American History Quiz

American History: From Colonies to Superpower

American history spans from the first human migrations across the Bering land bridge some 15,000 - 20,000 years ago, through the rise of complex Native American civilizations, European colonization beginning in the 15th century, the colonial period, the American Revolution, and the formation of a constitutional republic. The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776, asserting that the thirteen colonies were independent of Britain and establishing the philosophical foundation of American democracy.

The Civil War (1861 - 1865) was the most traumatic event in American history, claiming over 620,000 lives in a conflict between the Union (Northern states) and the Confederacy (Southern states) primarily over the institution of slavery. President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation (1863) declared enslaved people in Confederate states to be free. The 13th Amendment (1865) formally abolished slavery. The war's legacy - Race, equality, and national unity - Continues to shape American society. Try the Black History Quiz for civil rights history, or explore the 13 Colonies Quiz for colonial era knowledge.

The 20th century saw the United States rise to global superpower status through its role in both World Wars, the economic boom of the 1920s and its collapse in the Great Depression, the New Deal policies of FDR, the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement, and the space race. The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks were the deadliest on American soil, killing nearly 3,000 people and transforming national security policy. America's history is one of ongoing tension between its founding ideals of liberty and equality and the often painful reality of achieving them.