrate the surrender of British General John Burgoyne's army at Saratoga. In 1779, he offered the British West Point in exchange fora command in the British Army and money.
On December 16, 1773, the Boston Tea Party took place at Griffin's Wharf in Boston, Massachusetts. During the event, 342 chests of British tea were thrown into the harbor.
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In 1774, the First Continental Congress convened in Carpenters' Hall. A few years later, Thomas Jefferson would write the Declaration of Independence in the nearby Graff House.
During the time it operated, Ellis Island processed 12 million immigrants. Today, approximately 40 percent of Americans can trace their family back to Ellis Island.
On Dec. 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor was attacked by hundreds of Japanese fighter planes just before 8 a.m. Twenty American naval vessels were destroyed or damaged in the attack.
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Gerald Ford became president after Richard Nixon resigned. Nixon's vice president, Spiro Agnew, had had previously resigned due to a tax scandal.
Richard Nixon was the 37th president of the United States. He served from 1969 to 1974.
Prohibition lasted from 1920 to 1933. Thirteen years later, the 21st Amendment would repeal Prohibition, making it legal to buy, drink, and sell alcohol.
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The United States bought the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. In the deal, the United States received approximately 827,000 square miles of land for $15 million.
Lili'uokalani ruled Hawaii from 1891 to 1893. She was overthrown in a U.S.-backed coup.
Actor John Wilkes Booth assassinated Lincoln as he was watching "Our American Cousin." Coincidentally, Booth's brother, Edwin Booth, had previously prevented Lincoln's song, Robert Todd Lincoln, from falling off a train platform in front of a train.
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Alexander Hamilton was born in the British West Indies. However, he would serve as New York's delegate to the Constitutional Convention.
The Continental Congress declared independence from Britain on July 2, 1776. Two days later, the Declaration of Independence was adopted.
Sculpter Gutzon Borglum is credited with the design of Mouth Rushmore. After he died, his son Lincoln finished the project.
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When the Supreme Court was established with the Judiciary Act of 1789, it was intended to have six justices. A number of acts would change the number of justices. It finally settled at its current number with the Judiciary Act of 1869.
On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong would become the first man to walk on the moon. Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins were the other astronauts on Apollo 11.
Delaware ratified the constitution on Dec. 7, 1787. At the Delaware Constitution Convention, all 30 delegates agreed to make Delaware the first state to join the Union.
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John Adams was one of the leaders of the Federalist Party. The parties opposition, the Democratic-Republican Party was led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.
Eleanor Roosevelt was FDR's fifth cousin once removed. She was Theodore Roosevelt's niece. At her wedding to FDR, the former president walked his niece down the aisle.
In 1867, Russia sold Alaska to the United States. For three decades, the United States did not do much with Alaska and considered it "Seward's Folly." In 1896, a major gold deposit was discovered, changing U.S. opinion on the purchase.
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The United States entered World War one on April 6, 1971. Initially, Americans were not in favor of entering the war. That changed after several German attacks on U.S. ships and ships carrying Americans, such as the Lusitania.
June 17, 1972 marked the beginning of the Watergate Scandal. On that date, members of Nixon's Committee to Re-Elect the President broke into the Democratic National Committee's headquarters in the Watergate complex.
The phrase Manifest Destiny was coined in 1845. It describes the 19th-century belief that God chose the U.S. to spread democracy across all of North America.
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Ronald Reagan served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. Prior to being elected, he served as president of the Screen Actors Guild and Governor of California.
Not only did James Madison write the Constitution, but he was also one of the authors of the Federalist Papers. John Jay and Alexander Hamilton also contributed to the Federalist Papers.