You dont have to belong to a particular political party to be a patriot. More important is having some knowledge of the people who formed the nation and appreciation for the leaders and events that helped shape it over 243 years.
Not all our leaders were heroes, and none was perfect. U.S. history includes no shortage of flawed humans. But it also includes lots of people who helped us grow into a better nation.
Heres a quiz about six events that were significant in making us the country we are today.
1. When did the United States give women the right to vote?
Around the world, many governments and cultures denied women basic civil rights for centuries. It wasnt until 1919 that Congress approved the 19th Amendment, which was ratified by the states in 1920.
The law gave U.S. women the right to vote, an accomplishment that took more than 70 years of political activism, protests and even imprisonment.
2. Who was president when the United States doubled its size with the Louisiana Purchase?
The country added about 827,000 square miles in 1803.
President Thomas Jeffersons initial aim was to ensure American access to the Mississippi River and the port at New Orleans. France had just wrested what was called the Louisiana Territory, including the river, from Spain, putting Americans use of the river in doubt.
When approached, France surprisingly offered to sell all the land to the United States for $15 million.
Jeffersons envoys quickly agreed, and the United States suddenly became a continental nation.
3. What are the three branches of government?
On the federal and state levels, our governments are organized to keep a person or group from seizing too much power.
To achieve this system of checks and balances, the founders approved legislative, executive and judicial branches of government. To oversimplify, the legislature makes the laws, the executive carries out the laws, and the judiciary evaluates the laws and arbitrates disputes.
4. When did the United States ratify the Bill of Rights?
