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People You Should Know > U.S. History > Flashcards

U.S. History Flashcards

Make sure you know all of the major historical figures from American history.

1
Q

Who is:

John Adams

A
  • American statesman of the 18th and 19th centuries and one of the Founding Fathers
  • He signed the Declaration of Independence and later served as the second President of the United States
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2
Q

Who is:

Benedict Arnold

A
  • American general of the Revolutionary War who famously plotted to betray the Americans and side with the British in giving up the fort at West Point
  • His name is now synonymous with betrayal
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3
Q

Who is:

John Wilkes Booth

A
  • An American actor and Confederate sympathizer who assassinated Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865
  • He was tracked down and killed 12 days later
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4
Q

Who is:

Robert E. Lee

A

American general who commanded the Confederate troops during the Civil War

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5
Q

Who is:

Frederick Douglass

A
  • American writer and abolitionist of the 19th century
  • An escaped slave, he was known both for his oratory and for his autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
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6
Q

Who is:

Benjamin Franklin

A
  • One of the Founding Fathers of the United States and an inventor, scientist, statesman, writer, and printer
  • He signed the Declaration of Independence and later served as American diplomat in negotiating with Britain and France
  • His theories and research regarding electricity were significant, and he invented bifocals, the lightning rod, and a kind of metal-lined fireplace called the Franklin stove
  • His written works include Poor Richard’s Almanack and The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
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7
Q

Who is:

Ulysses S. Grant

A
  • Military and political leader of the 19th century
  • During the Civil War he served as general of the Union army and later became the 18th President of the United States
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8
Q

Who is:

John Hancock

A
  • American politician of the 18th century who was president of the Continental Congress and was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence
  • As a result, his name now signifies a signature
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9
Q

Who is:

Alexander Hamilton

A
  • American political leader of the 18th and 19th centuries who was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States
  • He contributed to The Federalist Papers and helped draft the Constitution
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10
Q

Who is:

Thomas Jefferson

A
  • American politician of the 18th and 19th centuries and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States
  • The main author of the Declaration of Independence, he later served as the third President of the United States
  • He oversaw the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and founded the University of Virginia
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11
Q

Who are:

Lewis and Clark

A

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, who went on a two-year (1804-06) expedition to explore the American west to study the terrain, wildlife, natural resources, and geography

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12
Q

Who is:

Marquis de Lafayette

A

French political and military leader of the 18th and 19th centuries who supported the American Revolution and fought as a general in the American army during the war

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13
Q

Who is:

Abraham Lincoln

A
  • American politician of the 19th century who served as President of the United States from 1861-65 and is generally regarded as one of the most revered presidents
  • He oversaw the Union during the Civil War and is known for issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, overseeing the approval of the 13th Amendment, and delivering the Gettysburg Address
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14
Q

Who is:

James Monroe

A

President of the United States from 1817-25, who issued the Monroe Doctrine in 1823 and oversaw the Missouri Compromise

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15
Q

Who is:

Thomas Paine

A
  • English-born American revolutionary and author who wrote the highly influential 1776 pamphlet Common Sense, which called for the American colonies’ independence from Britain
  • He later authored Rights of Man, in support of the French Revolution, and The Age of Reason, which supported deism and promoted reason
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16
Q

Who is:

James Madison

A
  • Political leader of the 18th and 19th centuries, one of the Founding Fathers, and the fourth President of the United States
  • He authored the Bill of Rights and played an enormous role in the drafting of the Constitution
  • During his presidency the United States fought in the War of 1812
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17
Q

Who is:

William Penn

A

British colonist and Quaker of the 17th and 18th centuries who founded Pennsylvania

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18
Q

Who is:

Paul Revere

A

Hero of the American Revolution who famously rode through the Massachusetts countryside on the night before the Battle of Lexington and Concord in 1775, warning colonists of incoming British troops

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19
Q

Who is:

Harriet Tubman

A
  • Escaped slave and abolitionist of the 19th and 20th centuries who helped dozens of slaves to freedom using the Underground Railroad
  • During the Civil War she served as a spy for the Union
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20
Q

Who is:

