U.S. History Flashcards
Can't remember what manifest destiny is? Forget who won the War of 1812? No worries -- this deck has you covered! Rehabilitate your knowledge of U.S. history from before the Revolutionary War to the present. Special thanks to The History Channel, Encyclopedia Britannica, and the Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies for helping us research, prioritize, and finalize the information you see in this deck!
Who were the Puritans?
A sect of Protestants in 16th and 17th centuries
The Puritans sought to “purify” Christian religious practices, and constituted a threat to the Church of England. A subset of these Puritans, known as Separatists, wanted to leave the Church of England entirely.
What was the 1620-1640 Great Migration?
The Great Migration was the first large-scale influx of settlers to the New World.
Fleeing a civil war in England, Puritan “Pilgrims” under John Winthrop established numerous settlements in Massachusetts, including Boston. The influx of new settlers led to an expanded government for what was now the colony of Massachusetts.
Describe relations between the English settlers of the New World and Native Americans.
Initially, the English settlers and Indians coexisted peacefully. The Indians taught the English farming methods and introduced them to new crops, while the English traded tools and weapons with the Indians for furs.
However, as the English sought more land, they began to view the Indians as primitive. Many believed that God had destined them to take territory from the Indians.
Which 17th-century Native American princess befriended Captain John Smith of the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia?
Pocahontas
Pocahontas was born about 1596 and named “Amonute,” though she also had a more private name of Matoaka.
She is said to have prevented Smith’s execution by her father by throwing herself upon him, an anecdote that has since been romanticized. She later moved to England and briefly became something of a celebrity.
What was the first permanent English colony in the New World?
Jamestown, Virginia, established in 1607, was England’s first permanent colony in the New World.
The Virginia Company, a joint-stock company, received a charter from King James I. A previous colony at Roanoke, founded in 1587, had mysteriously disappeared, but the Jamestown colony survived despite disease and poor planning.
What were the different types of colonies in the New World?
- Royal colonies, which were governed directly by the King of England. New Hampshire and Virginia were royal colonies.
- Corporate colonies, which were operated by joint-stock companies under a charter from the King of England. Jamestown was a corporate colony.
- Proprietary colonies, which were privately administered by individuals who received a charter from the King. Maryland and Pennsylvania were proprietary colonies.
What was the first lawmaking body in the New World?
The Virginia House of Burgesses
The House was established 12 years after the founding of the Jamestown Colony to encourage colonization in Virginia.
What was indentured servitude?
Under indentured servitude, a person’s passage to the New World was paid in advance and in exchange for several years of labor.
Colonists, primarily in Maryland and Virginia, used indentured servants to fill labor shortages. Most indentured servants died before obtaining freedom.
What was Bacon’s Rebellion?
In 1676, after Virginia’s governor, William Berkeley, failed to respond to Indian attacks on the frontier, impoverished farmer Nathaniel Bacon led a group of former indentured servants and blacks in an attack on Jamestown, burning it to the ground.
Bacon and his followers were aggrieved that political power in the colonial government was in the hands of a few wealthy landowners. The rebellion collapsed when Bacon died of dysentery.
How did slavery develop in Virginia?
Initially, few Africans were imported into Virginia, and by 1650 there were only 400 slaves in the colony.
Over the next few decades, however, Virginia landowners began growing rice and indigo in large quantities, which required large amounts of labor, and slavery increased.
How did the triangular trade system operate?
In the triangular trade system,
- Europe sends guns, rum, and other goods to Africa
- Africa sends the slaves to North America (this was known as the Middle Passage)
- North America sends sugar, tobacco, and cotton, harvested from the plantation slaves, to Europe.
Between 1700 and 1750, the population in the American colonies increased from 250,000 to 1,250,000. From where did most immigrants arrive?
Although many immigrants still came from England, a significant portion of the population was Scottish, German, or Scotch-Irish.
The black population also rose, and by 1750 numbered 200,000.
What was the French and Indian War?
The French and Indian War (1754-1763) was fought by the British against France and Indian tribes that were allied to the French. The war was fought mainly for control of the colonial frontier.
