The American Revolution
This document, written by Thomas Paine in 1776, advocated for independence from British rule and is considered one of the most influential pamphlets in American history.
What is "Common Sense"?
This term, coined in the 19th century, refers to the belief that it was the destiny of the United States to expand its territory across the North American continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.
What is Manifest Destiny?
This British inventor is credited with inventing the spinning jenny, a key innovation in the textile industry during the Industrial Revolution.
Who is James Hargreaves?
This event, which occurred on April 12, 1861, marked the beginning of the American Civil War when Confederate forces fired upon a Union garrison, forcing its surrender.
What is the Battle of Fort Sumter?
This legislative body, established by Congress in 1865, was tasked with overseeing the transition of the Southern states from rebellion back into the Union during Reconstruction.
What is the Freedmen's Bureau?
In 1775, this first major battle of the American Revolution took place in Massachusetts, marking the beginning of armed conflict between British troops and colonial militia.
What is the Battle of Lexington and Concord?
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed in 1848, ended this war between the United States and Mexico, resulting in Mexico ceding over half of its territory to the U.S., including present-day California, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming.
What is the Mexican-American War?
This Scottish engineer and inventor is best known for his improvements to the steam engine, which played a crucial role in powering machinery and locomotives during the Industrial Revolution.
Who is James Watt?
This famous speech delivered by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 at the dedication of a cemetery for Union soldiers became one of the most iconic statements of American principles and ideals.
What is the Gettysburg Address?
This series of laws, enacted by Southern states in the late 19th century, enforced racial segregation and disenfranchised African Americans, effectively institutionalizing racial discrimination.
What are the Jim Crow laws?
This American Founding Father is often credited as the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, which was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776.
Who is Thomas Jefferson?
This phrase, associated with President James K. Polk, summarized the desire of Americans to acquire the Oregon Territory, which the United States and Britain jointly occupied in the early 19th century.
What is "54°40' or Fight"?
The Industrial Revolution began in this country in the late 18th century before spreading to other parts of the world.
What is England (or United Kingdom)?
This Confederate general, known for his audacious military tactics and "Stonewall" nickname, became one of the most prominent commanders of the Civil War before his death in 1863.
Who is Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson?
This 1870 amendment to the United States Constitution prohibited the denial of the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
What is the 15th Amendment?
This French nobleman served as a major-general in the Continental Army during the American Revolution and played a crucial role in securing French support for the American cause.
Who is Marquis de Lafayette?
This American explorer and military officer led an expedition to explore the Oregon Trail and later served as a key figure in the Bear Flag Revolt and the conquest of California during the Mexican-American War.
Who is John C. Frémont?
This invention, patented by Samuel Morse in 1837, revolutionized long-distance communication by transmitting messages quickly over long distances via electrical impulses.
What is the telegraph?
This Union general, who later became the 18th President of the United States, led the Union Army to victory over the Confederacy, effectively ending the Civil War.
Who is Ulysses S. Grant?
This landmark Supreme Court case in 1896 upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the doctrine of "separate but equal," legitimizing segregation laws and practices in the United States for decades.
What is Plessy v. Ferguson?
This decisive American victory in 1781, led by General George Washington and the French army under General Rochambeau, effectively ended the Revolutionary War.
What is the Battle of Yorktown?
The Gadsden Purchase of 1853 secured a strip of land from Mexico for the purpose of building this transportation route, which aimed to facilitate trade and travel between the eastern and western United States.
What is the Transcontinental Railroad?
This economic system, characterized by private ownership of the means of production and the pursuit of profit, became dominant during the Industrial Revolution.
What is capitalism?
This 1863 battle, considered the turning point of the Civil War, saw Confederate General Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the North repelled by Union forces under General George G. Meade.
What is the Battle of Gettysburg?
This amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1868, granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, including former slaves, and guaranteed equal protection of the laws.
What is the 14th Amendment?