American History Trivia Questions
Total Questions: 322
Which Chief Justice chaired and gave his name to the commission that investigated JFK's assassination?
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earl warren
In 1917, all citizens of which island became naturalized citizens of the U.S.?
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puerto rico
In which city, known for its historical significance, did Betsy Ross develop her needlework skills during her school years?
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philadelphia
Who, a cousin of John Adams, represents Massachusetts in the National Statuary Hall collection?
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samuel adams
Who was the first lady whose great-granddaughter, Mary Ann Randolph Custis, married Robert E. Lee in 1831?
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martha washington
Which street did traders start meeting under a tree in 1792, leading to the establishment of the NYSE?
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wall street
What bell, first hung in the Pennsylvania state house in 1753, became a symbol of American independence?
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liberty bell
Which naturalist was arrested in 1846 for refusing to pay his poll tax while living by Walden Pond?
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henry david thoreau
What item did Nancy Reagan choose the design for, which was ivory edged in red and donated to the White House?
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china
Which state capital was the site of a surprise attack on December 7, 1941?
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honolulu
What is the name of the oldest existing third party in the United States, founded in 1869 to prevent the manufacture and sale of liquor?
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prohibition party
What did New Jerseyites disguised as Indians burn during the American Revolution, unlike Bostonians who dumped it in the harbor?
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tea
Who lay in state in 1972 in tribute to his 48 years as FBI director?
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j. edgar hoover
Which general, born into an aristocratic Virginia family and married to Martha Washington's great-granddaughter, played a significant role in the Civil War?
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robert e. lee
Which historical American symbol is said to have cracked in 1835 while tolling the death of John Marshall?
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liberty bell
Which document, issued after the Battle of Antietam, took effect on January 1, 1863?
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emancipation proclamation
During World War II, at which Kentucky military base was the Declaration of Independence stored for safekeeping?
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fort knox
What religious group turned right at Utah in 1860 to establish Idaho's first permanent settlement?
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mormons
Who was the father of William Henry Fitzhugh Lee, who led a division through the Petersburg Campaign during the Civil War?
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robert e. lee
What is the name of the Pilgrim document dated November 11, 1620 that begins, 'In the name of God, amen'?
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mayflower compact
Who held the position of Attorney General under both John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson?
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robert f. kennedy
In which city did Peyton Randolph bring the meetings of the Continental Congress to order when he served as the first president?
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philadelphia
In 1896, which state was admitted to the Union after renouncing polygamy, becoming the 45th state?
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utah
What crop's export from the South was shut down during the Civil War, causing massive unemployment in northern New England?
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cotton
Which historical figure is the subject of the museum on the 6th floor of the Texas School Book Depository in Dallas?
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john f. kennedy
What 1848 discovery in California did Edward Beale bring news of to the east coast?
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gold
Which holiday was first observed nationally on the last Thursday in November 1863, during the Civil War?
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thanksgiving
Which U.S. state was a republic with Stephen Austin serving as Secretary of State, and its current capital is named after him?
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texas
Which famous street in Lower Manhattan got its name from a stockade built to protect the colony?
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wall street
Whose birth anniversary, on February 12, was made a holiday by the Illinois legislature in 1892?
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abraham lincoln
What was the name of the 1803 territorial acquisition that granted the United States free navigation of the Mississippi River?
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louisiana purchase
Who was the pamphleteer that Benjamin Franklin encouraged to move from England to America in 1774?
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thomas paine
What foundational document begins with the phrase, 'We the people of the United States, in order to form...'?
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constitution
Which pioneering American blazed the Wilderness Road in 1775?
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daniel boone
Who was the first Secretary of the Treasury who created the first Bank of the U.S. which opened in 1791?
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alexander hamilton
When Abraham Lincoln became President, the Union held three forts in Florida and which other fort in South Carolina?
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fort sumter
Which patriot was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence?
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john hancock
Which first lady, overwhelmed by grief, did not attend her husband's burial on May 4, 1865?
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mary todd lincoln
In which event on December 16, 1773, did approximately 60 members of the Sons of Liberty dress as Indians?
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boston tea party
What was 'Publick Occurrences', the first of its kind, published in the American colonies in 1690 that lasted only one issue?
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newspaper
Which city in Louisiana was known as the 'Paris of America' during the 1800s?
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new orleans
Which state had the highest desertion rate in the Union Army during the Civil War, often referred to as 'bleeding' for its pre-war conflicts?
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kansas
Which state did the territory of Orleans become on April 30, 1812?
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louisiana
Which Pennsylvania city served as both the state capital and the national capital in 1779?
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philadelphia
In which state did the Gold Rush begin in 1858, about 10 years after it started in California?
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colorado
What valuable metal was discovered by James Marshall on the American River on January 24, 1848?
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gold
What animal raced the locomotive Tom Thumb in 1830 and won?
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horse
Who became the youngest governor in the U.S. in 1979 after serving as Arkansas attorney general?
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bill clinton
In which Pennsylvania city was the American Weekly Mercury, the first colonial newspaper outside Boston, established in 1719?
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philadelphia
What is the middle name of LBJ's daughter Lynda?
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bird
Which supremacist group did Confederate general Nathan Forrest lead as its first head after the Civil War?
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ku klux klan
In which state did the town of Leadville have 350 bartenders in 1879, roughly 1 for every 15 residents?
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colorado
In which city did John Adams defend British troops involved in the 1770 'Massacre'?
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boston
In 20th century America, how many days long was the work week that became generally accepted in the 1930s?
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5
Who told his Confederate troops to go home and resume their occupations after signing the surrender in the Civil War?
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robert e. lee
Which U.S. president's middle initial, 'S', was chosen to honor both of his grandfathers?
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harry s. truman
Which state's Dry Tortugas Islands, discovered by Ponce de Leon in 1513, are now a bird sanctuary?
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florida
What were the volunteers called who were ready to fight within 60 seconds during the Revolutionary War?
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minutemen
What $15 million purchase in the 19th century doubled the size of the United States?
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louisiana purchase
In which city did Andrew Jackson achieve a heroic defense that occurred after the signing of the War of 1812 peace treaty?
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new orleans
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