155+ American History Trivia Questions to Test Your Knowledge

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Explore American history (and beyond) through the centuries
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How well do you actually know American history? Are you a history buff—or are you just looking to show off your trivia skills to friends? Either way, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ve compiled a vast collection of American trivia questions (and associated answers) covering significant events from the 1600s through the present day. We’ll even cover some ancient and world history for an added bonus. So, if you’re ready to dive in and test your history knowledge, let’s get started!

American History Trivia Examples

  • What was the first permanent English American colony named? Jamestown
  • How many British colonies originally existed in North America? 13
  • In what year was the first US $1 bill printed? 1862
  • In what year did the US enter World War I? 1917
  • Which public scare related to technological failures happened in 2000? Y2K
Section 1 of 9:

General American History Trivia

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  1. Let’s start with some general trivia questions; these aren’t from a specific era of American history. Rather, they cover interesting details of American history from the days when America was founded through the 21st century! For example:
    • Question: In what city were both the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution signed?
      • Answer: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    • Question: Which founding father has the largest signature on the Declaration of Independence?
      • Answer: John Hancock
    • Question: What is the US national bird?
      • Answer: The bald eagle
    • Question: What is the national mammal of the US?
      • Answer: The American bison
    • Question: Which state is the biggest in the US?
      • Answer: Alaska
    • Question: Who was the first president to live in the White House?
      • Answer: President John Adams
    • Question: Which US city dyes its river green to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?
      • Answer: Chicago, IL
    • Question: Who was the first president of the United States?
      • Answer: George Washington
    • Question: Which US president was born on July 4 (Independence Day)?
      • Answer: Calvin Coolidge
    • Question: Who is the only US president to have served more than two terms?
      • Answer: Franklin Delano Roosevelt
    • Question: What do the 13 stripes on the US flag represent?
      • Answer: The original 13 colonies
    • Question: Where was the Declaration of Independence stored during World War II?
      • Answer: Fort Knox, Kentucky
    • Question: In what state is Mount Rushmore located?
      • Answer: South Dakota
    • Question: How many US presidents have been assassinated?
      • Answer: 4
    • Question: What was the last state to become part of the United States?
      • Answer: Hawaii
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Section 2 of 9:

1600s (and Earlier) Trivia

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  1. The 1600s were the early days in recorded American history when European countries colonized the land; before that, only indigenous people lived in the Americas. These trivia questions will cover major events throughout the 1600s—and even earlier. For example: [1]
    • Question: How did the first indigenous people reach the continent of North America to settle there?
      • Answer: By migrating across Beringia, a land bridge between Asia and America that existed during the ice ages.
    • Question: What was the first permanent American colony named?
      • Answer: Jamestown. It was named after King James I (of England).
    • Question: What was the first English colony in North America that eventually failed?
      • Answer: Roanoke
    • Question: English Christian settlers traveled to America because they wanted to break away from the Church of England. What were they called?
      • Answer: The Puritans (also called the Pilgrims)
    • Question: What is the name of one of the earliest colonial vessels that transported the Pilgrims to the New World in 1620?
      • Answer: The Mayflower.
    • Question: Who was the first European to set foot on North American soil?
      • Answer: The earliest known European to land in North America was Leif Erikson, an explorer from Norway who arrived in the 10th century.
    • Question: After a harsh winter, the Native Americans taught the pilgrims how to plant crops. What holiday did this later establish?
      • Answer: Thanksgiving
    • Question: What was New York City’s name when it was first established?
      • Answer: New Amsterdam
    • Question: In 1664, New Amsterdam was taken from the Dutch and renamed “New York” by which European forces?
      • Answer: The British
    • Question: What year was the Province of Maryland founded?
      • Answer: 1632
    • Question: What was the name of the first representative assembly in America?
      • Answer: The House of Burgesses
    • Question: Which (still running) university was founded in 1636, making it the oldest institute of higher education in the US?
      • Answer: Harvard
    • Question: Which member of the Patuxet tribe of Wampanoags was one of the first liaisons between Native Americans and Pilgrims?
      • Answer: Tisquantum (known as Squanto)
    • Question: What is the oldest city founded by Europeans in the US?
      • Answer : St. Augustine, Florida
    • Question: Who established Pennsylvania by royal charter in 1681?
      • Answer: William Penn
    • Question: Who was the first explorer to see the Shenandoah Valley while exploring the Appalachians in 1669 and 1670?
      • Answer: John Lederer
    • Question: Which countries were the first to colonize the Americas?
      • Answer: Spain and Portugal
    • Question: What tribe was Pocahontas from?
      • Answer: Powhatan (and her given name was Amonute)
    • Question: What holiday was banned in Boston (and the Massachusetts Bay Colony) from 1659 to 1681?
      • Answer: Christmas
    • Question: How many innocent people died during the Salem Witch Trials?
      • Answer: 25
Section 3 of 9:

