Foundations
Structure
Rights and Responsibilities
Early History
Recent History, Landmarks, & Holidays
100
This document establishes the basic structure of the American government and was signed on September 17th, 1787.
What is the Constitution?
100
This body, consisting of 535 total delegates, is the main part of the federal legislative branch.
What is (the) (US) Congress?
100
Soon after the adoption of the Constitution, the first 10 amendments were passed (under this collective name), mainly to establish the rights of residents and citizens of the United States.
What is the Bill of Rights?
100
This is the term for the original inhabitants of North America most likely crossed over the Bering Sea over 12,000 years ago.
What are Native Americans?
100
Liberty Island, a little rock with a tall copper statue, is located in this river in between Manhattan Island and New Jersey.
What is the Hudson (River)?
200
This three-word phrase, representing self-government, starts the American, Indian, Irish, and Papua New Guinean Constitutions, and many different variants are used in other Constitutions.
What is "We the People"?
200
This branch of the US government reviews and explains laws, and includes the Supreme and Federal Courts.
What is (the) judicial (branch)?
200
This "foremost" amendment to the Constitution protects the freedoms of assembly, speech, and religion.
What is the 1st Amendment?
200
These European settlers escaped religious persecution by escaping to present-day Massachusetts in 1620.
Who are/were the Pilgrims?
200
The Battle of Guadalcanal, the invasion of Italy, and the Doolittle Raid were three mainly American operations in this war, the most destructive conflict in human history.
What was World War II?
300
In this system, each of the three branches of government is able to counter or limit the powers of another.
What is/are checks and balances?
Possible Examples: Veto, Constitutionality, Nomination of federal judges by the President, Impeachment, Congress declares war/makes military budget
300
As opposed to Senators who serve longer, six-year terms, delegates of this chamber of Congress serve shorter, two-year terms to more closely follow public opinion.
What is the House (of Representatives)?
300
Americans participate in their government by voting for and joining one of these institutions, which nominate candidates and gather support leading up to an election.
What are political parties?
Hint: There are two of these which dominate most elections in the US.
300
This 1787-88 collection of 85 essays, mainly authored by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison, informed citizens about the U.S. Constitution and why it should be passed.
What are/were the Federalist Papers?
300
The bombardment of Fort Sumter and the surrender at Appomattox bookended this bloodiest conflict in American history.
What was the (American) Civil War?
400
Ideas from this quote (100 per idea), and name the document (100): "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."
Ideas: Equality, Liberty, Natural rights
Document: Declaration of Independence
400
This Republican representative for the Louisiana 4th Congressional District is the current Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Who is Mike (James Michael) Johnson?
400
The 26th Amendment, passed and ratified in 1971, makes all citizens above this age eligible to vote.
What is 18 (years old)?
400
These British acts that dissolved the Massachusetts and Virginia legislatures and closed the Port of Boston were labeled this by some radical colonists.
What are/were the Intolerable (Coercive) Acts?
400
During the Reconstruction era, this amendment was ratified to establish birthright citizenship and ensure that Americans have "equal protection of the law".
What is the 14th Amendment?
500
Five (later 6) Native tribes in the Great Lakes region united under this "document" written through wampum (quahog shells) which established the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.
What is the Iroquois Great Law of Peace?
500
This amendment states that powers that are not delegated (stated in the Constitution as federal) are reserved (left for the states and people).
What is the 10th?
Hint: The last amendment in the Bill of Rights
500
Most men living in the United States aged between 18 and 25 used to be required to manually fill out paperwork to register for this executive agency in case of a draft, but it is now automatic.
What is the Selective Service?
500
The 1898 explosion that sank the USS Maine in Havana Harbor was considered the casus belli for this conflict.
What was the Spanish-American War?
500
The American coat of arms contains the Latin motto “E Pluribus Unum”, which translates to this phrase in English.
