US History Trivia Questions: 160 Facts to Quiz On

Learning history doesn’t have to feel like memorizing dates and names. It can be fun, surprising, and even competitive.

In this article, you’ll explore key moments, important leaders, and turning points that shaped the United States through engaging questions and answers. From the American Revolution to modern times, each section offers facts that make the past easier to remember.

Do you want to test yourself, prepare for class, or quiz friends? These US history trivia questions will help you learn in an enjoyable way!

Why Explore Your Knowledge of US History?

American chronicles are full of turning points, big ideas, and people who formed the nation. Every event, from the signing of the Constitution to the civil rights movement, tells part of America’s story.

Testing yourself with a US historical facts quiz is not just a game. It’s a way to connect with the past in a fun and meaningful way. Knowing US history helps you: 

• Understand how the nation developed.
• See why certain events still matter today.
• Build stronger cultural awareness.
• Improve memory and critical thinking.
• Join discussions with more confidence.

Learning American history helps us understand how the United States became what it is today. From the founding fathers and the American Revolution to the Civil War, World War II, and the civil rights movement, these moments shaped culture, politics, and daily life.

Trivia is a fun way to learn and can even help when writing a good history paper if you’re a student, a teacher, or just curious. 

Start Learning with Basic Questions about the US

Even if you’re new to US history, you can start here. These questions are simple, fun, and cover the most well-known facts. These basic history questions are perfect to warm up before the harder ones.

1. Who was the first president of the United States?

   George Washington

2. In what year was the Declaration of Independence signed?

   1776

3. What was the first capital city of the United States?

   New York City

4. Who is known as the “Father of the Constitution”?

   James Madison

5. What bird is the national symbol of America?

   Bald Eagle

6. Which document begins with “We the People”?

   The Constitution

7. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

   Thomas Jefferson

8. Which war was fought between the North and South?

   The American Civil War

9. Who was the first US state to join the Union?

   Delaware

10. What year did the American Revolution end?

    1783

11. Who sewed the first American flag?

    Betsy Ross (legend says so)

12. Which famous bell is found in Philadelphia?

    The Liberty Bell

13. Who gave the famous “I Have a Dream” speech?

    Martin Luther King Jr.

14. What is the national anthem of the United States?

    The Star-Spangled Banner

15. Who was the 16th president of the United States?

    Abraham Lincoln

16. Which holiday celebrates American independence?

    Independence Day (July 4th)

17. Who discovered electricity with a kite experiment?

    Benjamin Franklin

18. Which river is the longest in the United States?

    Missouri River

19. Where is the Washington Monument located?

    Washington, D.C.

20. Which American invented the telephone?

    Alexander Graham Bell

The Colonial and Revolutionary Era: 1600–1770s

This era was the foundation of America. It covers the American colonies, the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and the struggle for independence. These events remain some of the most important U.S. history topics that formed the nation.

1. Which colony was the first permanent English settlement?

   Jamestown, Virginia

2. Who gave the charter for the Virginia Colony?

   King James I

3. Which colony was originally called New Amsterdam?

   New York

4. Who were the Pilgrims?

   Early settlers who came on the Mayflower

5. Where did the Boston Tea Party take place?

   Massachusetts

6. What year was the Boston Tea Party?

   1773

7. Which war ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1763?

   The French and Indian War

8. What was the main crop in the Southern colonies?

   Tobacco

9. Who was known as the first signer of the Declaration of Independence?

   John Hancock

10. What group met in 1774 to discuss colonial rights?

    First Continental Congress

11. Who was called the “midnight rider”, warning about the British?

    Paul Revere

12. What was the purpose of the Continental Congress?

    To coordinate resistance against Britain

13. Where did the first shots of the Revolution happen?

    Lexington and Concord

14. Who was the commander of the Continental Army?

    George Washington

15. Which country helped the colonies win independence?

    France

16. What document officially ended the American Revolution?

    Treaty of Paris (1783)

17. What famous pamphlet did Thomas Paine write?

    Common Sense

18. Who was the second president of the United States?

    John Adams

19. What city hosted the Constitutional Convention in 1787?

    Philadelphia

20. What year was the US Constitution ratified?

    1789

US History Trivia with Answers on the 19th Century

The 19th century was full of big changes, including the Civil War, westward expansion, and the Industrial Revolution. It was a time when the United States grew quickly and faced challenges that transformed the nation, with leaders like Abraham Lincoln guiding the country through critical moments.