1700s Trivia

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  1. The 1700s were an eventful period in American history—because that’s when the United States of America was born! The colonization of America continued, leading to the original British colonies that rebelled and kickstarted the Revolutionary War. See if you can answer these 1700s trivia questions: [2]
    • Question: How many British colonies originally existed in North America?
      • Answer: 13
    • Question: What was the purpose of the protest known as the Boston Tea Party?
      • Answer: To protest the Tea Act of 1773.
    • Question: After the Boston Tea Party, the British Parliament passed a series of measures to punish Massachusetts. What were they called?
      • Answer: The Intolerable Acts (or the Coercive Acts)
    • Question: How many people were killed during the Boston Massacre?
      • Answer: 5
    • Question: Who wrote pamphlets like Common Sense and The Crisis , supporting American independence?
      • Answer: Thomas Paine
    • Question: What state were the Green Mountain Boys from?
      • Answer: Vermont
    • Question: What was the US’ first capital city?
      • Answer: New York City
    • Question: Which American patriot is famous for his midnight ride to warn other rebels that the British were coming?
      • Answer: Paul Revere
    • Question: Before the war and the Declaration of Independence, the First Continental Congress sent a different declaration to King George III. What was it called?
      • Answer: The Declaration of Rights and Grievances
    • Question: Which two battles marked the first armed conflicts between the British and the American colonists?
      • Answer: The battles at Lexington and Concord
    • Question: When was the Declaration of Independence signed?
      • Answer: August 2, 1776 (It was completed on July 4 that year but wasn’t signed for nearly a month after.)
    • Question: Where did the American army spend a long, grueling winter from 1777 to 1778?
      • Answer: Valley Forge
    • Question: On Christmas night in 1776, what river did Washington and the Continental Army cross to surprise attack the Hessians in Trenton, New Jersey?
      • Answer: The Delaware River
    • Question: Which battle is considered the turning point of the American Revolution?
      • Answer: The Battle of Saratoga
    • Question: Which country changed the outcome of the Revolutionary War by joining as America’s ally?
      • Answer: France
    • Question: Which battle and British defeat signaled the end of the Revolutionary War?
      • Answer: The Battle of Yorktown
    • Question: Who was the leader of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War?
      • Answer: George Washington
    • Question: Which of the Founding Fathers invented bifocals?
      • Answer: Benjamin Franklin
    • Question: On which date did the Revolutionary War officially end?
      • Answer: September 3, 1783.
    • Question: What was the first official American state?
      • Answer: Delaware
    • Question: What was the name of the treaty signed by the British accepting defeat and recognizing America’s independence?
      • Answer: The Treaty of Paris
    • Question: In what year was the Constitutional Convention held?
      • Answer: 1787
    • Question: The tenth state to join the United States of America in 1788 was ____.
      • Answer: Virginia
    • Question: What did the newly-formed US government tax in 1794 to pay its debts from the Revolutionary War?
      • Answer: Whiskey
    • Question: In what year was the U.S. Bill of Rights ratified?
      • Answer: 1791
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Section 4 of 9:

1800s Trivia

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  1. The 1800s in America were fraught with conflict, reformation, and change. That was particularly true during the Civil War, which divided the country starting in 1861. These trivia questions cover the events of the 1800s in America: [3]
    • Question: What era in the 1800s is defined by the transition from agricultural practices to industrial ones?
      • Answer: The Industrial Revolution
    • Question: Which city was named the capital of the US in 1800?
      • Answer: Washington, D.C.
    • Question: Which well-known explorers led the first land expedition to the Louisiana Territory?
      • Answer: Lewis and Clark
    • Question: In 1804, Aaron Burr dueled and mortally wounded which American statesman and founding father?
      • Answer: Alexander Hamilton
    • Question: Who was the first American president to declare war?
      • Answer: James Madison (declaring the War of 1812)
    • Question: Which country gave the Statue of Liberty to America in 1886?
      • Answer: France
    • Question: The first successful steamboat trip was made by Robert Fulton in 1807. What was the route he took?
      • Answer: New York City to Albany, NY
    • Question: Which state was 31st to join the US on September 9, 1850?
      • Answer: California
    • Question: In what year did the California gold rush begin?
      • Answer: 1849
    • Question: Between 1830 and 1850, the Cherokee, Muscogee, Seminole, Chickasaw, and Choctaw Nations were forcibly displaced and relocated west, killing tens of thousands, in an event called…
      • Answer: The Trail of Tears
    • Question: Which United States president is responsible for the Trail of Tears?
      • Answer: Andrew Jackson
    • Question: Texas became the 28th state to join the Union in which year?
      • Answer: 1845
    • Question: The United States bought Alaska from which country in 1867?
      • Answer: Russia
    • Question: Which suffragist organized the Seneca Falls Convention for the women’s rights movement?
      • Answer: Elizabeth Cady Stanton
    • Question: Which seven states formed the Confederate States of America in 1861?
      • Answer: South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas
    • Question: What was the first major battle in the Civil War (fought in Virginia)>?
      • Answer: The Battle of Bull Run
    • Question: In what year was the first US $1 bill printed?
      • Answer: 1862
    • Question: Which battle of the Civil War marked the bloodiest day in American history, leaving 22,727 people dead, wounded, or missing?
      • Answer: The Battle of Antietam
    • Question: Which Civil War battle marked its turning point and forced a Confederate retreat?
      • Answer: The Battle of Gettysburg
    • Question: What was the name of the theater in which President Lincoln was assassinated?
      • Answer: Ford’s Theatre (in Washington, D.C.)
    • Question: On what date did the Civil War end?
      • Answer: May 9, 1865
    • Question: What is the name of the location where Robert E. Lee surrendered the Confederate Army to Ulysses S. Grant?
      • Answer: Appomattox Court House
    • Question: In 1890, United States soldiers killed around 300 Lakota people in this mass shooting.
      • Answer: The Wounded Knee Massacre
    • Question: This proclamation from President Abraham Lincoln was issued in 1863 to free all enslaved peoples in the Confederate states.
      • Answer: The Emancipation Proclamation
    • Question: Which former mayor of New York City served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States?
      • Answer: Grover Cleveland
Section 5 of 9:

1900s Trivia

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  1. In America, the 1900s saw the rise of the Progressive Era and numerous social reforms, followed by the Great Depression, the US participation in the World Wars, and beyond. Check out these tricky trivia questions about American history throughout the 1900s: [4]
    • Question: Which pair is responsible for the first sustained aircraft flight in 1903?
      • Answer: The Wright brothers
    • Question: What young women’s organization was established in 1912 by Juliette Gordon Low?
      • Answer: Girl Scouts of the USA
    • Question: Who became president of the United States when William McKinley was assassinated in 1901?
      • Answer: Theodore Roosevelt
    • Question: In what year did the US enter World War I?
      • Answer: 1917
    • Question: The 19th Amendment was passed in 1920. What did it do?
      • Answer: It gave women the right to vote.
    • Question: In 1916, who was the first woman elected to the US Congress?
      • Answer: Jeanette Rankin
    • Question: On what date did the Black Tuesday stock market crash occur, marking the beginning of the Great Depression?
      • Answer: October 24, 1929
    • Question: The US finished constructing this waterway in 1914, forming a shortcut between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
      • Answer: Panama Canal
    • Question: The 18th Amendment was passed in 1919, invoking the prohibition of which substance?
      • Answer: Alcohol
    • Question : In what year was prohibition and the 18th Amendment repealed?
      • Answer: 1933
    • Question: A huge, catastrophic earthquake hit this California city early in the morning in 1906.
      • Answer: San Francisco
    • Question: In what year did Native Americans gain the right to vote?
      • Answer: 1924
    • Question: President Roosevelt created a plan to jumpstart the US economy and enacted it between 1933 and 1939. What was it called?
      • Answer: The New Deal
    • Question: What was the name of the World War II conference between the heads of the United States and the United Kingdom in 1943?
      • Answer: The Third Washington Conference (codenamed the Trident Conference)
    • Question: Which US president took office after Franklin D. Roosevelt died in 1945?
      • Answer: Harry S. Truman
    • Question: Who was the first man on the moon in 1969?
      • Answer: American astronaut Neil Armstrong
    • Question: In 1981, who became the first woman ever appointed to the US Supreme Court?
      • Answer: Sandra Day O’Connor
    • Question: Where was the first atomic bomb testing done on July 16, 1945?
      • Answer: The Trinity Site (New Mexico)
    • Question: Which American activist refused to give up her seat on a bus, leading to civil rights protests nationwide?
      • Answer: Rosa Parks
    • Question: What’s the name of the period of tension between the U.S. and the Soviet Union (which lasted from 1945 through 1991)?
      • Answer: The Cold War
    • Question: The US and 50 other countries formed which organization in October 1945?
      • Answer: The United Nations
    • Question: Which highly-protested war was fought by America from 1959 to 1975?
      • Answer: The Vietnam War
    • Question: In what city was Martin Luther King, Jr. born?
      • Answer: Atlanta, Georgia
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Section 6 of 9:

2000s Trivia

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  1. In American history, the 2000s are the age of globalization: the growing interdependence of the world and its economies, cultures, and peoples. You might remember some of these trivia questions better than the others, but we’re sure there’s still a challenging question or two in the mix! [5]
    • Question: Which state ultimately decided the 2000 presidential election through its electoral votes?
      • Answer: Florida
    • Question: In what year was the first Apple iPod introduced?
      • Answer: 2001
    • Question: In 2003, this space shuttle exploded on re-entry, resulting in the deaths of all seven astronauts onboard.
      • Answer: Columbia
    • Question: What hurricane devastated the city of New Orleans, Louisiana, in 2005?
      • Answer: Hurricane Katrina
    • Question: Which major social networking site was established in 2004?
      • Answer: Facebook
    • Question? Which NASA rover landed on Mars in 2004?
      • Answer: Opportunity
    • Question: Which US President won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009 (while in office)?
      • Answer: President Barack Obama
    • Question: Which war was declared over in December 2011?
      • Answer: The Iraq War
    • Question: In 2021, the US declared the longest war in its history over, which took place from 2001 to 2021. It was the _______.
      • Answer: War in Afghanistan
    • Question: In what year was YouTube launched?
      • Answer: 2005
    • Question: Which action film star became the governor of California in 2003?
      • Answer: Arnold Schwarzenegger
    • Question: Which public scare related to possible technological failures occurred around 2000?
      • Answer: Y2K
    • Question: What year did same-sex marriage become legal nationwide through the Supreme Court’s decision?
      • Answer: 2015
    • Question: Name the first woman to hold federal executive office in the US.
      • Answer: Kamala Harris
Section 7 of 9:

Bonus: World History Trivia

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  1. You might be here for American history trivia—but why not explore a little world history while you’re at it? Let’s see if you’re more or less familiar with events around the world with these trivia questions: [6]
    • Question: What sparked the start of World War I?
      • Answer: The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
    • Question: What was the largest empire in history?
      • Answer: The Mongol Empire
    • Question: Who is credited with inventing the first printing press?
      • Answer: Johannes Gutenberg
    • Question: In what year did India gain its independence from Britain?
      • Answer: 1947
    • Question: Which highly infectious plague swept through Europe in the 14th century, believed to have started in 1347?
      • Answer: The Bubonic Plague (also called the Black Death)
    • Question: Which French king was married to Marie Antoinette?
      • Answer: Louis XVI (the sixteenth)
    • Question: What was the name of the Inca Empire’s capital city?
      • Answer: Cusco
    • Question: Where was William Shakespeare born?
      • Answer: Stratford-upon-Avon, England
    • Question: In 1986, this Ukrainian nuclear power plant became the site of a nuclear disaster that rendered the entire area unsafe.
      • Answer: Chernobyl
    • Question: Which beaches did Allied troops storm in France during World War II?
      • Answer: Normandy
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Section 8 of 9:

Bonus: Ancient History Trivia

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  1. Now, let’s go back to ancient times—which we can’t really do when discussing American history since recorded history goes back much further than the discovery and colonization of America. Here, we’ll cover ancient civilizations from Egypt to Greece, Mesopotamia, and beyond. [7]
    • Question: What was the capital of the Byzantine Empire (now Istanbul, Turkey, in the modern day)?
      • Answer: Constantinople
    • Question: Ancient Greek civilization originated on which island?
      • Answer: Crete
    • Question: Which pharaoh was the Great Pyramid of Giza built for?
      • Answer: Khufu
    • Question: What was the first capital of ancient Egypt?
      • Answer: Memphis
    • Question: On what day was Julius Caesar assassinated?
      • Answer: The Ides of March (March 15, 44 B.C.)
    • Question: Which Greek philosopher is credited as the founder of Western philosophy?
      • Answer: Socrates
    • Question: What is the oldest recorded civilization in the world?
      • Answer: The Sumerian civilization, located in Mesopotamia
    • Question: This fabric was invented in ancient China:
      • Answer: Silk
    • Question: Which nation is famous for having an ancient terracotta army?
      • Answer: China
    • Question: In which year did Alexander the Great conquer Egypt?
      • Answer: 332 B.C.
    • Question: Which Greek city-states feuded during the Peloponnesian War?
      • Answer: Athens and Sparta
    • Question: What wall was built by the Romans around 122 A.D. across Great Britain?
      • Answer: Hadrian’s Wall
    • Question: Mount Vesuvius’ eruption in 79 A.D. is famous for destroying this Roman city.
      • Answer: Pompeii
    • Question: On which peninsula was the Mayan Empire located?
      • Answer: The Yucatan Peninsula
    • Question: How many of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still exist today?
      • Answer: One (the Pyramid of Giza)
Section 9 of 9:

Bonus: Modern History Trivia

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  1. Finally, let’s explore modern history—including events taking place beyond America and its many modern developments. And, if you want to keep going after this, check out our funny trivia questions , too!
    • Question : What year did the Berlin Wall fall?
      • Answer: 1989
    • Question: In 2006, which planet in the solar system was downgraded to a dwarf planet?
      • Answer: Pluto
    • Question: The Great Recession was a global event lasting through these years in the 2000s:
      • Answer: 2007 to 2009
    • Question: In which year did the Internet become available to the public?
      • Answer: 1993
    • Question: These two countries signed the Good Friday Agreement in 1997, ending violent conflict between them that lasted 30 years.
      • Answer: Ireland and Britain
    • Question: In which year was Nelson Mandela freed from prison?
      • Answer: 1990
    • Question: John F. Kennedy was assassinated in which year?
      • Answer: 1963
    • Question: How many times has the Mona Lisa been stolen?
      • Answer: Once (it was recovered)
    • Question: In which country was the largest known T-Rex skeleton found?
      • Answer: Canada
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/united-states-history-primary-source-timeline/colonial-settlement-1600-1763/overview
      2. ↑ https://www.nps.gov/subjects/americanrevolution/timeline.htm
      3. ↑ https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/lesson-plans/Civil_War_handouts.pdf
      4. ↑ https://www.loc.gov/collections/early-films-of-new-york-1898-to-1906/articles-and-essays/america-at-the-turn-of-the-century-a-look-at-the-historical-context/
      5. ↑ https://www.sechistorical.org/museum/timeline/2000-timeline.php
      6. ↑ https://www.worldhistory.org/timeline/civilization/
      7. ↑ https://historycooperative.org/ancient-civilizations/

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