Basic U.S.A. History Trivia Quiz

Answer: Virginia

In 1607, 115 years after Christopher Columbus had discovered the New World, Captain John Smith established a British colony at present-day Jamestown, Virginia. English attempts at settlement in the Americas had begun already during the 1580s on Roanoke Island along present-day North Carolina's outer banks. This colony was lost, however. The "Mayflower" Pilgrims founded Plymouth in 1620.

Answer: forty years

Established in 1625; taken over in 1665.

Answer: seven years

Independence was declared on 4th July 1776. Its acknowledgement followed in 1783. In 1788 the Constitution was signed and the United States of America was officially born. The following year George Washington was elected as the first president. In 1790 a population of 4,000,000 was recorded.

Answer: Oregon

In 1846 a Treaty with Britain ended British claims over Oregon. Oregon became a state in 1859.

Answer: It was independent

In 1845 the Republic of Texas was annexed upon its own request.

Answer: Oklahoma

In 1803 the US territory had been doubled by the Louisiana Purchase, which Napoleonic France had sold for some 15 million dollars. In 1819 Florida had been bought from Spain. Price: 5 million dollars. In 1848 Mexico ceded California at the end of the "Mexican War". Florida got statehood on 3rd March 1845 as the 27th state.

At the end of the same year also Texas joined the Union: it became 28th State on 29th December 1845. California joined on 14th September 1859 (the 31st state). Oklahoma was formed from Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory.

It was officially created as the 46th State on 16th November 1907.

Answer: Russia

When peace was restored after the Civil War (1861-1865), there was a need to reconstruct the country. By the purchase of Alaska from the Russians (1867), the U.S. territory was further expanded. Price $7.2m. Alaska became a District of the U.S.A. on 18th October 1867. In 1912 it became "an organized territory". It obtained statehood on 3rd January 1959 as the 49th state.

Answer: 29th October

In 1914 the Panama Canal had been opened, in 1917 the U.S. had successfully joined World War I, in 1927 Lindbergh had crossed the Atlantic. But in spite of all the good news, things took a turn for the worse, and on "Black Thursday", 24th October 1929, the stock market crash gave a first signal of the world-wide depression which was to last for some years. On "Black Tuesday", 29th October, things got even worse at the Stock Exchange. From 1933 on F.D. Roosevelt via his "New Deal" began to fight unemployment and tried to tackle the economic crisis.

In 1940 war started again in Europe. Once again the USA were unable to stay out.

Answer: 8th May

On 7th December 1941 Japanese Forces had attacked "Pearl Harbour". On 6th June 1944 Allied Troops under General Eisenhower landed in Normandy. On 8th May 1945 Germany had unconditionally surrendered. Japan followed suit on 12th September 1945.

Answer: Paris Peace Accords

The Cold War became hot already a first time in 1950 when the Korean War broke out. In 1963 the assassination of President Kennedy in Dallas shocked the country. President Johnson tried to win the Vietnamese war by tripling the U.S. Forces in Vietnam. Neil Armstrong (not to be confounded with Louis or Lance) set foot on the moon.

In 1973 Nixon and Kissinger finally achieved peace in Vietnam and accepted to withdraw their troops. On January 27 President Nixon came to Paris to officially sign the Peace Accords.