Quiz: 250 years of American history

Test your knowledge of the milestones that shaped the nation.

1. Which document served as the first “constitution” of the United States before 1789?
2. a) The Bill of Rights
3. b) The Articles of Confederation
4. c) The Federalist Papers

2. Who was the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence?
3. a) John Hancock
4. b) Benjamin Franklin
5. c) Samuel Adams

3. Lewis and Clark explored the West after which major event?
4. a) The War of 1812
5. b) The Louisiana Purchase
6. c) The Mexican-American War

4. What was the name of the network of secret routes enslaved people used to escape north?
5. a) The Wilderness Road
6. b) The Oregon Trail
7. c) The Underground Railroad

5. The “Golden Spike” of 1869 completed what project?
6. a) The Erie Canal
7. b) The Transcontinental Railroad
8. c) The Brooklyn Bridge

6. Which U.S. President served more than two terms?
   a) Theodore Roosevelt
   b) Franklin D. Roosevelt
   c) Dwight D. Eisenhower

ANSWER KEY

1. b) A fragile early document that proved too weak to hold the young nation together, it was replaced by the United States Constitution in 1789.
2. a) His bold signature became a lasting symbol of American independence.
3. b) The expedition mapped out the vast new territory the nation had just acquired from France—about 828,000 square miles—doubling the size of the nation.
4. c) The Underground Railroad was a secret network of safe houses and guides who helped enslaved people escape to freedom in the northern states and Canada.
5. b) The Transcontinental Railroad, completed in 1869, was the first rail line to link the U.S. coasts.
6. b) FDR was the only president elected to serve four terms. He led the nation through the Great Depression and World War II.