Looking for a fun way to pass time with friends? Why not test your knowledge of American history? Trivia games are always a great group activity, especially if you love a little friendly competition! The expertise level can range from beginner to advanced, and with American history, there’s more than enough material to fuel a challenging game. The United States is rich in history, with both uplifting moments and dark points. From the lasting effects of the tragic slave trade to the legalization of same-sex marriage, there is so much to know about this country and all its solidifying moments.
Take a peek at these American history trivia questions that’ll test your knowledge, and maybe, introduce you to a few interesting facts!
Early United States History Questions
1. Who was elected the first President of the United States? (George Washington, elected on February 4, 1789)
2. What year did Christopher Columbus first land in the Americas? (1492)
3. Which colony was the first to be established in America? (Jamestown, Virginia in 1607)
4. Which president authored the Declaration of Independence? (Thomas Jefferson, written in June 1776)
5. When was the Declaration of Independence signed? (August 2, 1776)
6. Which war led to American independence? (The American Revolutionary War, April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783)
7. What was the first governing document of the United States? (The Articles of Confederation, adopted on November 15, 1777)
8. What event led to the Constitutional Convention of 1787? (Shay’s Rebellion)
9. Which city served as the first U.S. capital? (New York City)
10. What was the first African American newspaper in the United States? (Freedom’s Journal, founded in March 1827)
Slavery and Civil War Questions
11. What year were the first enslaved Africans forced into the American colonies? (August 1619)
12. What secret network helped enslaved people escape to freedom? (The Underground Railroad)
13. Who is the most well-known “conductor” of the Underground Railroad? (Harriet Tubman, freed approximately 70 slaves)
14. Which state was the first to abolish slavery? (Vermont, July 1777)
15. What is the name of the man who led the famous rebellion of enslaved people in Virginia in 1831? (Nat Turner)
16. What law required runaway enslaved people to be returned to their enslavers? (The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850)
17. What best-selling novel helped fuel anti-slavery sentiment? (“Uncle Tom’s Cabin” by Harriet Beecher Stowe)
18. What was the name of the Supreme Court case that ruled African-Americans were not real U.S. citizens? (Dred Scott v. Sandford, 1857)
19. What proclamation did President Abraham Lincoln issue in 1863? (The Emancipation Proclamation)
20. Which amendment finally abolished slavery in the United States? (The 13th Amendment, ratified on December 6, 1865)
Constitutional Questions
21. What are the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution known as? (The Bill of Rights)
22. Which constitutional amendment granted Black men the right to vote? (The 15th Amendment, ratified on February 3, 1870)
23. What constitutional principle divides power between the federal and state governments? (Federalism)
24. What is the highest law of the land in the United States? (The U.S. Constitution)
25. Which amendment gave women the right to vote? (The 19th Amendment, ratified on August 18, 1920)
26. Which branch of government has the authority to interpret laws? (The Judicial Branch)
Reconstruction and Civil Rights Questions
27. Who was the first African-American U.S. Senator? (Hiram Revels Hiram Revels of Mississippi, 1870)
28. What were the laws called that enforced racial segregation in the South? (Jim Crow laws)
29. What was the primary goal of the Freedmen’s Bureau? (The goal of the Freedmen’s Bureau was to help formerly enslaved people transition to freedom by providing essential services like food, clothing, medical care, education, and more)
30. Who founded the Tuskegee Institute to educate Black Americans? (Booker T. Washington, 1881)
31. What Supreme Court case upheld racial segregation in 1896? (Plessy v. Ferguson)
32. What organization was founded in 1909 to fight for Black civil rights? (NAACP, also known as National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)
33. Which Black leader delivered the “Atlanta Compromise” speech in 1895? (Booker T. Washington)
34. Who was the first African American woman elected to Congress? (Shirley Chisholm, 1969)
35. Who was the first Black U.S. Supreme Court Justice? (Thurgood Marshall)
Modern U.S. History and Civil Rights Movement
36. What Supreme Court case abolished racial segregation in schools? (Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, 1954)
37. Which civil rights leader was arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat in 1955? (Rosa Parks)
38. Which civil rights leader delivered the “I Have a Dream” speech? (Martin Luther King Jr., given during the March on Washington on August 28, 1963)
39. What year did the Civil Rights Act pass, banning racial discrimination? (1964)
40. Who was the first African-American woman to run for president? (Shirley Chisholm, 1972)
41. What was the Black Panther Party founded to combat? (Police brutality and systemic racism)
42. Who was Malcolm X? (A Muslim nationalist leader and civil rights activist)
43. What city was the focus of a major bus boycott in the 1950s? (Montgomery, Alabama)
44. What year did Barack Obama become the first Black president? (2008, inaugurated on January 20, 2009)
45. What movement was launched in 2013 to protest police violence against Black people? (Black Lives Matter, founded in response to the Trayvon Martin murder)
46. When was same-sex marriage legalized nationwide? (June 26, 2015)
The next time you’re looking for something fun to do, challenge your friends with these questions, and find out who among you is the American History expert!
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