100 U.S. History Trivia Questions (1)

[C] August 2, 1776 | Although Congress adopted it on July 4, most delegates didn’t sign the parchment copy until August 2—a detail lost amid the fireworks.

[A] Missouri River | The Missouri edges out the Mississippi by a few miles, meandering some 2,341 miles from the Rocky Mountains to join its famous sister river.

[C] November 11 | Originally marking the end of World War I, November 11 became Veterans Day to honor all who have served in the U.S. armed forces.

[D] Florida | Florida earned its nickname thanks to its subtropical climate and nearly year‑round sunshine, though its afternoon thunderstorms would beg to differ.

[A] 50 | Since Hawaii’s admission in 1959 the American flag has carried 50 stars, one for each state in the union.

[C] Rhode Island | Rhode Island lives up to its name; it’s only about 37 miles wide, but it packs a lot of colonial charm along its shoreline.

[B] July 4 | Independence Day marks the adoption of the Declaration of Independence; Americans celebrate the nation’s birthday with fireworks, parades and barbecues every July 4th.

[B] Hawaii | Hawaii was admitted in 1959 as the 50th state, bringing a Pacific paradise of volcanoes and luaus into the union.

[C] James Madison | A principal author of the Constitution and advocate of the Bill of Rights, Madison guided the nation through the War of 1812 as its fourth president.

[B] Alaska | Alaska dwarfs the rest of the United States; its vast wilderness is roughly twice the size of Texas and full of moose rather than people.

[A] Atlanta | The civil rights icon was born in 1929 in Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn district, later returning to Georgia to lead the movement’s Southern campaigns.

[D] John Adams | A fiery lawyer from Massachusetts, John Adams served one term as president and later saw his son follow him into the office.

[B] Brown v. Board of Education | In 1954 the Supreme Court unanimously declared that “separate but equal” schools were inherently unequal, catalyzing the modern civil rights movement.

[B] Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt | Sculptor Gutzon Borglum chose two founders and two modernizers: Washington and Jefferson to represent the nation’s birth, Lincoln for preservation, and Theodore Roosevelt for expansion.

[C] New York | New York earned the moniker “Empire State” for its wealth and resources; it was later memorialized by a certain 1,454‑foot art deco skyscraper.

[A] Thurgood Marshall | Before joining the Court in 1967, Marshall argued Brown v. Board and used his legal brilliance to dismantle Jim Crow laws.

[C] The 13 original colonies | Thirteen red and white stripes commemorate the original colonies that rebelled against Britain; the blue field holds stars for each state.

[D] Denali | In 2015, the U.S. officially restored Alaska’s tallest peak to its indigenous name Denali, meaning “the high one” in Koyukon.

[B] Carson City | Despite Nevada’s glitzy tourist hubs, the small capital of Carson City grew out of a frontier trading post and sits near Lake Tahoe.

[D] 4 | Abraham Lincoln, James A. Garfield, William McKinley and John F. Kennedy were all felled by assassins, forever altering American history.

[B] John F. Kennedy | During thirteen tense days in 1962, Kennedy confronted Soviet missiles in Cuba, bringing the world to the brink of nuclear war before a secret deal eased tensions.

[D] The New Deal | The New Deal reshaped American government with public‑works jobs, Social Security and bank reforms aimed at lifting the nation out of economic despair.

[A] 1938 | The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 outlawed oppressive child labor and established minimum wages and working hours for youth.

[B] Russia | In 1867 Secretary of State William H. Seward bought Alaska from a cash‑strapped Russia for about two cents an acre, a deal once mocked as “Seward’s Folly.”

[A] 1788 | Georgia ratified the Constitution on January 2, 1788, becoming the fourth state to join the new United States.

[C] George Washington | As commander of the Continental Army and presiding officer at the Constitutional Convention, George Washington became the young republic’s first head of state and reluctant political star.

[A] Monument Valley | Monument Valley’s towering red buttes have starred in countless Western films, earning it the nickname “John Ford country.”

[D] Massachusetts | In 2004 Massachusetts’ Supreme Judicial Court paved the way for nationwide marriage equality with its landmark Goodridge decision.

[D] Arizona | The Grand Canyon carves through northern Arizona, a mile‑deep wonder sculpted by the Colorado River over millions of years.

[A] South Dakota | The granite faces of four presidents stare out over the Black Hills of South Dakota, drawing millions of visitors annually.