George Washington

A
  • One of the Founding Fathers, the general of the American army in the Revolutionary War, and later, the first President of the United States
  • Unanimously elected President under the new Constitution, he adopted a careful financial program and foreign policy and made use of a cabinet system
How well did you know this?
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21
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • American statesman of the 18th and 19th centuries and one of the Founding Fathers
  • He signed the Declaration of Independence and later served as the second President of the United States
A

John Adams

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22
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • American general of the Revolutionary War who famously plotted to betray the Americans and side with the British in giving up the fort at West Point
  • His name is now synonymous with betrayal
A

Benedict Arnold

How well did you know this?
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23
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • An American actor and Confederate sympathizer who assassinated Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865
  • He was tracked down and killed 12 days later
A

John Wilkes Booth

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24
Q

Name the figure from American History:

American general who commanded the Confederate troops during the Civil War

A

Robert E. Lee

How well did you know this?
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25
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • American writer and abolitionist of the 19th century
  • An escaped slave, he was known both for his oratory and for his autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
A

Frederick Douglass

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26
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • One of the Founding Fathers of the United States and an inventor, scientist, statesman, writer, and printer
  • He signed the Declaration of Independence and later served as American diplomat in negotiating with Britain and France
  • His theories and research regarding electricity were significant, and he invented bifocals, the lightning rod, and a kind of metal-lined fireplace called the Franklin stove
  • His written works include Poor Richard’s Almanack and The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
A

Benjamin Franklin

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27
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • Military and political leader of the 19th century
  • During the Civil War he served as general of the Union army and later became the 18th President of the United States
A

Ulysses S. Grant

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28
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • American politician of the 18th century who was president of the Continental Congress and was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence
  • As a result, his name now signifies a signature
A

John Hancock

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29
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • American political leader of the 18th and 19th centuries who was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States
  • He contributed to The Federalist Papers and helped draft the Constitution
A

Alexander Hamilton

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30
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • American politician of the 18th and 19th centuries and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States
  • The main author of the Declaration of Independence, he later served as the third President of the United States
  • He oversaw the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and founded the University of Virginia
A

Thomas Jefferson

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31
Q

Name the figures from American History:

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, who went on a two-year (1804-06) expedition to explore the American west to study the terrain, wildlife, natural resources, and geography

A

Lewis and Clark

How well did you know this?
1
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2
3
4
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32
Q

Name the figure from American History:

French political and military leader of the 18th and 19th centuries who supported the American Revolution and fought as a general in the American army during the war

A

Marquis de Lafayette

How well did you know this?
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33
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • American politician of the 19th century who served as President of the United States from 1861-65 and is generally regarded as one of the most revered presidents
  • He oversaw the Union during the Civil War and is known for issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, overseeing the approval of the 13th Amendment, and delivering the Gettysburg Address
A

Abraham Lincoln

How well did you know this?
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34
Q

Name the figure from American History:

President of the United States from 1817-25, who issued the Monroe Doctrine in 1823 and oversaw the Missouri Compromise

A

James Monroe

How well did you know this?
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35
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • English-born American revolutionary and author who wrote the highly influential 1776 pamphlet Common Sense, which called for the American colonies’ independence from Britain
  • He later authored Rights of Man, in support of the French Revolution, and The Age of Reason, which supported deism and promoted reason
A

Thomas Paine

How well did you know this?
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36
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • Political leader of the 18th and 19th centuries, one of the Founding Fathers, and the fourth President of the United States
  • He authored the Bill of Rights and played an enormous role in the drafting of the Constitution
  • During his presidency the United States fought in the War of 1812
A

James Madison

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37
Q

Name the figure from American History:

British colonist and Quaker of the 17th and 18th centuries who founded Pennsylvania

A

William Penn

How well did you know this?
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38
Q

Name the figure from American History:

Hero of the American Revolution who famously rode through the Massachusetts countryside on the night before the Battle of Lexington and Concord in 1775, warning colonists of incoming British troops

A

Paul Revere

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
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39
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • Escaped slave and abolitionist of the 19th and 20th centuries who helped dozens of slaves to freedom using the Underground Railroad
  • During the Civil War she served as a spy for the Union
A

