100 American History Trivia Questions and Answers

The Declaration of Independence had a big mistake that went unnoticed for over 200 years. The Liberty Bell didn’t crack from celebration, it actually happened during a somber funeral. And one founding father was so afraid of being buried alive that he asked to stay above ground for three days after his death!

American history isn’t just dates and old presidents from your high school textbook. It’s full of amazing stories, brave heroes, surprising mistakes, and moments of courage that shaped the country we live in today.

Whether you’re a teacher looking to make history fun in the classroom, planning a Fourth of July party with friends and family, or hosting a team-building event, history trivia is a great way to make learning exciting. Everyone gets to discover surprising facts that make them say, “Wait, really?”

The tricky part isn’t finding interesting questions, it’s keeping everyone involved. Some players may know all the answers, others may lose interest after a few questions, and managing scores for a big group can get confusing.

This is where an interactive quiz platform helps. Everyone can join fairly, scores update automatically, and you can focus on sharing the amazing stories behind each answer instead of managing the chaos.

Let’s dive into 100 American history questions from colonial times to today, perfect for any event where learning and fun come together.

100 American History Trivia Questions and Answers

Colonial Era & Founding

Q1: What year did Christopher Columbus reach the Americas?

A: 1492

Q2: Which was the first permanent English settlement in North America?

A: Jamestown, Virginia (1607)

Q3: What ship brought the Pilgrims to America?

A: The Mayflower

Q4: In what year was the Declaration of Independence signed?

A: 1776

Q5: Who is called the “Father of the Constitution”?

A: James Madison

Q6: How many original colonies were there?

A: 13 colonies

Q7: What was the Boston Tea Party protesting?

A: Taxation without representation

Q8: Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

A: Thomas Jefferson (with input from others)

Q9: What year did the American Revolution begin?

A: 1775 (Battles of Lexington and Concord)

Q10: Who was the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence?

A: John Hancock

Q11: What does “E Pluribus Unum” mean?

A: “Out of many, one”

Q12: Which founding father appears on the $100 bill?

A: Benjamin Franklin

Q13: What was Paul Revere’s famous midnight ride warning?

A: “The British are coming!”

Q14: Where was the Constitutional Convention held?

A: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Q15: How many amendments are in the Bill of Rights?

A: 10 amendments

Q16: Who was the primary author of the Federalist Papers?

A: Alexander Hamilton (with Madison and Jay)

Q17: What year did the Constitution take effect?

A: 1789

Q18: What was the first capital of the United States?

A: New York City

Q19: Which founding father never became president?

A: Benjamin Franklin (among others)

Q20: What event ended the Revolutionary War?

A: Treaty of Paris (1783)

Presidents & Leaders

Q21: Who was the first U.S. President?

A: George Washington

Q22: Which president served the most terms?

A: Franklin D. Roosevelt (4 terms)

Q23: Who was president during the Civil War?

A: Abraham Lincoln

Q24: Which president appears on Mount Rushmore?

A: Washington, Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, Lincoln

Q25: Who was the youngest elected president?

A: John F. Kennedy (43 years old)

Q26: Which president resigned from office?

A: Richard Nixon (1974)

Q27: Who was the only president never elected?

A: Gerald Ford

Q28: Which president signed the Emancipation Proclamation?

A: Abraham Lincoln

Q29: Who was president during World War II?

A: Franklin D. Roosevelt (and briefly Harry Truman)

Q30: Which president purchased Louisiana from France?

A: Thomas Jefferson (Louisiana Purchase, 1803)

Q31: Who was the first president to live in the White House?

A: John Adams

Q32: Which president established Social Security?

A: Franklin D. Roosevelt

Q33: Who gave the famous “I Have a Dream” speech?

A: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Q34: Which president created the New Deal?

A: Franklin D. Roosevelt

Q35: Who was president during the Great Depression?

A: Herbert Hoover (started) and FDR

Q36: Which president was assassinated in 1963?

A: John F. Kennedy

Q37: Who was the first African American president?

A: Barack Obama

Q38: Which president served the shortest term?

A: William Henry Harrison (31 days)

Q39: Who was known as “Honest Abe”?

A: Abraham Lincoln

Q40: Which president implemented the Marshall Plan?

A: Harry S. Truman

Wars & Conflicts 

Q41: What years was World War I?

A: 1914-1918 (U.S. entered 1917)

Q42: What event started U.S. involvement in WWII?

A: Attack on Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941)

Q43: What years was the Civil War?

A: 1861-1865

Q44: Which war is known as “America’s forgotten war”?

A: Korean War (1950-1953)

Q45: What battle was the turning point of the Civil War?

A: Battle of Gettysburg (1863)

Q46: What years was the Vietnam War?

A: 1955-1975 (U.S. involvement heaviest 1965-1973)

Q47: Who commanded Union forces in the Civil War?

A: Ulysses S. Grant

Q48: What was D-Day?

A: Allied invasion of Normandy, France (June 6, 1944)

Q49: Who commanded Confederate forces?

A: Robert E. Lee

Q50: What ended World War II?

A: Atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki (August 1945)

Q51: What war was fought over independence from Britain?

A: Revolutionary War (1775-1783)

Q52: What was the Gulf War about?

A: Iraqi invasion of Kuwait (1990-1991)

Q53: Where did the first shots of the Civil War occur?

A: Fort Sumter, South Carolina

Q54: What was the War of 1812 about?

A: Conflicts with Britain over trade and territory

Q55: Who was the famous general in WWII later president?

A: Dwight D. Eisenhower

Q56: What was the Cold War?

A: Tension between U.S. and Soviet Union (1947-1991)

Q57: What was the Tet Offensive?