The Treaty of Paris (1763) resolved the war, and the English gained control of land east of the Mississippi River Valley, inbetween Canada and Florida.
What were Writs of Assistance?
In Colonial America, Writs of Assistance were general search warrants, designed to stop smuggling. They allowed British customs agents to search wherever they pleased, and without having to pay for any damages.
Many Americans felt that Writs of Assistance impinged upon their rights as British subjects.
What was the Stamp Act?
The Stamp Act, passed in 1765 by the British Parliament, required colonists to purchase a stamp for any official document and for newspapers.
The British enacted it to raise funds to pay off debts they had incurred as a result of the French and Indian War. Colonists were not opposed to the act, but were not pleased that it was passed without their input.
What was the Boston Massacre?
On March 5, 1770, a number of Bostonians harassed British troops with snowballs and taunts. The troops fired into the crowd, killing five Americans. The British troops were tried for murder; defended by (future president) John Adams, they were acquitted or given reduced sentences.
Why did the Boston Tea Party take place?
The Boston Tea Party took place to protest the British government’s taxation on the colonies, notably the Tea Act. On December 16, 1773, Americans boarded English ships and threw tea cargo overboard into Boston Harbor. The British punished the colonies in 1774 by passing the Coercive (or Intolerable) Acts, which stated that:
- More British soldiers were to be housed in private homes
- Boston Harbor was closed until the colonists paid for the tea
- The power of Massachusetts’ colonial assembly was reduced
- British colonial officials would be tried in Britain instead of America
Who were the Minutemen?
The Minutemen was a nickname given to a particularly well-prepared subset of the colonial militia, who were trained to respond at a moment’s notice to (war) threats.
What is the significance of Paul Revere’s famous ride?
After the British Army was detected moving out of Boston on April 18, 1775, Paul Revere and two other riders, William Dawes and Samuel Prescott, rode through the Massachusetts countryside warning that “the British are coming.”
A small force of Minutemen assembled at Lexington to oppose the British advance. The next day’s battles marked the first of the Revolutionary War.
What were the first two major battles of the Revolutionary War (1775-83)?
The Battles of Lexington and Concord
- The Battle of Lexington was the first battle, in which eight Americans were killed and after which the British marched on to Concord.
- The Battle of Concord was the second battle. The British arrived in Concord to find that the arms and ammunition they had stored there were already gone. They were ambushed by Americans on the way back to Boston.
- These first two battles proved to be a morale boost for Americans, resulting in larger militias.
Who did the Second Continental Congress dispatch to take command of the American soldiers in 1775?
George Washington
As a Virginian, Washington’s appointment signaled colonial unity. Washington was also one of the few colonial soldiers with extensive military experience.
Fill in the blank.
In 1775, the Second Continental Congress sought to restore peace with Great Britain by sending the ____ ____ Petition.
Olive Branch
The olive branch was an ancient symbol of peace
The Olive Branch Petition was met with a declaration of war from the British
The majority of Americans now favored independence
Who won the Battle of Bunker Hill in June 1775?
The British were victorious, despite the loss of about 1,000 British soldiers. American soldiers withstood two British charges, and only retreated when they ran out of ammunition.
Who wrote Common Sense (1776), a pamphlet advocating for immediate independence from the British?
Thomas Paine
Paine’s work sold hundreds of thousands of copies and persuaded many Americans to favor independence.
Paine later authored Rights of Man, in support of the French Revolution, and The Age of Reason, which supported deism and promoted reason.
What is natural law?
Natural law, presented by philosopher John Locke, states that merely by his existence, man is endowed with rights which cannot be taken or abridged by government.
Natural law was used as a justification for the American Revolution, and is mentioned in the Declaration of Independence.
In June of 1776, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia introduced a resolution in the Second Continental Congress, calling for independence. Who was tasked with drafting the Declaration?
Thomas Jefferson led the team of five delegates whose task it was to write the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration set out colonists’ justifications for separation from Great Britain.
Which 18th-century American politician was president of the Continental Congress and the first to sign the Declaration of Independence?
John Hancock
As a result, his name is now synonymous with a signature.
Which American Founding Father signed the Declaration of Independence and later became the second President of the United States?
John Adams
Which American Founding Father helped draft the Constitution, contributed to The Federalist Papers, and helped found the U.S. financial system as the first Secretary of the Treasury?
Alexander Hamilton
He was killed in a duel by Vice President Aaron Burr in 1804.
Which Founding Father was the main author of the Declaration of Independence and became the third President of the United States?
Thomas Jefferson
Jefferson also oversaw the Louisiana Purchase and Lewis and Clark Expedition, and founded the University of Virginia.
Which Founding Father is known for simultaneously being an inventor, scientist, statesman, writer, and printer?
Benjamin Franklin
Franklin signed the Declaration of Independence and made significant advances in the field of electricity.
He also invented bifocals, the lightning rod, and a kind of metal-lined fireplace called the Franklin stove.
His written works include Poor Richard’s Almanack and The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.
After the United States declared independence from Britain on July 4, 1776, what document was drafted to govern the new nation?
The Articles of Confederation
The Articles governed the United States from 1781 to 1789, when they were replaced by the Constitution.
Fill in the blank.
______ were American Loyalists who fought on the side of the British, or otherwise aided them in the war against the American colonies.
Tories
Approximately 60,000 Tories fought for the British in the Revolutionary War, and in excess of 500,000 Tories were suspected to exist in the colonies. After the war, many Tories fled to Canada.
Which American general of the Revolutionary War famously plotted to betray the Americans and side with the British, giving up the fort at West Point?
Benedict Arnold
His name is now synonymous with betrayal.
During the Revolution, which country was America’s most important ally?
France
Following the American victory at the Battle of Saratoga (1777), France recognized the United States and provided naval assistance, supplies, and monetary aid to the fledgling nation. French assistance proved the decisive factor in the Revolution by forcing the British into a wider war.
Which American seamstress of the 18th and 19th centuries is credited with making the first American flag?
Betsy Ross
The (second) Treaty of Paris (1783) ended the Revolutionary War. What were its key terms?
The key terms of the Treaty of Paris were:
- Britain recognized American independence
- Britain remained in control of Canada
- Congress would return confiscated Tory property
- British creditors could collect debts owed to them by Americans
- The United States’ western boundary was set at the Mississippi River, and its southern boundary at Florida
The Constitution’s Preamble lists six reasons for establishing the Constitution. What are they?
The Preamble states that the Constitution was established in order to:
- form a more perfect Union
- establish Justice
- ensure domestic tranquility
- provide for the common defence [sic]
- promote the general Welfare
- secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and to our Posterity
Each of these principles addressed weaknesses that had arisen under the Articles of Confederation.
In the context of the federal government, what is meant by the term “separation of powers”?
The separation of powers is part of the Constitution’s division of power among the three branches of government (executive, legislative, and judicial).
Each branch has particular rights and responsibilities. The Constitution uses checks and balances to diffuse power between the branches and make sure no branch becomes too powerful. As an example, while the president is the commander-in-chief of the military, only Congress has the power to declare war.
Between the President and Congress, the Constitution created three essential checks and balances, to prevent each from gaining too much power. What were they?
The three key checks and balances were:
- The President can exercise a veto over acts of Congress
- Congress can override a Presidential veto only with a 2/3 vote in each house
- Treaties negotiated by the President must be ratified by the Senate
What was the Three-Fifths Compromise?
A critical agreement passed during the 1787 Constitutional Convention, between the northern and southern states, stating that three-fifths of the slave population would be counted for purposes of taxation and representation.
The last section of Article II in the Constitution describes the removal of the President, Vice President, and all civil officers from their offices. What is the removal process called?
impeachment
Actual removal requires a conviction in the Senate of “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.”
Three Presidents [Andrew Johnson in 1868, William Jefferson (Bill) Clinton in 1998, and Donald J. Trump in 2019 and 2021] have already been impeached. Trump being the first US President to be impeached twice.
Fill in the blank.
Those in favor of the new Constitution were known as ______.
Federalists
The Federalists, led by John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison, thought that a strong central government was essential to the survival of the United States.
What did the Anti-Federalists believe?
