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141 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Name one important idea found in the Declaration of Independence.
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A: People are born with natural rights
A: The power of government comes from the people A: The people can change their government if it hurts their natural rights A: All people are created equal |
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What is the supreme law of the land?
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The Constitution.
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What does the Constitution do?
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It sets up the government.
It protects the basic rights of Americans. |
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What does "We The People" mean in the constitution?
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The power of government comes from the people.
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What do we call changes to the constitution?
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Amendments.
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What is an amendment?
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A change to the constitution.
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What do we call the first 10 amendments to the constitution?
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The Bill of Rights.
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Name one right of freedom from the First Amendment.
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A: Speech
A: Religion A: Assembly A: Press A: Petition the government |
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How many amendments does the constitution have?
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27 (Twenty-Seven)
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What does the Declaration of Independence do?
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A: Announce the independence of the United States from Great Britain
A: Say that the U.S. is free from Great Britain |
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What does freedom or religion mean?
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You can practice any religion you want, or not practice at all.
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What type of economic system does the U.S. have?
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A: Capitalist economy
A: Free market A: Market economy |
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What are the three branches or parts of the government?
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A: Executive, legislative, and judicial
A: Congress, the president, the courts |
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Name on branch or part of the government.
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A: Congress
A: Legislative A: President A: Executive A: The courts A: Judicial |
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Who is in charge of the executive branch?
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The president.
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Who makes federal laws?
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A: Congress
A: The Senate and House (of Representatives) A: The (U.S. or national) legislature |
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What are the two parts of the United States Congress?
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The Senate and the House (of Representatives)
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How many United States Senators are there?
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100
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We elect a U.S. senator for how many years?
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6 (Six)
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Name your states two Senators.
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Richard Durbin & Barack Obama
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How many U.S. Senators does each state have?
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Two (2)
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The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
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435
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We elect a U.S. representative for how many years?
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2 (Two)
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Name your U.S. Representative.
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Bobby Rush
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Who does a U.S. Senator represent?
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All citizens in that senator's state.
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Who does a U.S. representative represent?
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All citizens in that representatives district. (All states are divided into districts)
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What decides each state's number of representatives?
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The population of that state
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How is each state's number of representatives decided?
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By that state's population
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Why do we have three branches of government?
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So no branch is too powerful.
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Name one example of checks and balances.
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A: The president vetoes a bill
A: Congress can confirm or not confirm a president's nomination A: Congress approves the president's budget A: The Supreme Court strikes down a law |
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We elect a president for how many years?
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4
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How old must a president be?
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Thirty-five years or older.
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The president must be born in what country?
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The United States of America
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Who is the president now?
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George W. Bush
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What is the name of the Vice President of the United States?
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Dick Cheney
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If the president can no longer serve, who becomes president?
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The Vice President.
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Who becomes president if the Vice President and the President can no longer serve?
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The Speaker of the House.
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Who is the Commander-In-Chief of the military?
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The president.
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How many full terms can a president serve?
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2 Full terms.
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Who signs bills to become laws?
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The president.
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Who vetoes bills?
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The president.
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What is a veto?
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A: The president refuses to sign a bill passed by Congress
A: The president says no to a bill A: The president rejects a bill |
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What does the president's cabinet do?
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Advise the president.
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Name Two Cabinet level positions.
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A: Secretary of Agriculture
A: Secretary of Commerce A: Secretary of Defense A: Secretary of Education A: Secretary of Energy A: Secretary of Health and Human Services A: Secretary of Homeland Security A: Secretary of Housing and Urban Development A: Secretary of Interior A: Secretary of State A: Secretary of Transportation A: Secretary of Treasury A: Secretary of Veterans' Affairs A: Attorney General |
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What Cabinet-level agency advises the president on foreign policy?
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The State Department.
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What does the judicial branch do?
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A: Reviews and explains laws
A: Resolves disputes between parties A: Decides if a law goes against the Constitution |
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Who confirms the Supreme Court Justices?
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The Senate
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Who is the Chief Justice of the United States?
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John Roberts
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How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
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Nine (9)
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Who nominates justices to the Supreme court?
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The President.
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Name One Thing only the Federal government can do.
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A: Print money
A: Declare war A: Create an army A: Make treaties |
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What is one thing only a state government can do?
