Can You Ace This American History Quiz?

A tariff is a tax on goods that are imported. There was a lot of controversy about British tariffs before the American Revolution, hence the slogan "No taxation without representation."

The Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776. That's why we celebrate with fireworks on the 4th of July! It wasn't actually signed until August 2 of the same year.

The Battle of Gettysburg was the turning point in the Civil War. The Confederate troops never invaded the North again. More people died in that three day battle (somewhere around 50,000 soldiers) than in any other battle of the entire Civil War.

Benjamin Franklin wore many hats. He was a statesman, diplomat, signer of the Declaration of Independence and delegate to the Constitutional Convention. He also invented bifocal glasses and the lightning rod, among other things.

An abolitionist was someone that wanted to end slavery in the U.S. The Civil War eventually led to abolition. The movement started in the late 18th century in the United States.

The Smithsonian is the most popular museum in the U.S. To be specific, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in D.C. is the most popular. However, the Smithsonian Institute runs twenty museums nationwide.

Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. It was the official end of slavery in this country. However, since it was during the Civil War, slaves in the south still had to escape Confederate forces to actually become free.

The Statue of Liberty is associated with New York, but is actually across the state line, in New Jersey. However, the island itself is technically still part of New York.

The Second Amendment protects the right to bear arms. It also protects the right to organize militias, or armies.

The Gettysburg Address was made by Abraham Lincoln. It was to dedicate the cemetery to soldiers that died at the Battle of Gettysburg, the deadliest single battle of the entire Civil War.

Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in North America. It was founded in 1607. Most of the founding settlers starved to death in the winter of 1609-1610, but the settlement survived and became the capital of the Virginia colony (which it was until 1699.)

The Civil War began in 1861 and lasted to 1865. Abraham Lincoln was the president at the time. Slavery was abolished because of the war. However, up to three-quarters of a million people died during the fighting.

Sam Adams was a member of the Sons of Liberty. They started the Committee of Correspondence to gain public support for the revolution. The original group was only around for one year, but they came up with the motto, "No taxation without representation."

Our government is a representative government. That means that voters elect representative politicians to act on their behalf in the government.

Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were written. Today, the hall is a landmark of American history.

Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia. This officially ended the Civil War. The surrender conference, itself, took place at the home of Wilmer McLean. Shockingly, McLean's prior residence was part of the first major battle of the Civil War, and caused him to move to Appomattox. The war essentially began and ended at the two residences of Wilmer McLean.

Manifest destiny was the belief that the United States should own all the land between the Atlantic and the Pacific because Americans (aka white settlers) were best suited to civilize and bring prosperity to the country. This ignored the rights and needs of indigenous tribes that lived in the country. Manifest destiny eventually became a reality.

King George III was not a favorite among colonialists. He taxed the colonies and refused the Olive Branch Petition that led to the final break with the colonies. Toward the end of King George III's reign, his son ruled in his stead.

The Temperance Movement was a campaign against the sale and drinking of alcohol. While prohibition lasted from 1920-1933, people still found ways to produce, sell and consume alcohol.

A republic is a kind of nation. It's where voters choose representatives to govern them and vote/act on their behalf.

President Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803. This is famously called the Louisiana Purchase. The purchase included land that is currently part of 15 states; almost the entire center of the country.

The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson. He would go on to be our third president. Interestingly enough, Jefferson thought that John Adams should be the one to write the document.

Fort Sumter is located in South Carolina. The first shots of the Civil War were fired there. The Confederate Army attacked the U.S. Army fort. The U.S. Army (which also became known as the Union Army) ultimately surrendered at Fort Sumter.

Mercantilism is an economic theory. It states that a country's strength comes from gold, selling more than it buys and devoting the colonies to the benefit of the home country.

"Common Sense" was a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine. It was meant to convince the colonists that it was time to become independent.

The opening shots of the American Revolution were fired in Massachusetts. That was at Lexington and Concord in 1775. This occurred two years after the Boston Tea Party.

The Magna Carta was the first document that limited the power of the ruler. It was signed in 1215 by King John of England. The principles of the Magna Carter heavily influenced American colonists on their journey towards independence.

The Great Compromise divided Congress into two houses. One house was based on population, while the other was based on equal representation to each state. This is known as the House and Senate.

The American Bill of Rights is based on the English Bill of Rights, which set out rules for the monarchy and Parliament in 1689.

George Washington advised us in his farewell address to stay “neutral in its relations with other nations.” He also said that we should avoid "entangling alliances."

In our country, we have three branches of government. These are the legislative, judicial and executive branches. The legislative branch is Congress. The Judicial branch is the Supreme Court and the executive branch is the president of the United States.

The U.S. Constitution was written in 1787. That was 11 years after we declared independence. However, it wasn't ratified until the following year, nor effective until 1789.

The First Amendment is a pretty remarkable thing. It protects freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly and petition.

Loyalty to the state over the country is known as sectionalism. Normally, it has to do with cultural and economic differences between geographic areas. It was very much not what the Founding Fathers intended.

The Battle of Saratoga is considered to be the turning point in the American Revolution. The British General, John Burgoyne, was forced to surrender to the Continental Army when expected British forces never arrived. The defeat of the Brits at Yorktown was the end of the Revolution.