Founding Documents
What is the supreme law of the land?
The Constitution (the Constitution of the United States)
How many amendments does the Constitution have?
27
Who heads the Executive Branch of the federal government?
The President
What movement worked to end racial discrimination in the United States?
The Civil Rights Movement
What major event occurred on September 11, 2001?
Terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon (including a crash in Pennsylvania)
What are the first words of the Preamble of the Constitution?
"We the People"
The first ten amendments to the Constitution are called the what?
The Bill of Rights
Who makes federal laws?
Congress (the legislative branch)
What was the purpose of the Emancipation Proclamation?
To free enslaved people in Confederate states during the Civil War and shift Union war aims toward abolition (issued by Lincoln in 1863)
What war occurred between the North and the South?
The American Civil War
What is the primary purpose of the Declaration of Independence?
To declare the colonies independent from Britain and explain the reasons for independence
What is the primary purpose of the Constitution of the United States?
To establish the framework of government, distribute powers, and protect rights
How many voting members are in the U.S. House of Representatives?
435
What was the goal of Martin Luther King Jr.?
To achieve equal rights and end segregation through nonviolent protest and civil disobedience
Who served as President during the Great Depression and World War II?
Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR)
Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
What is the purpose of amending the Constitution?
To change or add provisions to the Constitution to address needed lega/political changes
How long is the term length of a U.S. Senator?
Six years
What did Susan B. Anthony do?
Advocated for women's rights, especially women's suffrage; worked to secure voting rights for women
What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?
The Louisiana Purchase
When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
July 4, 1776
When was the Constitution written?
1787 (written at the Constitutional Convention in 1787, ratified in 1788)
If the President is no longer able to serve, who becomes President?
The Vice President
What constitutional amendment guarantees freedom of speech? Name the amendment and summarize its protections.
The First Amendment, which guarantees freedoms including speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition
What was the main concern of the United States during the Cold War?
Containment of communism and rivalry with the Soviet Union