Harriet Tubman

How well did you know this?
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40
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • One of the Founding Fathers, the general of the American army in the Revolutionary War, and later, the first President of the United States
  • Unanimously elected President under the new Constitution, he adopted a careful financial program and foreign policy and made use of a cabinet system
A

George Washington

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41
Q

Who is:

Noah Webster

A

Editor and writer of the 18th and 19th centuries most known for his blue-backed spelling books and his American Dictionary of the English Language

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42
Q

Who is:

Betsy Ross

A

American seamstress of the 18th and 19th centuries who is credited with making the first American flag

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43
Q

Who is:

James K. Polk

A
  • American statesman of the 19th century who served as President of the United States from 1845-49
  • He led the nation to victory in the Mexican-American War and oversaw the acquisition of large territories in the west, including Texas and California
  • The Naval Academy also opened during his presidency
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44
Q

Who is:

Pocahontas

A
  • Native American princess of the 17th century who befriended Captain John Smith of the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia
  • She is said to have prevented Smith’s execution by her father by throwing herself upon him, an anecdote that has since been romanticized
  • She later moved to England and briefly became something of a celebrity
How well did you know this?
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45
Q

Who is:

Bill Clinton

A
  • American politician of the 20th and 21st centuries who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993-2001
  • A Democrat and former Rhodes Scholar, he served as governor of his native Arkansas
  • During his presidency he gained considerable popularity thanks in large part to the booming American economy
  • He also signed the North American Free Trade Agreement and passed welfare reform, but his second term was marred by a sex scandal and subsequent impeachment
  • He has since founded the William J. Clinton Foundation to address humanitarian causes such as AIDS prevention
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46
Q

Who is:

Susan B. Anthony

A

Civil rights leader of the 19th and 20th centuries who is best known for her central role in the women’s rights movement for the advocacy of women’s suffrage

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47
Q

Who is:

Madeleine Albright

A

Czech-born American diplomat and professor who was the first woman to become United States Secretary of State (1997-2001)

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48
Q

Who are:

Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow

A
  • Two outlaws and robbers whose exploits in the Central United States in the 1930s gained considerable attention
  • The couple was ambushed and killed by authorities in Louisiana in 1934
How well did you know this?
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49
Q

Who is:

George W. Bush

A
  • American politician of the 20th and 21st centuries who was elected governor of Texas in 1994 and served as President of the United States from 2001-09
  • A Republican and the son of former President George H.W. Bush, he narrowly defeated Al Gore in the controversial 2000 election, plagued by charges of irregularities in the counting of votes
  • Following the 9/11 attacks in 2001, he launched the War on Terror, resulting in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq
  • He signed into law the PATRIOT Act, the No Child Left Behind Act, and general tax cuts
  • His approval ratings dropped late in his presidency, due in large part because of the 2008 financial crisis
How well did you know this?
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50
Q

Who is:

W.E.B. DuBois

A
  • American author, professor, and civil rights activist of the 19th and 20th centuries who co-founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
  • He insisted that blacks should receive full civil rights and political representation, contrary to the position of Booker T. Washington, who argued that blacks should submit to white political rule
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51
Q

Who is:

Amelia Earhart

A
  • 20th-century aviator who was the first woman to fly an airplane across the Atlantic Ocean
  • She disappeared in 1937 while flying over the Pacific Ocean
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52
Q

Who is:

Al Capone

A
  • Chicago-based American gangster who led a crime syndicate in the late 1920s and early 1930s, primarily focused on the illegal sale of alcohol
  • He was sent to prison in 1931 for tax evasion
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53
Q

Who is:

Betty Friedan

A
  • Author and activist of the 20th century who was a major figure in the Women’s Movement and was the first president of the National Organization for Women
  • Her most famous work is The Feminine Mystique, published in 1963
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54
Q

Who is:

Marcus Garvey

A

Jamaican-born political leader and black nationalist who was a proponent of the Back-to-Africa movement and founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association

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55
Q

Who is:

J. Edgar Hoover

A
  • American law enforcement official of the 20th century who was the first director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
  • He is considered a pioneer in law enforcement for his innovations to police technology, but he is also seen as a controversial figure who abused his power and used illegal and secretive methods to collect evidence
How well did you know this?
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56
Q

Who is:

Martin Luther King, Jr.