A: Major Vietnam War offensive by North Vietnam (1968)

Q58: Who was the U.S. general in the Pacific during WWII?

A: Douglas MacArthur

Q59: What years was WWI known as?

A: “The Great War” or “War to End All Wars”

Q60: What was the Battle of the Bulge?

A: Major WWII German offensive (December 1944)

Landmarks & Symbols

Q61: What year was the Statue of Liberty dedicated?

A: 1886

Q62: Which country gifted the Statue of Liberty?

A: France

Q63: Where is the Liberty Bell located?

A: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Q64: How many stars are on the U.S. flag?

A: 50 (representing states)

Q65: How many stripes are on the flag?

A: 13 (representing original colonies)

Q66: What does the bald eagle symbolize?

A: Freedom and strength

Q67: When was the White House built?

A: 1792-1800

Q68: What’s the national anthem called?

A: “The Star-Spangled Banner”

Q69: Who wrote the national anthem?

A: Francis Scott Key

Q70: Where is the Lincoln Memorial?

A: Washington, D.C.

Q71: When was Mount Rushmore completed?

A: 1941

Q72: How tall is the Statue of Liberty?

A: 305 feet (from ground to torch)

Q73: What’s inscribed on the Liberty Bell?

A: “Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land”

Q74: Where is Independence Hall located?

A: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Q75: What’s America’s oldest national park?

A: Yellowstone (established 1872)

If you want to challenge your knowledge even further, check out more fun quiz questions about American states and landmarks.

Rights & Laws

Q76: What does the First Amendment protect?

A: Freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, petition

Q77: What amendment abolished slavery?

A: 13th Amendment (1865)

Q78: What gave women the right to vote?

A: 19th Amendment (1920)

Q79: What’s the Second Amendment about?

A: Right to bear arms

Q80: What lowered the voting age to 18?

A: 26th Amendment (1971)

Q81: What was Brown v. Board of Education about?

A: Desegregation of schools (1954)

Q82: What amendment limits presidential terms?

A: 22nd Amendment (two terms)

Q83: What was Prohibition?

A: Ban on alcohol (1920-1933)

Q84: Which amendment repealed Prohibition?

A: 21st Amendment

Q85: What did the Civil Rights Act of 1964 do?

A: Outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin

Q86: What was Roe v. Wade about?

A: Abortion rights (1973)

Q87: What does the Fifth Amendment protect against?

A: Self-incrimination (“pleading the fifth”)

Q88: What was the Voting Rights Act?

A: Protected voting rights for racial minorities (1965)

Q89: What’s the Supreme Court’s power called?

A: Judicial review

Q90: How many Supreme Court justices are there?

A: Nine

Innovation & Progress

Q91: Who invented the light bulb?

A: Thomas Edison (1879)

Q92: What year did humans first land on the moon?

A: 1969

Q93: Who was the first American in space?

A: Alan Shepard (1961)

Q94: What was the Great Depression?

A: Severe economic downturn (1929-1939)

Q95: What caused the Great Depression?

A: Stock market crash of 1929

Q96: What was the Dust Bowl?

A: Severe drought and dust storms (1930s)

Q97: Who invented the telephone?

A: Alexander Graham Bell (1876)

Q98: What was the Transcontinental Railroad?

A: Railroad connecting East and West coasts (completed 1869)

Q99: What was the Industrial Revolution?

A: Period of major industrialization (late 1700s-1800s)

Q100: What was the Manhattan Project?

A: Secret project to develop atomic bomb (WWII)

How Slidea Quiz Slides Enhance History Learning

With Slidea, your quiz question becomes an interactive learning experience that keeps participants engaged from the first question to the final leaderboard.

Multiple Quiz Slide Types

Use different slide formats to avoid repetition and keep energy high:

• Select Answer – Multiple-choice questions for quick and easy participation
• Type Answer – Ideal for spelling-based or advanced history questions
• Pick the Number – Perfect for dates, counts, and statistics
• Line-Up – Arrange presidents, wars, or events in chronological order

Automatic Scoring & Live Leaderboards

Slidea calculates scores instantly and updates the leaderboard after each question. No disputes, no delays, just friendly competition that motivates everyone.

Equal Participation for All

Participants join using their names or anonymously. Everyone answers from their own device, making the quiz inclusive for students, families, and mixed-age groups.

Final Thought

American history is at its best when it sparks curiosity, laughter, and a few surprised “I didn’t know that!” moments. Trivia brings those stories to life, turning facts into conversations and history into a shared experience rather than a one-sided lesson. When people actively participate, compete, and reflect on the past together, learning feels natural and memorable.

These 100 American history trivia questions aren’t just about testing knowledge, they’re about creating moments of connection across generations, classrooms, and celebrations. Whether you’re hosting a quiz night, teaching students, or planning a patriotic event, the right questions can transform history from something we memorize into something we genuinely enjoy and remember.

FAQs

Q1. Who can use American history trivia questions?
American history trivia is great for students, teachers, families, quiz hosts, and teams hosting learning or fun events.

Q2. Are these American history trivia questions suitable for classrooms?
Yes, they are perfect for classrooms, helping students learn history in an engaging and interactive way.

Q3. Can American history trivia be used for virtual or hybrid events?
Absolutely. These trivia questions work well for online quizzes, virtual meetings, and hybrid history events.

Q4. What topics do American history trivia questions usually cover?
They commonly include presidents, wars, independence, civil rights, landmarks, and important historical events.Q5. How do interactive quizzes improve learning American history?
Interactive quizzes boost audience engagement by encouraging participation, quick thinking, and real-time feedback.