The Anti-Federalists believed that a strong federal government would impinge upon the rights of the states and the people.
The Anti-Federalists, led by George Mason and John Hancock, appealed to the fear of a strong government stemming from the colonial period.
Opponents of the new Constititution (the Anti-Federalists) contended that the new Constitution was a threat to individual liberty. How did Hamilton, Madison, and the Federalists respond to this concern?
The Federalists proposed a series of 12 constitutional amendments, giving a guarantee of individual liberty. The first 10 amendments were passed and ratified by 1790 and are known as the Bill of Rights.
The proposed 11th amendment (dealing with congressional pay) was finally ratified in 1992, as the 27th Amendment. The 12th proposed amendment has never been ratified.
John Jay, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton wrote a series of 85 newspaper articles advocating for the new Constitution. Collectively, what are these documents known as?
The Federalist Papers
Which two Americans led a two-year expedition to explore the American west to study the terrain, wildlife, natural resources, and geography?
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark
Their expedition lasted from 1804 to 1806.
What was the Louisiana Purchase (1803)?
The Louisiana Purchase was the American acquisition of the Louisiana territory from France, for $15 million. The Purchase doubled the size of the United States, and removed a potentially troubling foreign presence from the American frontier. The newly acquired land contained parts of what would eventually become 15 states.
Who fought in the War of 1812?
The United States fought the United Kingdom, which had allies such as its Canadian colonies, Tecumseh’s (Native American) Confederacy, and Spain.
The war lasted from 1812-1815 and involved old issues that resurfaced from the Revolutionary War, but it also served as part of the larger Napoleonic Wars. It ended with a peace treaty that restored the pre-war situation.
Which 18th- and 19th-century American lawyer and author is best known for writing the lyrics to the American national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner”?
Francis Scott Key
Fill in the blank.
_____ _____ invented the steamboat, revolutionizing travel on the nation’s waterways.
Robert Fulton
Fulton’s invention made it possible for farmers in the West to get their products to Eastern ports inexpensively and quickly, and for manufacturers to get their goods to the West.
Fill in the blank.
Eli Whitney’s invention of the ___ ___ made it economical to use cotton to manufacture clothes.
cotton gin
Short for “engine,” the gin automatically separated cotton fibers from cotton seed, and greatly sped up the production of cotton. The gin made slavery more profitable, allowed cotton to replace wool as the dominant material in clothing, and revolutionized the Southern economy.
What was the major source of power for the earliest American factories?
water power
Early factories were located by rivers and water power was used to operate the mills. Water mills were especially useful in early textile mills.
Define:
sectionalism
Sectionalism is having excessive interest in one’s own local region over the country as a whole. Beginning in the 1820s, the interests of the north, south, and west United States began to diverge.
In Antebellum America, which section of the country saw the largest influx of immigrants?
Most immigrants settled in the American North. The majority were Irish and German.
Between 1845 and 1852, a million immigrants fled Ireland due to what?
the Irish Potato Famine
Most of the immigration between 1845 and 1852 can be attributed to the Irish Potato Famine. The potato was an Irish dietary staple, and another million inhabitants of Ireland died of starvation.
Fill in the blank.
Cotton was the South’s largest product, but the South did grow other agricultural products, including ____ and ____.
tobacco and rice
Both tobacco and rice also required large amounts of slave labor. Cotton, however, took precedence over both.
Define:
The Era of Good Feelings
The Era of Good Feelings began with James Monroe’s election to the Presidency in 1816. The Democratic-Republicans dominated, the Federalist party was collapsing, and there was a renewed optimism brought about by a revived American economy and peace in Europe.
After William Henry Harrison died in office (after one month), John Tyler succeeded to the Presidency. What was unique about Tyler’s position as President?
Tyler was the first Vice President to become President following the death of a sitting President.
Nicknamed “His Accidency,” John Tyler governed not as a caretaker, but as a viable President, setting the standard for future Vice Presidents in the same situation.
Define:
civil disobedience
Argued by Henry David Thoreau, civil disobedience is the belief that one has a duty to disobey when the government enacts laws that violate one’s conscience. It is often seen as being a form of nonviolent resistance.
The idea of civil disobedience went on to influence historical figures such as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.
What were the two most popular textual resources in American schools in the 1800s?
Noah Webster’s Blue-Backed Speller and the McGuffey Readers
Fill in the blank.
_____ _____ was the belief that the United States was intended by God to rule the entirety of North America.
Manifest Destiny
Fill in the blank.
In 1831, _____ _____ led a band of slaves in a revolt in Virginia.
Nat Turner
Turner and his followers killed some 50-60 whites before being put down by state militia. His actions exacerbated fears of further slave rebellions and ended all discussion of slavery reform within the South.
Which escaped slave and abolitionist of the 19th and 20th centuries helped dozens of slaves to freedom using the Underground Railroad?
Harriet Tubman
During the Civil War, she served as a spy for the Union.
Which 19th-century American politician served as President of the United States from 1861-1865?
Abraham Lincoln
He is also famous for overseeing the Union during the Civil War, issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, and delivering the Gettysburg Address.
Which 19th-century military and political leader served as general of the Union Army during the Civil War, and later became the 18th President of the United States?
Ulysses S. Grant
Which American general commanded the Confederate troops during the Civil War?
Robert E. Lee
Which American actor and Confederate assassinated Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865?
John Wilkes Booth
He was tracked down and killed 12 days later.
Which American writer and abolitionist of the 19th century was an escaped slave known both for his oratory, his autobiographies, and his support of women’s suffrage?
Frederick Douglass
Who was Booker T. Washington?
Booker T. Washington (1856-1915) was an African American educator who founded the Tuskegee Institute (now University), a vocational school for blacks in Alabama. The Tuskegee Institute taught skilled trades, preached the value of hard work, and, like Washington himself, contended that long-term black empowerment would come through employment and self-advancement.
Which American author, professor, and civil rights activist of the 19th and 20th centuries co-founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)?
W.E.B. DuBois
DuBois insisted that blacks should receive full civil rights and political representation, contrary to the position of Booker T. Washington, who argued that blacks should avoid confrontation over segregation and submit to white political rule.
Who was Cornelius Vanderbilt?
Vanderbilt was a 19th-century American industrialist who made his fortune in railroads and shipping. The patriarch of the wealthy Vanderbilt family, he helped found Vanderbilt University and was commonly known as “Commodore.”
Who was Andrew Carnegie?
Carnegie was a poor Scottish immigrant who became one of the wealthiest and most important American industrialists and philanthropists during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
He founded the Carnegie Steel Company and later sold it to J.P. Morgan, eventually resulting in the creation of U.S. Steel. He is also known for founding Carnegie Hall and Carnegie Mellon University.
Who was known as “The Wizard of Menlo Park”?
Thomas Alva Edison
Working in his laboratory in Menlo Park, NJ, Edison was the most prolific inventor of the late 1800s, inventing the light bulb, phonograph, and movie camera, as well as hundreds of other items.
Who was Boss Tweed?
Boss Tweed was a notorious political boss in New York City in the 1860s and 1870s. Through his control of Tammany Hall, Tweed was able to bilk New York City out of at least $45 million.
Most of Tweed’s support came from newly arrived Irish immigrants, whom he courted by giving them food and clothing. Tweed and other political bosses represented the corruption that led Mark Twain to call the period “The Gilded Age.”
What artist proved instrumental in bringing down Boss Tweed’s political machine in New York City?
Thomas Nast
Nast’s political cartoons in Harper’s Weekly, a popular magazine of the day, spurred an investigation into Tweed’s “Ring” (his group of supporters). Auditors of the city books discovered millions in fraudulent charges. Tweed fled to Spain, but was captured when Spaniards recognized Tweed’s face from Nast’s cartoons.
Which 19th- and 20th-century American author and activist was deaf and blind but learned to write, read, and communicate through sign language?
Helen Keller
Which American war hero and politician known as “Teddy” was President of the United States from 1901-1909?
Theodore Roosevelt
Roosevelt led a group of volunteer cavalrymen called the Rough Riders in the Spanish-American War, famous for their victory at the Battle of San Juan Hill in Cuba. Known as an adventurous outdoorsman and hunter, Roosevelt was the youngest person to become president, expanded the system of national parks, and oversaw the construction of the Panama Canal.