A
  • African-American clergyman and political leader of the 20th century who was the most prominent leader of the Civil Rights Movement
  • He combatted racial inequality through nonviolence, promoting the use of boycotts or sit-ins
  • He is most famous for his 1963 “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and for organizing the 1963 March on Washington, where he delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech
  • He was assassinated by James Earl Ray on April 4, 1968
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57
Q

Who is:

Helen Keller

A
  • American author and activist of the 19th and 20th centuries who was deaf and blind but who learned to write, read, and communicate through sign language
  • Her work with her teacher Anne Sullivan was dramatized in the play and film The Miracle Worker
58
Q

Who is:

John F. Kennedy

A
  • American politician of the 20th century who was President of the United States from 1961-63
  • A Democrat, he had served in the South Pacific in World War II, and, at 43, was the youngest person to be elected President
  • He supported the Space Race and the Civil Rights Movement, negotiated the Cuban Missile Crisis, oversaw the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion, and was in office for the building of the Berlin Wall and the early years of the Vietnam War
  • He was assassinated in Dallas on November 22, 1963; Lee Harvey Oswald was charged with the crime
59
Q

Who is:

Henry Kissinger

A
  • German-born American writer and diplomat who served as National Security Advisor and Secretary of State under Presidents Nixon and Ford
  • He helped open relations with the People’s Republic of China and negotiated the Paris Peace Accords, putting an end to American involvement in the Vietnam War
  • Certain American foreign policy decisions executed by him remain controversial, most notably the secret bombings of Cambodia and Laos
60
Q

Who is:

Thurgood Marshall

A
  • Attorney and judge of the 20th century who was the first African-American justice of the United States Supreme Court, serving from 1967 to 1991
  • He had worked as a lawyer for the NAACP and argued against segregation in Brown v. Board of Education
61
Q

Name the figure from American History:

Editor and writer of the 18th and 19th centuries most known for his blue-backed spelling books and his American Dictionary of the English Language

A

Noah Webster

62
Q

Name the figure from American History:

American seamstress of the 18th and 19th centuries who is credited with making the first American flag

A

Betsy Ross

63
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • American statesman of the 19th century who served as President of the United States from 1845-49
  • He led the nation to victory in the Mexican-American War and oversaw the acquisition of large territories in the west, including Texas and California
  • The Naval Academy also opened during his presidency
A

James K. Polk

64
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • Native American princess of the 17th century who befriended Captain John Smith of the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia
  • She is said to have prevented Smith’s execution by her father by throwing herself upon him, an anecdote that has since been romanticized
  • She later moved to England and briefly became something of a celebrity
A

Pocahontas

65
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • American politician of the 20th and 21st centuries who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993-2001
  • A Democrat and former Rhodes Scholar, he served as governor of his native Arkansas
  • During his presidency he gained considerable popularity thanks in large part to the booming American economy
  • He also signed the North American Free Trade Agreement and passed welfare reform, but his second term was marred by a sex scandal and subsequent impeachment
  • He has since founded the William J. Clinton Foundation to address humanitarian causes such as AIDS prevention
A

Bill Clinton

66
Q

Name the figure from American History:

Civil rights leader of the 19th and 20th centuries who is best known for her central role in the women’s rights movement for the advocacy of women’s suffrage

A

Susan B. Anthony

67
Q

Name the figure from American History:

Czech-born American diplomat and professor who was the first woman to become United States Secretary of State (1997-2001)

A

Madeleine Albright

68
Q

Name the figures from American History:

  • Two outlaws and robbers whose exploits in the Central United States in the 1930s gained considerable attention
  • The couple was ambushed and killed by authorities in Louisiana in 1934
A

Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow

69
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • American politician of the 20th and 21st centuries who was elected governor of Texas in 1994 and served as President of the United States from 2001-09
  • A Republican and the son of former President George H.W. Bush, he narrowly defeated Al Gore in the controversial 2000 election, plagued by charges of irregularities in the counting of votes
  • Following the 9/11 attacks in 2001, he launched the War on Terror, resulting in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq
  • He signed into law the PATRIOT Act, the No Child Left Behind Act, and general tax cuts
  • His approval ratings dropped late in his presidency, due in large part because of the 2008 financial crisis
A

George W. