American History Flashcards by Marielle Tristine

What is one reason colonists came to America?

• freedom
• political liberty
• religious freedom
• economic opportunity
• practice their religion
• escape persecution

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Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?

• American Indians
• Native Americans

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What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?

• Africans
• people from Africa

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Why did the colonists fight the British?

• because of high taxes (taxation without
representation)
• because the British army stayed in their
houses (boarding, quartering)
• because they didn’t have self-government

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Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

(Thomas) Jefferson

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When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?

July 4, 1776

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There were 13 original states. Name three.

• New Hampshire
• Massachusetts
• Rhode Island
• Connecticut
• New York
• New Jersey
• Pennsylvania
• Delaware
• Maryland
• Virginia
• North Carolina
• South Carolina
• Georgia

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What happened at the Constitutional Convention?

• The Constitution was written.
• The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution.

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When was the Constitution written?

1787

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The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.

• (James) Madison
• (Alexander) Hamilton
• (John) Jay
• Publius

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What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for?

• U.S. diplomat
• oldest member of the Constitutional
Convention
• first Postmaster General of the United States
• writer of “Poor Richard’s Almanac”
• started the first free libraries

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Who is the “Father of Our Country”?

(George) Washington

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Who was the first President?

(George) Washington

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What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?

• the Louisiana Territory
• Louisiana

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Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.

• War of 1812
• Mexican-American War
• Civil War
• Spanish-American War

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Name the U.S. war between the North and the South.

• the Civil War
• the War between the States

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Name one problem that led to the Civil War.

• slavery
• economic reasons
• states’ rights

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What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did?

• freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation)
• saved (or preserved) the Union
• led the United States during the Civil War

What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?

• freed the slaves
• freed slaves in the Confederacy
• freed slaves in the Confederate states
• freed slaves in most Southern states

What did Susan B. Anthony do?

• fought for women’s rights
• fought for civil rights

Name one war fought by the United States in
the 1900s.

• World War I
• World War II
• Korean War
• Vietnam War
• (Persian) Gulf War

Who was President during World War I?

(Woodrow) Wilson

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

(Franklin) Roosevelt

Who did the United States fight in World War II?

Japan, Germany, and Italy

Before he was President, Eisenhower was a general. What war was he in?

World War II

During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States?

Communism

What movement tried to end racial discrimination?

civil rights (movement)

What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do?

• fought for civil rights • worked for equality for all Americans

What major event happened on September 11, 2001, in the United States?

Terrorists attacked the United States.

Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.

• Cherokee • Navajo • Sioux • Chippewa • Choctaw • Pueblo • Apache • Iroquois • Creek • Blackfeet • Seminole • Cheyenne • Arawak • Shawnee • Mohegan • Huron • Oneida • Lakota • Crow • Teton • Hopi • Inuit

Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States.

• Missouri (River) • Mississippi (River)

What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States?

Pacific (Ocean)

What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States?

Atlantic (Ocean)

Name one U.S. territory.

• Puerto Rico • U.S. Virgin Islands • American Samoa • Northern Mariana Islands • Guam

Name one state that borders Canada.

• Maine • New Hampshire • Vermont • New York • Pennsylvania • Ohio • Michigan • Minnesota • North Dakota • Montana • Idaho • Washington • Alaska

Name one state that borders Mexico.

• California • Arizona • New Mexico • Texas

What is the capital of the United States?

Washington, D.C.

Where is the Statue of Liberty?

• New York (Harbor) • Liberty Island [Also acceptable are New Jersey, near New York City, and on the Hudson (River).]

Why does the flag have 13 stripes?

• because there were 13 original colonies • because the stripes represent the original colonies

Why does the flag have 50 stars?

• because there is one star for each state • because each star represents a state • because there are 50 states

What is the name of the national anthem?

The Star-Spangled Banner

When do we celebrate Independence Day?*

July 4

Name two national U.S. holidays.

• New Year’s Day • Martin Luther King, Jr. Day • Presidents’ Day • Memorial Day • Independence Day • Labor Day • Columbus Day • Veterans Day • Thanksgiving • Christmas