American History Flashcards
What is one reason colonists came to America?
▪ freedom
▪ political liberty
▪ religious freedom
▪ economic opportunity ▪ practice their religion ▪ escape persecution
Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
Native Americans
What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?
Africans
Why did the colonists ght 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
Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
July 4, 1776
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
What happened at the Constitutional Convention?
The Constitution was written
When was the Constitution written?
1787
The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.
▪ (James) Madison
▪ (Alexander) Hamilton ▪ (John) Jay
▪ Publius
What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for?
▪ U.S. diplomat
▪ oldest member of the Constitutional Convention ▪ rst Postmaster General of the United States
▪ writer of “Poor Richard’s Almanac”
▪ started the first free libraries
Who is the “Father of Our Country”?
George Washington
Who was the first president
George Washington
What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?
Louisiana
Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.
▪ War of 1812
▪ Mexican-American War ▪ Civil War
▪ Spanish-American War
Name the U.S. war between the North and the South.
Civil War
Name one problem that led to the Civil War.
Slavery, Economic Reasons, State’s rights
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 ght in World War II?
Japan, Germany, and Italy
Before he was President, Eisenhower was a general. What war was he in?
World War 2
During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States?
Communism
What movement tried to end racial discrimination?
Civil Rights
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
What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States?
Atlantic
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?*
Liberty Island, New York
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?*
One star for each state
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
