Fun Trivia » For Children » History for Kids » US History for Kids

Ratification is a legal process that a document has to undergo in order for it to become legal. This means that it is approved by elected representatives of either states or the country as a whole. The United States Constitution was required to be ratified by at least nine of the original thirteen states in order for it to become legal. On December 7, 1787, the Delaware General Assembly, the representative body of Delaware, unanimously approved the new constitution by 30 votes to 0, which made it the first of the old thirteen colonies to ratify the document. As a result of it being the first, Delaware's nickname is "The First State". Difficulty: Easy.

 

Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut

Lady Liberty was placed on Liberty Island in New York Harbor and dedicated in 1886. Prior to that, Liberty Island was called Bedloe's Island. It has been owned by the United States government since 1801 and previously used as a line of defense in the harbor. It was chosen as the site because all ships that came to New York had to sail past the island - that way more people would be able to see the statue! Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia

This battle was fought on July 21, 1861, and was a Confederate victory. The heavy casualties squelched any hopes for a short war. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Antietam, Gettysburg, Cold Harbor

Although Hawaii did not become a state until 1959, it has payed a huge role in American history. The bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941 saw the United States enter World War II. Hawaii was also the only state to have a monarchy and one of a few to be its own nation. Pro-American forces overthrew Queen Lydia Liliuokalani in 1893 and the islands became part of the United States at that time. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Alabama, North Dakota, Maine

The U.S. was first settled by British citizens, who were given the right to do so by the British King, who claimed the territory. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

France, Spain, Belgium

Juan Ponce de Leon was the Spanish captain of three ships which were searching for the Fountain of Youth. The three ships were: the Santiago, the San Cristobal, and the Santa Maria de la Consolacion. He landed in a land unknown to the Europeans in 1513. He formed a settlement called St. Augustine and named the land la Florida (the flower) because it was Easter season, which the Spaniards called "Pascua Florida". Difficulty: Hard.

 

John Smith, Christopher Columbus, John White

Yes, those rough and tumble colonists that later formed the United States fought the redcoats of Britain. Later in the Revolutionary War, France, Spain and the Netherlands also fought against Britain. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Britain against Spain, American colonists against France, There was no American Revolutionary War

Mesa Verde in Colorado is one of the best examples of cliff dwelling in the world. It is a US National Park and a World Heritage Site, meaning the United Nations considers it important historically. Tribes in the Midwest were nomadic (moved around) and lived in tents. Tribes in New England also lived largely in tents.
Difficulty: Easy.

 

Washington, Nebraska, Massachusetts

Washington was elected to office in 1789. He would serve for nearly eight full years. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela, Tony Gwynn

Andrew Johnson was a tailor from Tennessee who rose through political ranks to be selected as a running mate to Lincoln in the 1864 election due to his southern background and his stance on unity of the states. He was, however, a cantankerous man who went head-to-head with Congress over issues relating to reconstruction of the South which resulted in a cry for impeachment that failed. Difficulty: Easy.

 

U.S. Grant, Barack Obama, Lyndon Johnson

America fought the British. The thirteen American colonies won the war and their independence from British rule. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

British, Spanish, Mexicans

In an attempt to arm slaves that he was sure would rally to his cause, he lost his sons and was arrested by Lee. Difficulty: Average.

 

Robert E. Lee, John Fremont, U.S. Grant

Edward Rutledge was the youngest signer of the Declaration of Independence; he was 26 years old. The oldest signer was Benjamin Franklin, who was 70 at the time. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami

This is the battle in which Thomas Jonathan Jackson earned his nickname "Stonewall" Jackson. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Battle of Gettysburg, Battle of the Wilderness, Battle of Fort Sumter

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States. He was born in a log cabin in Kentucky in 1809 and became president in 1860. He was shot and killed by John Wilkes Booth in April of 1865. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt

George Washington became the first President of the United States of America when he took office on April 30, 1789. Some of the important jobs that the President is expected to perform include being the Chief Executive, the Commander in Chief, the Foreign Policy Director and the Legislative Leader of the country. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Vice President of the United States of America, Governor of Pennsylvania, Program Advisor of Public Population Production Programs

Jordan won the NBA Final MVP award in all six of his championship runs. Michael also played in 14 NBA all-star games, for two Olympic gold medal winning teams and he also starred in the 1996 movie "Space Jam". Difficulty: Easy.

 

Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Justin Tyme, Aiden Joseph

John Adams was the president right after George Washington ended his term in office. Adams gained most of his recognition for his strong stand during the Stamp Act of 1765 and when, as a lawyer, he represented six soldiers who were involved in the Boston Massacre of 1770. His own Vice President, Thomas Jefferson, defeated him when he ran for a second term as president. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Al K. Seltzer

The Pilgrims on the Mayflower originally lived in England. They wanted to have their own type of church. They set sail to start their new lives in America. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

A black and white bird that lives in cold areas., They are fans of the actor Clint Eastwood., It is a group of escaped convicts.