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A: Provide schooling and education
A: Provide protection (police) A: Provide safety (fire departments) A: Give a driver's license A: Approve zoning and land use |
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What does it mean that the U.S. Constitution is a constitution of limited powers?
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A: The federal government has only the powers that the Constitution states that it has
A: The states have all powers that the federal government does not |
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Who is the governor of your state?
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Ron Blagojevich
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What is the capital of your state?
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Springfield
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What are the two major political parties in the U.S.?
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Democrats and Republicans
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What is the highest court in the U.S.?
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The Supreme court
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What is the majority political party in the House of Representatives now?
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Democrats or Democratic Party
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What is the political party of the majority in the Senate now?
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Democrats or Democratic Party
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What is the political party of the President now?
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Republican or Republican Party
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Who is the Speaker of the House of Representatives now?
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Nancy Pelosi
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Who is the Senate Majority Leader now?
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Harry Reid
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In what month are elections held in the United States?
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November
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What is the current minimum wage in the U.S.?
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$5.15
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When must all males register for the Selective Service?
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At age 18
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Who is the attorney general now?
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Alberto Gonzales
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Who is the secretary of state now?
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Condoleezza Rice
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Is the current president in his first or second term?
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second
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What is self-government?
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Powers come from the people, Government responds to the people
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Who governs the people in a self-governed country?
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The people govern themselves or the government elected by the people.
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What is the "rule of the law"?
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Everyone must obey the law.
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What are inalienable rights?
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Individual rights that people are born with.
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There are four Amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.
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A. Any Citizen over 18 can vote.
A. Any citzen of any race can vote. A. Any female or female citizen can vote. A. You don't have to pay to vote. |
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Name one responsibility that is only for United States citizens.
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A. Vote
A. Serve on a jury. |
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Name two rights that are only for United States citizens.
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A. The right to apply for a federal job
A. The right to vote A. The right to run for office |
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Name two rights of everyone living in the U.S.
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A. Freedom of Expression
A. Freedom of Speech A: Freedom of Assembly A: Freedom to petition the government A: Freedom to worship A: The Right to Bear Arms |
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What is the Pledge of Allegiance
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The promise of loyalty to the flag and the nation.
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Name one promise you make when you say the Oath of Allegiance.
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A: To give up loyalty to other countries
A: To defend the constituion and laws of the United States A: To obey the laws of the United States A: To serve in the military if needed A: To serve the nation if needed A: To be loyal to the United States |
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Who can vote in the U.S.?
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All registered citzens over 18.
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Name two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy.
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A: Vote
A: Join a Political Party A: Help out with a campaign A: Join a Civic Group A: Join a Community Group A: Tell an elected official your opinion on an issue. A: Call your senators and representatives A: Publicly support or oppose an issue or policy A: Run for Office A: Write to a newspaper |
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When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?
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By April 15th of Every year
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Name two of the natural, or inalienable, rights in the Declaration of Independence.
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A: Life
A: Liberty A: The Pursuit of Hapiness |
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Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
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Thomas Jefferson
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When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
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July 4th, 1776
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Name one reason why colonists came to Amerca?
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A: Freedom
B: Political Liberty A: Religious Freedom A: Economic Opportunity A: To escape Persecution |
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What happened at the Constitutional Convention
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A: The Constitution was writted
A: The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution |
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Why did the colonists fight the British?
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A: They had to pay high taxes but did not have any say about it (Taxation without Representation)
A: The British army stayed in their houses (boarding, quartering) A: The British denied the colonists self-government |
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When was the Constitution drafted?
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1787
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There are 13 original states. Name Three.
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Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Virginia
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What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?
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A. Africans or People from Africa
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Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
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The Native Americans or American Indians
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Where did most of America's colonists come from before the Revolution?
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Europe
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Why were the colonists upset with the British government?
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A: Stamp Act
A: They had to pay high taxes but did not have anything to say about it (Taxation without representation) A: The British army stayed in their houses (boarding, quartering) A: Intolerable Acts |
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Name one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for.
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A: U.S. diplomat
A: Oldest member of the Constitutional Convention A: First Postmaster General of the United States A: Writer of "Poor Richard's Almanac" |
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Name one famous battle from the Revolutionary War.
