Us History Quiz

U.S. History: From Revolution to Modern Times

American history is a rich tapestry of idealism and struggle, innovation and conflict, progress and setback. The United States was founded on revolutionary principles - That government derives its legitimacy from the consent of the governed, and that all people have unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The founding generation - Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, Franklin - Created a constitutional republic that has endured for over 230 years, longer than any other republican form of government in history.

The 19th century brought expansion (the Louisiana Purchase doubled the country's size in 1803; Manifest Destiny drove westward expansion), crisis (the Civil War, 1861 - 1865, was the bloodiest conflict on American soil), and transformation (industrialization, the Transcontinental Railroad, waves of immigration). The 20th century saw America rise to global superpower status through technological innovation, military might, and economic growth, while also grappling with racial inequality, labor rights, and the responsibilities of international leadership. Try the American History Quiz for more, or test your constitutional knowledge with the Bill of Rights Quiz.

Key milestones in U.S. history include: the Louisiana Purchase (1803), the Missouri Compromise (1820), the California Gold Rush (1848 - 1849), the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad (1869), the Emancipation Proclamation (1863), women's suffrage (19th Amendment, 1920), the New Deal (1933 - 1939), D-Day (1944), the Civil Rights Act (1964), the Moon Landing (1969), and the September 11 attacks (2001). Each of these events reshaped American society and its role in the world.