American History Trivia Questions
Total Questions: 322
Which state was the only one to secede from the Union in 1860?
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south carolina
In which colony was Opechancanough killed in Jamestown in 1644 after leading two Indian uprisings?
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virginia
Who is the first lady from Georgia known as the Steel Magnolia for her strong will?
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rosalynn carter
Which Civil War general wrote his "Personal Memoirs" at the urging of Mark Twain?
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ulysses s. grant
During the Wild West conflicts, cattlemen killed thousands of what type of farm animal?
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sheep
What crop did John Rolfe plant in Virginia that became a major cash crop in the 17th century?
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tobacco
What event led the British to pass the Intolerable Acts to punish Massachusetts?
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boston tea party
Who rode to Philadelphia after participating in the Boston Tea Party to report on the event?
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paul revere
In which city's harbor was the USS Maine blown up?
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havana
Which frigate was launched at Boston on October 21, 1797?
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constitution
At which national shrine in Fairfax County, Virginia is Martha Washington buried?
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mount vernon
Who was 80 years old when she retired as president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association in 1900?
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susan b. anthony
What nickname was given to the 1st volunteer cavalry formed after the 1898 Volunteer Army Act was passed?
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rough riders
Who, trained as a corset maker in England, came to America and wrote a series of essays called 'The Crisis'?
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thomas paine
Which South Carolina fort was surrendered by Union troops to the Confederates two days after the Civil War began?
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fort sumter
What Lone Star State was one objective of the Red River Campaign to invade during the Civil War?
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texas
Which First Lady was among the top 10 graduates of her class at the University of Texas in 1933?
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lady bird johnson
Who is honored by a national memorial in Rhode Island for founding the state?
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roger williams
Which doctor was implicated in the Lincoln assassination and subsequently sent to a prison in the Dry Tortugas?
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samuel mudd
What department did Edwin M. Stanton refuse to leave when Andrew Johnson attempted to dismiss him?
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war
On which holiday was Abraham Lincoln assassinated, leading many to compare him to Christ?
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good friday
In 1799, which city served as the capital of the United States?
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philadelphia
In 1773, Paul Revere dressed up as an Indian to participate in what significant event?
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boston tea party
In which city did 8 Americans lose their lives on April 24, 1980, during a failed rescue attempt of American hostages?
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tehran
Who served as U.S. Secretary of State for most of the 1960s?
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dean rusk
In 1609, Henry Hudson explored the area of Sandy Hook Bay in what present-day state?
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new jersey
In which state was Hoboken, a major port for shipping troops overseas during World War I, located?
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new jersey
Who served as vice president under Gerald Ford and also as president of the Museum of Modern Art from 1939 to 1941 and from 1946 to 1953?
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nelson rockefeller
Which American traitor tried to warn Major John Andre?
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benedict arnold
In the 18th century, which country's war with Britain did Jefferson want Washington to support, leading to his departure from the cabinet?
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france
Which Mexican revolutionary was the target of the first U.S. use of military aircraft in 1916?
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pancho villa
Which infamous gangster, known as 'Public Enemy Number One,' is featured in a museum in Nashville, Indiana?
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john dillinger
On September 2, 1864, to which Georgia city did Mayor James M. Calhoun surrender to Union troops?
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atlanta
In which state was Sam Houston removed as governor for his refusal to support the Confederacy during the Civil War?
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texas
In which small U.S. capital was a U.S. Mint established to handle the Comstock Lode's silver output?
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carson city, nevada
Which Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence?
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second
Which fort did the Confederates hold from April 1861 to February 1865 during the Civil War?
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fort sumter
Who is the founder of Rhode Island that has a memorial in Providence?
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roger williams
Before being elected to the Tennessee legislature in 1821, which frontiersman served as a Justice of the Peace?
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davy crockett
Which U.S. state has a historical society that publishes a series of books for students called 'Badger History'?
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wisconsin
Who saw the 'red glare' produced by Congreve rockets on the night of September 13-14, 1814?
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francis scott key
In which southern state did the phrase 'Black Power' come into vogue in 1966 during James Meredith's peace march?
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mississippi
Who was the Chief Justice that declared 'The power to tax involves the power to destroy' in 1819?
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john marshall
Which Confederate general reminded his troops of their Virginian heritage before their charge at Gettysburg?
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george pickett
Which fort in South Carolina was recaptured by Federal forces on February 18, 1865 during the Civil War?
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fort sumter
In early New England, what crime was punished by making the offender wear the letter 'A'?
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adultery
Which state had Dale Bumpers as its governor from 1971 to 1975 before he joined the U.S. Senate?
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arkansas
In 1950, James M. Cox bought the daily newspaper The Constitution in which southern city?
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atlanta
Which Union general telegraphed President Lincoln on December 22, 1864, presenting the city of Savannah as a Christmas gift?
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william tecumseh sherman
In which state did most of the Civil War battles in the east take place?
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virginia
In which state, named after Elizabeth I, does a portrait of her hang in the Governor's conference room?
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virginia
Which metal's ore was primarily processed in Carson City after it was incorporated in 1875?
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silver
What group did John Parker lead against the British in the first battle of the Revolutionary War?
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minutemen
Who was known as 'The Moses of Her People' in 19th century America?
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harriet tubman
What institution, created by Congress in 1846 and known as the 'Attic of the Nation,' is located in Washington, D.C.?
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smithsonian institution
Which leader of the Green Mountain Boys had less famous brothers named Ira and Levi?
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ethan allen
In which current U.S. state was the final link in the Transcontinental Railroad completed in 1869?
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utah
What collection of 85 essays, originally published in New York newspapers, was published in book form in 1788?
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federalist papers
In which state is the town of Natchitoches, originally founded as Fort St. Jean Baptiste around 1714, located?
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louisiana
Who spent her last years in a Eureka Springs, Arkansas boarding house known as 'Hatchet Hall'?
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carrie nation