1. What year did the Civil War begin?

   1861

2. What year did the Civil War end?

   1865

3. Who was the president during the Civil War?

   Abraham Lincoln

4. Who was the Confederate general known for his strategy?

   General Robert E. Lee

5. What was the Underground Railroad?

   A network helping enslaved people escape to freedom

6. Who was the first president to be impeached?

   Andrew Johnson

7. Which US president served the shortest time in office?

   William Henry Harrison

8. What was the Louisiana Purchase?

   A land deal doubling US territory in 1803

9. Who wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner”?

   Francis Scott Key

10. What state was the last to join the Union in the 19th century?

    Utah (1896)

11. Who was known for the first powered flight in 1903?

    The Wright Brothers

12. What year did the California Gold Rush begin?

    1848

13. What was the main cause of the Mexican-American War?

    Territorial disputes

14. Who was the president during the Mexican-American War?

    James K. Polk

15. Where is Mount Rushmore located?

    South Dakota

16. What did the Emancipation Proclamation declare?

    Freedom for enslaved people in Confederate states

17. Who was the first woman to run for president in the 19th century?

    Victoria Woodhull (1872)

18. Which battle was the bloodiest in the Civil War?

    Battle of Gettysburg

19. Who invented the first telephone?

    Alexander Graham Bell

20. Which US president was assassinated in 1881?

    James A. Garfield

American Trivia Questions about the 20th Century

This century was full of key moments: two world wars, the Great Depression, the civil rights movement, and the space race. These events help us understand how the United States developed and remain some of the most important history topics.

1. Who was president during World War I?

   Woodrow Wilson

2. What year did women win the right to vote?

   1920

3. What event started the Great Depression?

   Stock Market Crash of 1929

4. Who was president during most of World War II?

   Franklin D. Roosevelt

5. What year did World War II end?

   1945

6. Who ordered the dropping of atomic bombs on Japan?

   Harry S. Truman

7. What was the Cold War mainly about?

   Tension between the US and the Soviet Union

8. Who was assassinated in 1963?

   John F. Kennedy

9. What event marked the start of the Vietnam War for the US?

   Gulf of Tonkin Incident (1964)

10. Who refused to give up her bus seat in 1955?

    Rosa Parks

11. Which landmark case ended school segregation?

    Brown v. Board of Education

12. Who was the first president to resign?

    Richard Nixon

13. Who was the first president born in the 20th century?

    John F. Kennedy

14. Which president signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964?

    Lyndon B. Johnson

15. Who was the first American to walk on the moon?

    Neil Armstrong

16. Who was president during the Gulf War?

    George H. W. Bush

17. Which president was known for saying “It’s the economy, stupid”?

    Bill Clinton

18. Who signed the Equal Pay Act of 1963?

    John F. Kennedy

19. Who was the first woman appointed to the US Supreme Court?

    Sandra Day O’Connor

20. Who was the first African American Supreme Court Justice?

    Thurgood Marshall

US History Questions and Answers about the 21st Century

Recent history continues to impact our daily lives. From major wars and political shifts to technological breakthroughs and cultural changes, the 21st century is packed with events that have left a lasting mark.

1. Who was the president during 9/11?

   George W. Bush

2. What year did 9/11 happen?

   2001

3. Who was the first African American president?

   Barack Obama

4. What year was Obama elected?

   2008

5. Who was president during the Iraq War?

   George W. Bush

6. Who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009?

   Barack Obama

7. What year did the US invade Iraq?

   2003

8. What was the cause of the 2008 financial crisis?

   Housing market crash

9. Who was the first woman vice president?

   Kamala Harris (2021)

10. What year did the US legalize same-sex marriage?

    2015

11. Who was the president during Hurricane Katrina?

    George W. Bush

12. What year did the US capture Osama bin Laden?

    2011

13. Who was the president during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic?

    Donald Trump

14. Who was the 45th president?

    Donald Trump

15. Who was the 46th president?

    Joe Biden

16. What year did the US withdraw from Afghanistan?

    2021

17. Which social movement rose in the 2010s for racial justice?

    Black Lives Matter

18. Who was the first US president impeached twice?

    Donald Trump

19. What year was Barack Obama re-elected?

    2012

20. Who was the president when Osama bin Laden was killed?

    Barack Obama

US History Trivia Questions for Serious Learners

These questions go beyond the basics and test deep knowledge of the past. They are perfect for advanced students, trivia lovers, or anyone who enjoys hard history questions that challenge the mind.