The New England colonies are New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.
The MidAtlantic or Middle colonies included New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey.
The Southern colonies consisted of Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

12, 7, 5

The Pilgrims came from England in 1620 and celebrated the first Thanksgiving in 1621. When they first arrived in Massachusetts the Pilgrims did not know much about farming or hunting. The Native Americans helped them survive the winter and then the Pilgrims and Native Americans joined and celebrated the first Thanksgiving. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

The Explorers, The Ocean people, The Hurricanes

George Washington was actually only suggested to be a general to gain southern favor, since he was a Virginian. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

John Hancock, Benjamin Franklin, Benedict Arnold

Andrew Jackson is on the $20 bill. Abraham Lincoln is on the $5 bill. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Andrew Jackson

In December 1788, the first presidential election took place in the United States under the terms of the new constitution. This established the method of electing both the president and vice-president, which initially saw a single list of candidates; the candidate with the most votes was to become president, with the candidate in second named as vice-president. George Washington was unanimously chosen as President of the United States, with John Adams, the former Ambassador to Great Britain, coming in second. Adams, who was the sixth person to sign the Declaration of Independence, served two terms as vice-president under President Washington, before being elected president following the 1796 election. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin

There are different stories about how the idea to build the statue began. One story is that the man who designed the statue, Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, had a conversation in 1865 with Édouard René de Laboulaye, a man who supported the Union cause during the American Civil War. This conversation sparked an idea that France and the United States should work together to build a monument to honor freedom and independence. Another story is that Laboulaye suggested the project after the Union won the American Civil War. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Russia, Spain, Prussia

The number of dead is generally thought to be around 3,000, although recent data may lead to that number being higher. More importantly, the Union victory led to Lincoln issuing the Emancipation Proclamation. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Petersburg, Stones River, Sayler's Creek

The ride of Sybil Ludington (1761-1839) took place on April 26, 1777. Her father was the commander of the local American militia. Forces from the British army planned to attack a military supply depot in Danbury, CT. From evening to dawn, Sybil rode over 40 miles through Putnam County, N.Y. and Danbury, CT to warn the militia. Though the British soldiers were able to attack Danbury, the American militia was able to force them to retreat. Sybil's ride was similar to the more famous ride of Paul Revere, but Sybil's ride was longer. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

US Civil War, World War I, Persian Gulf War

Sutter's Mill was the location where gold was discovered in 1848 that started the California Gold Rush which saw thousands of Americans move westward. The famous San Francisco earthquake of 1906 destroyed the city and left an estimated 3,000 people dead. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

New Mexico, Vermont, West Virginia

Thomas Jefferson had a long and fruitful life. Besides writing the Declaration, he was also the third president of the United States. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

George Washington, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin

Roanoke Island was located in modern day North Carolina. An expedition led by Sir Walter Raleigh and John White explored there. The colony was established in 1585. A couple of months later, John White returned to England to get food and other needs. He had promised to return the following year, but because of a war with Spain, he was delayed. When he did return in 1587, they found the colony abandoned completely. To this day, no one is sure what happened to the colonists of Roanoke. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Jamestown, Plymouth, Darien

Peacefield is located in Quincy, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. It is managed today by the National Park Service. The National Park Service also maintains the birthplace homes for these two presidents. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush, William Henry Harrison and Benjamin Harrison, Andrew Johnson and Lyndon B. Johnson

John Hancock was the one that signed his name the largest on this document claiming that King George III should be able to read it clearest of all. John Adams helped to inspire Thomas Jefferson to write it. George Washington became the first President of the United States. Difficulty: Easy.

 

John Hancock, John Adams, George Washington

The Spanish were the first to explore the Americas, starting with Christopher Columbus in 1492. The French explored Canada and the Midwest. The English settled Virginia and New England. Bulgaria did not actually exist as a country until 1878.
Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Spain, France, England

Many scientists and inventors worked to develop the light bulb. Edison created his in 1879, patented it in 1890, and made it commercially affordable. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Robert Fulton, John Deere, Samuel F.B. Morse

This battle took place in 1876. The Native Americans defeated General Custer's soldiers. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Gettysburg, Oklahoma, Appomatox

Thomas Jefferson bought it in 1803. Difficulty: Easy.

 

John F. Kennedy, George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt

In this battle the Confederacy won against the Union, who were stationed at Fort Sumter. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Salt Lake City, Utah, 50 miles from Jackson,Mississippi, Atlanta, Georgia

The Quakers moved to the United States from England to escape religious persecution. William Penn set up a land, which would later come to be known as the state of Pennsylvania, where the Quakers could come to live their lives and practice their religion in a safe environment. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Queens, Quarks, Quahogs

This conflict took place between the "Free-Staters" (people who were anti-slavery) and "Border Ruffians" (people who were pro-slavery). Both sides were trying to influence whether or not Kansas would join the Union and allow slavery within its borders. After many attempts at compromising on a state constitution, the pro-slavery members decided to boycott the process and by doing so allowed the "Free-Staters" to claim victory at the polls. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Kazakhstan, Karma, Kentucky

The Boston Tea Party, which took place on Thursday, December 16, 1773, is said to be one of the major sparks for the American Revolution. A group of American colonists were upset over the taxation by the British government so they threw many crates of tea into the Boston Harbor. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Baltimore, Bangkok, Brussels