American History Flashcards
The colonists came to America for many reasons. Name one.
Freedom Political liberty Religious freedom Economic opportunity Escape persecution
Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
American Indians
Native Americans
What group of people was taken and sold as slaves?
Africans
People form Africa
What war did the Americans fight to win independence from Britain?
American Revolution
The (American) Revolutionary War
War for (American) Independence
Name one reason why the Americans declared independence from Britain.
High taxes Taxation without representation British soldiers stayed in Americans' houses (boarding, quartering) They did not have self-government Boston Massacre Boston Tea Party (Tea Act) Stamp Act Sugar Act Townshend Acts Intolerable (Coercive) Acts
Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
July 4, 1776
The American Revolution had many important events. Name one.
(Battle of) Bunker Hill
Declaration of Independence
Washington Crossing the Delaware (Battle of Trenton)
(Battle of) Saratoga
Valley Forge (Encampment)
(Battle of) Yorktown (British surrender at Yorktown)
There were 13 original states. name five.
New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina Georgia
What founding document was written in 1787?
US Constitution
The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the US Constitution. Name one of the writers.
James Madison, Alexander Hamilton
John Jay, Publius
Why were the Federalist Papers important?
They helped people understand the US Constitution.
They supported passing the US Constitution.
Benjamin Franklin is famous for many things. Name one.
Founded the first free public libraries
First Postmaster General of the United States
Helped write the Declaration of Independence
Inventor
US diplomat
George Washington is famous for many things. Name one.
Father of our country
First president of the United States
General of the Continental Army
President of the Constitutional Convention
Thomas Jefferson is famous for many things. Name one.
Writer of the Declaration of Independence
Third president of the US
Double the size of the United States (Louisiana Purchase)
First Secretary of State
Founded the University of Virgina
Writer of the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom
James Madison is famous for many things. Name one
Father of the Constitution
Fourth president of the United States
President during the War of 1812
One of the writers of the Federalist Papers
Alexandar Hamilton is famous for many things. Name one
First secretary of the Treasury
One of the writers of the Federalist Papers
Helped establish the First Bank of the United States
Aide to General George Washington
Member of the Continental Congress
What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?
Louisiana Territory
Louisiana
Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.
War of 1812
Mexican-American War
Civil War
Spanish-American Was
Name the US war between the North and the South.
The Civil War
The Civil war had many important events. Name one.
(Battle of) Fort Sumter Emancipation Proclamation (Freed Slaves) Battle of Vicksburg Battle of Gettysburg Sherman's March Surrender at Appomattox Battle of Antietam/Sharpsburg Lincoln was assassinated
Abraham Lincoln is famous for many things. Name one
Freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation)
Saved of preserved the Union
Led the United States during the civil war
16th president of the United States
Delivered the Gettysburg Address
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 US war ended slavery?
The Civil War
What amendment gives citizenship to all persons born in the US?
14th Amendment
When did all men get the right to vote?
After the Civil war
During Reconstruction
With the 15th Amendment
1870
Name one leader of the women’s rights movement in the 1800s.
Susan B. Anthony Elizabeth Cady Stanton Sojourner Truth Harriet Tubman Lucretia Mott Lucy Stone
Name one war fought by the the US in the 1900s.
World War I World War II Korean War Vietnam War (Persian) Gulf War
Why did the United States enter World War I?
Because Germany attacked U.S. (civilian) ships
To support the Allied Powers (England, France, Italy and Russia)
To oppose the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria)
When did all women get the right to vote?
1920
After world War I
with 19th Amendment
What was the Great Depression?
Longest economic recession in modern history.
When did the Great Depression start?
The Great Crash (1929)
Stock market crash of 1929
Who was the president during the Great Depression and World War II?
Franklin Roosevelt
Why did the United States enter the world War II?
Bombing of Pearl Harbor
Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor
To support Allied Powers (England, France and Russia)
To oppose the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy and Japan)
Dwight Eisenhower is famous for many things. Name one
General during World War II
President at the end of (during) the Korean War
34th President of the United States
Signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 (Created the Interstate System)
Who was the United States’ main rival during the Cold War?
Soviet Union
USSR
Russia
During the Cold War, what was one main concern of the United States?
Communism
Nuclear War
Why did the United States enter the Korean War?
To stop the spread of communism
What did the civil rights movement do?
Fought to end racial discrimination
Why did the United States enter the Vietnam War?
To stop the spread of communism
Martin Luther King, Jr. is famous for many things. Name one.
Fought for civil rights
Worked for equality for all Americans
Worked to ensure that the people would “not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character”
Why did the United States enter the Persian Gulf War?
To force the Iraqi military from Kuwait
What major event happened on September 11, 2001 in the United States?
Terrorists attacked the United States
Terrorists took over two planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center in NYC
Terrorist took over a plane and crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia
Terrorist took over a plane originally aimed at Washington, D.C. and crashed in a field in Pennsylvania
Name on US military conflict after September 11, 2001 attacks.
(Global) War on Terror
War in Afghanistan
War in Iraq
Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.
Apache, Blackfeet, Cayuga, Cherokee,
Cheyenne, Chippewa, Choctaw, Creek,
Crow, Hopi, Huron, Inupiat, Lakota, Mohawk,
Mohegan, Navajo, Oneida, Onondaga, Pueblo,
Seminole, Seneca, Shawnee, Sioux, Teton, Tuscarora
Name one example of American innovation.
Light bulb, Automobile (cars, internal combustion engine) Skyscrapers Airplane Assembly line Landing on the moon Integrated circuit (IC)
US Capital
Washington, D. C.
Where is Statue of Liberty?
New York (Hudson river) Liberty Island.
Why does the flag have 13 stripes?
13 original colonies
Why does the star have 50 stars?
Represent 50 States
What is the name of the national anthem?
The Star-Spangled Banner
The Nation’s first motto was “E Pluribus Unum”. What does this mean?
Out of many, one
We all become one
What is Independence Day?
A holiday to celebrate U.S. independence (from Britain)
The country’s birthday
Name three national U. S. holidays.
New Year's Day Martin Luther King, Jr. Day President Day (Washington's Birthday) Memorial Day Independence Day Labor Day Veterans Day Columbus Day Thanksgiving Day Christmas Day
What is Memorial Day?
A holiday to honor soldiers who died in military service
What is Veterans Day?
A holiday to honor people in the US military
A holiday to honor people who have served (in the US military)