1. Who was the first woman elected to the US Congress?

   Jeannette Rankin

2. Who was the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?

   John Jay

3. What was the original name of Mount McKinley?

   Denali

4. Who was the only president to serve non-consecutive terms?

   Grover Cleveland

5. What city was the US capital before Washington, D.C.?

   Philadelphia

6. Which amendment abolished slavery?

   13th Amendment

7. Who was the first president to live in the White House?

   John Adams

8. Who argued the case of Brown v. Board of Education before the Supreme Court?

   Thurgood Marshall

9. Which Founding Father was also the first Postmaster General of the United States?

   Benjamin Franklin

10. What was the last US state admitted to the Union?

    Hawaii (1959)

11. Which president delivered the Gettysburg Address?

    Abraham Lincoln

12. What treaty ended the Mexican-American War?

    Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

13. Which president was in office during the Wright Brothers’ first powered flight?

    Theodore Roosevelt

14. Who was the first president to visit South America?

    Theodore Roosevelt

15. What year was the first cell phone invented?

    1973

16. Which president gave the famous “Silent Majority” speech?

    Richard Nixon

17. Who was the only president never elected?

    Gerald Ford

18. Who was the president during the Cuban Missile Crisis?

    John F. Kennedy

19. Which US president was a general in World War II?

    Dwight D. Eisenhower

20. Who was the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner from the US?

    Martin Luther King Jr.

US History Trivia Questions for Group Discussions

These prompts are meant for debate and reflection, not just quick answers. Unlike easy US history questions that test basic facts, these encourage deeper thinking and allow groups to share different views about America’s past.

1. Why did the American Revolution change world history?

   It inspired other independence movements

2. Why was the Civil War a turning point for America?

   It ended slavery and preserved the Union

3. What was the most important speech in US history?

   Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address or MLK’s Dream Speech

4. Why was the Boston Tea Party such a big deal?

   It sparked colonial unity against Britain

5. Which president had the greatest impact on America?

   Open to debate (Washington, Lincoln, FDR, etc.)

6. Should the US have dropped atomic bombs on Japan?

   Debatable

7. Was the Great Depression avoidable?

   Open for discussion

8. Did the Civil Rights Movement fully succeed?

   Still debated

9. Which war most changed America’s role in the world?

   World War II (arguable)

10. How did the Supreme Court shape civil rights?

    Through landmark cases like Brown v. Board

11. Was the Iraq War necessary?

    Debatable

12. Which invention had the biggest effect on America?

    Telephone, car, internet, cell phone

13. Should we view Columbus as a hero or a villain?

    Open to debate

14. Was the Louisiana Purchase worth it?

    Yes, doubled the nation

15. Should the president have more or less power?

    Debate question

16. Which national park best represents America?

    Varies by opinion

17. Who was the most important founding father?

    Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, or others

18. Was Prohibition a success or a failure?

    Mostly seen as a failure

19. Should equal pay laws be stronger today?

    Debate question

20. Which key moments in history define America?

    Open-ended

A Quick Look at America’s Big Moments

These trivia questions highlight the big events that everyone should remember. They go beyond basic US history questions and bring attention to the most important moments in the nation’s past.

1. What year was America founded?

   1776

2. Who was the first president?

   George Washington

3. What year did the Civil War start?

   1861

4. What year did the Civil War end?

   1865

5. Who freed enslaved people with the Emancipation Proclamation?

   Abraham Lincoln

6. What year was the stock market crash?

   1929

7. Who was the president during the Great Depression?

   Herbert Hoover & Franklin Roosevelt

8. What year did World War II begin?

   1939 (US joined 1941)

9. Who led US troops in Europe during WWII?

   Dwight D. Eisenhower

10. What year did man land on the moon?

    1969

11. Who was the president during the moon landing?

    Richard Nixon

12. Who was the first woman on the Supreme Court?

    Sandra Day O’Connor

13. What year did the Civil Rights Act pass?

    1964

14. Who was the president during Watergate?

    Richard Nixon

15. What year did Nixon resign?

    1974

16. Who was the president when the Berlin Wall fell?

    George H. W. Bush

17. What year was the first year the African American president was elected?

    2008

18. Who was the 42nd president?

    Bill Clinton

19. Who was the president during 9/11?

    George W. Bush

20. Who is the current president?

    Donald Trump (as of 2025)

Explore, Test Your Knowledge, and Master US History Facts

From the American colonies to the 21st century, US trivia questions show how much our country has grown and changed. Each of them is a reminder that the past still shapes today’s culture, politics, and everyday life. 

Trying these quiz questions is a fun way to learn and remember important events, leaders, and turning points. You can share them in class, use them in group quizzes, or challenge your friends. Every answer you discover builds your knowledge of America’s key moments. 

If you want to learn even more, check out our resources on PapersOwl and dive deeper into the stories that shaped the nation. You’ll discover fascinating facts, helpful guides, and fresh insights that make learning history simple and engaging.

Start exploring today, keep building your knowledge of America’s past one question at a time, and enjoy even more American history trivia questions and answers!

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