Who was Susan B. Anthony?
Anthony was a civil rights leader of the 19th and 20th centuries who is best known for her central role in the women’s suffrage movement.
Who was Elizabeth Cady Stanton?
Cady Stanton was a 19th-century American activist who, along with Lucretia Mott, helped organize the first women’s rights convention in America, held at Seneca Falls, NY in 1848. She was an active abolitionist and suffragist.
Who led the New York Journal, a rival to Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World?
William Randolph Hearst
Hearst and Pulitzer engaged in a newspaper war, fighting for subscribers with ever-escalating sensationalism. Critics dubbed their conduct “yellow journalism,” a term stemming from The Yellow Kid comic strip, which was published in both the Journal and the World.
Who was the 28th President of the United States, known for fighting to keep the U.S. out of World War I (1914-18)?
Woodrow Wilson
Wilson emphasized neutrality during his first term, but the U.S. finally entered the war in 1917. In 1918 he issued his Fourteen Points, his goals for peace and the prevention of further conflict. After the war, in 1919, he was instrumental to both the Treaty of Versailles and the creation of the League of Nations.
Which Chicago-based American gangster led a crime syndicate in the late 1920s and early 1930s, primarily focused on the illegal sale of alcohol?
Al Capone
He was sent to prison in 1931 for tax evasion.
Which pair of outlaws gained considerable attention in the 1930s for robberies in the central United States?
Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow
The couple was ambushed and killed by authorities in Louisiana in 1934.
Which 20th-century aviator was the first woman to fly an airplane across the Atlantic Ocean in 1932?
Amelia Earhart
She disappeared in 1937 while flying over the Pacific Ocean.
Who was the 32nd President of the United States, elected four times and President for longer than anyone else in American history, from 1933 until his death in 1945?
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
He took office during the Great Depression and instituted major legislative changes as part of the New Deal, establishing government programs (like the FDIC, SEC, and Social Security) meant to reform and boost the economy. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he declared war on Japan and Germany, began the Manhattan Project, and helped lead the Allies to eventual victory, though he died before WWII ended.
Which American president led the United States in the final months of World War II, and made the controversial decision to use atomic weapons against Japan to end the war?
Harry S. Truman
He oversaw the Berlin Airlift, the creation of NATO, and the start of the Cold War. He also instituted the Marshall Plan to help Europe in its post-war recovery and gained approval for the Korean War in 1950.
Who was the first director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)?
J. Edgar Hoover
He is considered a pioneer in law enforcement for his innovations to police technology, but he is also seen as a controversial figure who abused his power and used illegal and secretive methods to collect evidence.
Who was the President of the United States from 1953-1961?
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Before his presidency, he served as a general and commanded Allied forces in Europe during World War II. His presidency was marked by booming prosperity, the end of McCarthyism, the end of the Korean War, the Suez Crisis, and the ongoing Cold War. Known as Ike, Eisenhower also served as President of Columbia University for five years.
Which American politician led efforts to identify Communists in the American government and society in the 1940s and 1950s?
Joseph R. McCarthy
His extreme opposition to Communism led to many accusations of treason or disloyalty without sufficient regard for evidence. The term “McCarthyism” has come to mean a practice of making allegations via investigative techniques that are unfair or unfounded.
Which 20th-century African American clergyman and political leader was the most prominent leader of the Civil Rights Movement?
Martin Luther King, Jr.
He combatted racial inequality through nonviolence, promoting the use of boycotts or sit-ins. He is most famous for his 1963 “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and for organizing the 1963 March on Washington, where he delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. He was assassinated by James Earl Ray on April 4, 1968.
Which African American civil rights activist famously refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus to a white passenger in 1955?
Rosa Parks
She was arrested for civil disobedience, but she and the ensuing Montgomery Bus Boycott became symbols of the Civil Rights Movement.
Which 20th-century American politician was President of the United States from 1961-1963 and was, at age 43, the youngest person to be elected President?
John F. Kennedy
He supported the Space Race and the Civil Rights Movement, negotiated the Cuban Missile Crisis, oversaw the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion, and was in office for the building of the Berlin Wall and the early years of the Vietnam War. He was assassinated in Dallas on November 22, 1963; Lee Harvey Oswald was charged with the crime. Note that while JFK is the youngest person to ever be elected as president at age 43, Teddy Roosevelt was the youngest to become president following McKinley’s assassination at age 42.
Which 20th-century African American Muslim minister and political leader broke with the Nation of Islam in 1964 and worked with civil rights leaders?
Malcolm X
He was assassinated in 1965 by three members of the Nation of Islam.
Who was the alleged killer of President John F. Kennedy?
Lee Harvey Oswald
He was captured but was never tried because he was killed by Jack Ruby two days after the assassination while being moved by police.
Which American engineer, pilot, Navy officer, and astronaut became the first person to walk on the Moon in 1969?
Neil Armstrong
Who was the 37th President of the United States, whose term was embroiled in the Watergate scandal that eventually led to his resignation in 1974?
Richard Nixon
During his presidency the United States withdrew troops from Vietnam and opened diplomatic relations with China.
Which German-born American writer and diplomat served as National Security Advisor and Secretary of State under Presidents Nixon and Ford?
Henry Kissinger
He helped open relations with the People’s Republic of China and negotiated the Paris Peace Accords, putting an end to American involvement in the Vietnam War. Some of his foreign policy decisions remain controversial, most notably the secret bombings of Cambodia and Laos.
Which 20th-century American film actor began his political career in the 1960s, becoming Governor of California, and later, the 40th President of the United States (1981-89)?
Ronald Reagan
Which attorney and judge was the first African American justice of the United States Supreme Court, serving from 1967 to 1991?
Thurgood Marshall
Marshall had worked as a lawyer for the NAACP and argued against segregation in Brown v. Board of Education.
Fill in the blank.
In 1981, President Reagan appointed _____ ___ _____ to the Supreme Court, making her the first woman to serve on the Court.
Sandra Day O’Connor
She retired in 2006.
Which American politician served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993-2001?
Bill Clinton
During his presidency Clinton gained considerable popularity thanks in large part to the booming American economy. He also signed the North American Free Trade Agreement and passed welfare reform, but his second term was marred by a sex scandal and subsequent impeachment.
Which former First Lady and Senator served as the U.S. Secretary of State from 2009-2013?
Hillary Clinton
A graduate of Yale Law School, she was a Senator for New York from 2001-2009 and a leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008. She has announced her candidacy for the Democratic nomination in the 2016 election.
Which Czech-born American diplomat and professor was the first woman to become United States Secretary of State (1997-2001)?
Madeleine Albright
Which American military leader and statesman served as the Secretary of State from 2001-2005 and was the first African American to hold the position?
Colin Powell
He served in the Vietnam War then rose through the American military ranks, becoming a general in the U.S. Army and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Which American political leader and professor was the first woman to serve as National Security Advisor (2001-05) and the second African American to serve as United States Secretary of State (2005-09)?
Condoleezza Rice
Who was elected governor of Texas in 1994, then served as President of the United States from 2001-2009?
George W. Bush
A Republican and the son of former President George H.W. Bush, he narrowly defeated Al Gore in the controversial 2000 election, plagued by charges of irregularities in the counting of votes. Following the 9/11 attacks in 2001, he launched the War on Terror, resulting in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He signed into law the PATRIOT Act, the No Child Left Behind Act, and general tax cuts.
After the Democratic Party’s landslide victory in the 2006 Congressional elections, who became the first female Speaker of the House?
Nancy Pelosi
The Democratic Party’s victory stemmed from dissatisfaction with the War in Iraq and Bush’s handling of Hurricane Katrina.
Who is the 44th President of the United States and the first African American to hold the office?
Barack Obama
His main policy initiatives have been in response to the American economic recession, but he has also sought to reform healthcare via the Affordable Care Act. In 2010 he repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and in 2012 he publicly supported the legalization of same-sex marriage. He ordered the operation that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden. He was reelected in 2012.
