US History
Who was the first US President?
George Washington
What century did WWI and WWII happen in?
The 20th Century: WWI 1914-1918, but the US 1917-1918. WWII 1939-1945, but the US 1941-45
How many states are there?
50
Who invented the lightbulb?
Thomas Alva Edison
Which American holiday is named for the day AFTER the holiday, a day called "All Hallows Day"
Halloween (e'en = the evening before, as we see in Christmas Eve and New Years Eve.)
Pennsylvania was named for what famous Quaker?
Extra credit: What does Pennsylvania mean?
William Penn
Penn's Woods
Who was president during the Civil War?
President Abraham Lincoln
Why did the Civil War create the most deaths of US soldiers and destroy the most American buildings, towns, farms, etc?
Extra credit: Why?
The Civil War: It was the only US war fought on American soil, and so had brother fighting brother and across the US. 655,000 American soldiers died (on both sides). WWI - 116,000. WWII - 113,000. Vietnam - 47,000. Afghanistan - 5000. Iraq - 4000
Added together 330,000, about 1/2 of the Civil War.
Which two states are not connected to the "Lower 48" states?
Alaska and Hawaii
Who invented the telephone?
Alexander Graham Bell
Which holiday celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Extra credit: What year was this event?
the 4th of July, aka Independence Day, 1776
Who was the most famous Pennsylvanian during the Colonial and Revolutionary War periods?
Benjamin Franklin
What President was assassinated in Nov. of 1963?
President John F. Kennedy (JFK)
What war lead to events that started the Revolutionary War?
The French and Indian War
The region west of the Applachian Mountains and north of the Ohio River is called the
Midwest, or Middle West.
Who invented or perfected the sewing machine in the US.
Isaac Singer
What are the three religious holidays celebrated in the early spring?
Easter, Passover, and Ramadan
What famous Civil War battle was fought in south-central PA?
The Battle of Gettysburg
What President was impeached twice and convicted of 34 felony counts?
What war featured the only attack on the US capital until the Trump Insurrection of Jan 6 2021? Hint: It also gave us the Star-Spangled Banner, our national anthem.
The War of 1812
The states that seceded from (left) the United States during the Civil War were called the _______, while those that stayed were called the _________.
South...North
also Confederacy and the Union
Who invented peanut butter?
George Washington Carver
Which holiday was often celebrated to mark the defeat and slaughter of native Americans?
Thanksgiving
What mountain chain crosses Pennsylvania and served as a natural boundary for the western part of the colony for much of the colonial period?
The Appalachians, or Allegheny Mountains (a part of the larger chain of Appalachian Mountains)
Who was the longest-serving president, the one who saw the country through the Great Depression and World War II?
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt
What TWO wars came out of 9/11?
The Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan.
The region of the country from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains is called the
Great Plains, the Plains States
Who invented the windshield wiper?
Mary Anderson
What does Labor Day celebrate?
American working men and women, and the Unions that represent them
Six states touch Pennsylvania. They are:
New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, and Ohio