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A: Lexington and Concord
A: Trenton A: Princeton A: Saratoga A: Cowpens A: Yorktown A: Bunker Hill |
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Who is called the "Father of Our Country"?
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George Washington
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Who was the 1st President
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George Washington
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Name one of the writers of the Federalist Papers?
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A: James Madison
A: Alexander Hamilton A: John Jay |
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What group of essays supported passage of the U.S. Constitution?
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The Federalist papers
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Name one of the Major American Indian Tribes in the United States
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Cherokee, Seminoles, Creek, Choctaw, Arawak, Iroquois, Shawnee, Mohegan, Chippewa, Huron, Oneida, Sioux, Cheyenne, Lakotas, Crows, Blackfeet, Teton, Navajo, Apaches, Pueblo, Hopi, Inuit
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Name one War Fought by the United States in the 1800s.
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A War of 1812, Mexican American War, Civil War, or Spanish-American War
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What territory dit the United States buy from France in 1803?
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The Louisiana Territory or Louisiana
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What country sold the Louisiana Territory to the United States?
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France
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In 1803, the United States bought a large amount of land from France. Where was that land?
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West of the Mississippi, The Western U.S., or the Louisiana Territory
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Name one of the things that Abraham Lincoln did.
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A: Saved or preserved the Union
A: Freed the Slaves A: Led the U.S. during the Civil War |
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Name the U.S. War between the North and the South.
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The Civil War
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Name one problem that led to the Civil War
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A: Slavery
A: Economic rights A: States' rights |
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What did the Emancipation procolmation do?
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A: Freed slaves in the Confederacy
A: Freed slaves in the Confederate states A: Freed slaves in most Southern states |
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What did the abolitionists try to end before the Civil War
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Slavery
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What did Susan B. Anthony do?
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Fought for women's rights
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Name one War fought in the United states in the 1900s.
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World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, or Gulf War
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Who was President during World War I?
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Woodrow Wilson
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The United States fought Japan, Germany, and Italy during which war?
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World War II
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What was the main concern of the United States during the Cold War?
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The spread of communism and the Soviet Union (USSR and Russia)
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What major event happened on September 11, 2001 in the United States
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Terrorists attacked the United States
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What international organization was established after World War II to keep the world at peace?
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The United Nations
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What alliance of North American and European countries was created during the Cold War??
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NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
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Who was the President of the Great Depression and World War II?
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Franklin Roosevelt
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Which U.S. World War II general later became president?
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Dwight Eisenhower
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What did Martin Luther King Jr. do?
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He fought for civil rights
He strove for equality for all Americans |
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Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream for America. What was his dream?
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A: Equality for all Americans
A: Civil rights for all |
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What movement tried to end racial discrimination
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The Civil Rights Movement
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What is the longest river in the United States?
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The Mississippi River
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What ocean is on the west coast of the United States?
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The Pacific Ocean
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What country is on the northern border of the United States?
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Canada
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Where is the Grand Canyon
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Arizona, The Southwest, Along/on the Colorado river
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Where is the statue of liberty?
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New York Harbor, Liberty Island
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What country is on the Southern border of the United States
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Mexico
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Name one large mountain range in the United States.
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The Rocky Mountains, the Appalachins, the Sierra Nevada, The Cascades
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What is the tallest mountain in the United States
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Mt. McKinley, Denali
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Name one U.S. territory.
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American Samoa, The Commonwelath of Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands
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Name the state that is in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
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Hawaii
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Name one state that borders Canada
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Alaska, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, or Washington
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Name one State that borders on Mexico.
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Arizona, California, New Mexico, or Texas
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What is the capital of the U.S.
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Washington, D.C.
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Why does the flag have 13 stripes?
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Because there were 13 original colonies.
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Why does the flag have 50 stars?
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One for each state-50 states.
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What is the name of the National Anthem?
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The Star Spangled Banner
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On the Fourth of July, we celebrate independence from what country?
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Great Britian
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When do we celebrate Indepence Day?
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July 4th
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Name two National U.S. Holidays
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A: New Years Day
A: Martin Luther King Day A: Presidents' Day A: Memorial Day A: Independence Day A: Labor Day A: Columbus Day A: Veterans Day A: Thanksgiving A: Christmas |