US History Quizzes for Second Graders: Test Your Knowledge

Question 1

What was the main reason the American colonists were unhappy with British rule?

Accepted Answer

Paying high taxes without having a say in how the money was spent

Answer

Not being allowed to practice their own religions

Answer

Being forced to serve in the British army

Answer

Not being allowed to own land

Question 2

During the American Revolutionary War, who commanded the Continental Army in the fight against the British?

Accepted Answer

George Washington

Answer

Abraham Lincoln

Answer

Thomas Jefferson

Question 3

In the past, people from different countries chose to move to the United States. What reasons do you think they had for making this decision?

Accepted Answer

They wanted to escape problems like poverty and war in their home countries.

Accepted Answer

They wanted to discover new places and have better opportunities.

Answer

They were forced to come by their governments.

Answer

They came to visit their families.

Question 4

After the Civil War, there was a period called Reconstruction. What was a major challenge during this time?

Accepted Answer

There was racial violence and discrimination against African Americans.

Answer

Slavery was abolished.

Answer

The South was rebuilt and reunited with the North.

Answer

The economy was strong and prosperous.

Question 5

Who was the first president of the United States?

Accepted Answer

George Washington

Answer

Abraham Lincoln

Answer

Thomas Jefferson

Answer

John Adams

Question 6

During the Cold War, why were many Americans feeling scared and suspicious?

Accepted Answer

There was a risk of nuclear war with the Soviet Union.

Accepted Answer

Propaganda made people think communists were dangerous.

Answer

The US was fighting in Vietnam.

Answer

The economy was strong.

Question 7

How did women help their families during the westward expansion?

Accepted Answer

By teaching, caring for the sick, and cooking.

Answer

By fighting in battles alongside the men.

Answer

By staying home to manage the farm.

Question 8

What was the main reason the United States entered the Vietnam War?

Accepted Answer

To support South Vietnam against the spread of communism

Answer

To avenge the attack on Pearl Harbor

Answer

To secure American oil interests

Answer

To establish democracy in Vietnam

Question 9

Who was the first African American to serve in the U.S. Senate during the Reconstruction Era?

Accepted Answer

Hiram Revels

Answer

Frederick Douglass

Answer

Andrew Johnson

Answer

Booker T. Washington

Question 10

Who were the first people to live in the land that is now the United States?

Accepted Answer

Native Americans

Answer

Pilgrims

Answer

Spanish explorers

Answer

African slaves

Question 11

Who is called the 'Father of Our Country'?

Accepted Answer

George Washington

Answer

Abraham Lincoln

Answer

Thomas Jefferson

Answer

Benjamin Franklin

Question 12

Which document declared the American colonies' independence from Great Britain?

Accepted Answer

The Declaration of Independence

Answer

The Constitution

Answer

The Articles of Confederation

Answer

The Bill of Rights

Question 13

Which battle was a major turning point in the American Revolutionary War?

Accepted Answer

The Battle of Saratoga

Answer

The Battle of Yorktown

Answer

The Battle of Bunker Hill

Answer

The Battle of Gettysburg

Question 14

Who was the main writer of the Constitution of the United States?

Accepted Answer

James Madison

Answer

Thomas Jefferson

Answer

Alexander Hamilton

Answer

Benjamin Franklin

Question 15

Which change or addition to the Constitution ended slavery in the United States?

Accepted Answer

The Thirteenth Amendment

Answer

The First Amendment

Answer

The Nineteenth Amendment

Question 16

During which war did the United States gain independence from Great Britain?

Accepted Answer

The Revolutionary War

Answer

The French and Indian War

Answer

The Civil War

Answer

World War II

Question 17

Which region of the United States was known for its plantations and reliance on slave labor?

Accepted Answer

The Southern colonies

Answer

The New England colonies

Answer

The Mid-Atlantic colonies

Answer

The Western territories

Question 18

Who was the first president of the United States?

Accepted Answer

George Washington

Answer

Thomas Jefferson

Answer

John Adams

Answer

Abraham Lincoln

Question 19

Which industry was most important to the development of the United States?

Accepted Answer

Agriculture

Answer

Manufacturing

Answer

Mining

Answer

Tourism

Question 20

Which document declared the thirteen American colonies as independent from British rule?

Accepted Answer

Declaration of Independence

Answer

Constitution of the United States

Answer

Bill of Rights

Question 21

Who led the Continental Army to victory in the American Revolutionary War?

Accepted Answer

George Washington

Answer

Thomas Jefferson

Answer

Patrick Henry

Question 22

Which president purchased the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803?

Accepted Answer

Thomas Jefferson

Answer

George Washington

Answer

Abraham Lincoln

Question 23

What was the name of the abolitionist movement that fought to end slavery?

Accepted Answer

Anti-Slavery Movement

Answer

Reconstruction Era

Answer

Progressive Era

Question 24

Who invented the telegraph, which revolutionized communication in the 19th century?

Accepted Answer

Samuel Morse

Answer

Thomas Edison

Answer

Nikola Tesla

Question 25

Which amendment to the Constitution abolished slavery?

Accepted Answer

Thirteenth Amendment

Answer

Fourteenth Amendment

Answer

Fifteenth Amendment

Question 26

What was the name of the movement that promoted the equal rights of women?

Accepted Answer

Suffrage Movement

Answer

Civil Rights Movement

Answer

Labor Movement

Question 27

Who is known as the 'Great Emancipator' for his role in abolishing slavery?

Accepted Answer

Abraham Lincoln

Answer

Martin Luther King Jr.

Answer

Frederick Douglass

Question 28

Which amendment to the Constitution gave women the right to vote?

Accepted Answer

Nineteenth Amendment

Answer

Twenty-sixth Amendment

Answer

Twenty-seventh Amendment

Question 29

Who is known as the first president of the United States?

Accepted Answer

George Washington

Answer

Abraham Lincoln

Answer

Thomas Jefferson

Answer

Benjamin Franklin

Question 30

Which event in 1775 marked the start of the American Revolution?

Accepted Answer

The Battle of Lexington and Concord

Answer

The Declaration of Independence

Answer

The signing of the Constitution

Answer

The Louisiana Purchase

Question 31

Which amendment to the US Constitution outlawed slavery?

Accepted Answer

The 13th Amendment

Answer

The 1st Amendment

Answer

The 15th Amendment

Answer

The 19th Amendment

Question 32

Who was the leader of the Union Army during the American Civil War?

Accepted Answer

Ulysses S. Grant

Answer

George Washington

Answer

Abraham Lincoln

Answer

Robert E. Lee

Question 33

Which famous landmark was built to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the United States?

Accepted Answer

The Statue of Liberty

Answer

The Washington Monument

Answer

The Eiffel Tower

Answer

The Golden Gate Bridge

Question 34

Who is known as the 'Father of the United States'?

Accepted Answer

George Washington

Answer

Abraham Lincoln

Answer

Thomas Jefferson

Answer

Benjamin Franklin

Question 35

Which event started the American Revolutionary War?

Accepted Answer

Battle of Lexington

Answer

Boston Tea Party

Answer

Declaration of Independence

Answer

Surrender at Yorktown

Question 36

Why is the Declaration of Independence important?

Accepted Answer

It declared the colonies' independence.

Answer

It started the war with Great Britain.

Answer

It established the first government of the United States.

Answer

It gave women the right to vote.

Question 37

Who was the first president of the United States?

Accepted Answer

George Washington

Answer

John Adams

Answer

Thomas Jefferson

Answer

Abraham Lincoln

Question 38

Which amendment to the Constitution ended slavery?

Accepted Answer

13th Amendment

Answer

14th Amendment

Answer

15th Amendment

Answer

19th Amendment

Question 39

Who led the Union Army during the Civil War?

Accepted Answer

Ulysses S. Grant

Answer

Robert E. Lee

Answer

Jefferson Davis

Answer

Abraham Lincoln

Question 40

What did the Women's Suffrage Movement want?

Accepted Answer

To allow women to vote

Answer

To end slavery

Answer

To give women equal rights

Answer

To improve working conditions for women

Question 41

Which of the following is a primary source of US history?

Accepted Answer

A diary written in the past

Answer

A school textbook

Answer

An encyclopedia

Answer

A documentary movie

Question 42

Who is known as the 'Father of Our Country'?

Accepted Answer

George Washington

Answer

Thomas Jefferson

Answer

Abraham Lincoln

Answer

Martin Luther King Jr.

Question 43

What important event marked the start of the American Revolution?

Accepted Answer

Boston Tea Party

Answer

Battle of Saratoga

Answer

Declaration of Independence

Answer

Signing of the Constitution

Question 44

Which amendment to the Constitution abolished slavery?

Accepted Answer

13th Amendment

Answer

1st Amendment

Answer

5th Amendment

Answer

15th Amendment

Question 45

What was the main goal of the Louisiana Purchase?

Accepted Answer

To expand the United States westward

Answer

To end the War of 1812

Answer

To gain control of the Mississippi River

Answer

To strengthen relations with France

Question 46

Who is known for inventing the telephone?

Accepted Answer

Alexander Graham Bell

Answer

Thomas Edison

Answer

Nikola Tesla

Answer

George Westinghouse

Question 47

What was the underlying cause of the Civil War?

Accepted Answer

Differences over slavery

Answer

Economic rivalry between the North and South

Answer

Political disagreements between the two major parties

Answer

Foreign interference

Question 48

Who was the first African American to serve as a Supreme Court Justice?

Accepted Answer

Thurgood Marshall

Answer

Martin Luther King Jr.

Answer

Malcolm X

Answer

Rosa Parks

Question 49

Which mountain is the highest in the United States?

Accepted Answer

Mount Denali

Answer

Mount Everest

Answer

Mount Whitney

Answer

Mount Kilimanjaro

Question 50

Which is NOT a branch of the U.S. government?

Accepted Answer

Administrative

Answer

Executive

Answer

Legislative

Answer

Judicial

Question 51

Which treaty ended the Spanish-American War?

Accepted Answer

Treaty of Paris

Answer

Treaty of Versailles

Answer

Treaty of Ghent

Answer

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

Question 52

What invention helped factories make things faster and in bigger amounts during the Industrial Revolution?

Accepted Answer

Steam engine

Answer

Telephone

Answer

Computer

Question 53

How did the Vietnam War greatly impact American society?

Accepted Answer

Prompted widespread protests and anti-war sentiment

Answer

Increased patriotism among Americans

Answer

United Americans from various backgrounds

Answer

Reduced government military spending

Question 54

The Boston Tea Party was a protest against British rule. What did the colonists do to show their defiance?

Accepted Answer

They dumped tea into the harbor.

Answer

They sent a letter to the king.

Answer

They refused to buy British goods.

Question 55

After the American colonies gained independence from Great Britain, which document announced that they were now free?

Accepted Answer

The Declaration of Independence

Answer

The Constitution

Answer

The Bill of Rights

Answer

The Articles of Confederation

Question 56

Who was the president who fought to end slavery?

Accepted Answer

Abraham Lincoln

Answer

George Washington

Answer

Thomas Jefferson

Answer

Ulysses S. Grant

Question 57

How did the westward expansion impact the lives of Native Americans?

Accepted Answer

Native Americans' way of life was disrupted.

Answer

Native Americans gained more land and resources.

Answer

Native Americans lived peacefully with the settlers.

Answer

Native Americans became wealthy from trading with the settlers.

Question 58

Which of these places was the first permanent English settlement in North America?

Accepted Answer

Jamestown Colony

Answer

Plymouth Colony

Answer

Roanoke Colony

Answer

St. Augustine Colony

Question 59

Who is known as the 'Father of the Constitution'?

Accepted Answer

James Madison

Answer

George Washington

Answer

Thomas Jefferson

Answer

Benjamin Franklin

Question 60

Which battle was a big turning point in the American Revolutionary War?

Accepted Answer

Battle of Saratoga

Answer

Battle of Bunker Hill

Answer

Battle of Yorktown

Answer

Battle of Trenton

Question 61

What was the main reason for the westward expansion of the United States in the 19th century?

Accepted Answer

To find new resources and land

Answer

To escape religious persecution

Answer

To spread American values

Answer

To build a bigger army

Question 62

Which of these was NOT a reason for the Civil War?

Accepted Answer

Foreign powers getting involved

Answer

Slavery

Answer

Economic differences

Answer

States' rights

Question 63

Who killed President Abraham Lincoln?

Accepted Answer

John Wilkes Booth

Answer

Lee Harvey Oswald

Answer

Charles Guiteau

Answer

James Earl Ray

Question 64

What was the important goal of the Emancipation Proclamation?

Accepted Answer

To free all slaves in the United States

Answer

To end the Civil War

Answer

To keep the Union together

Answer

To give women the right to vote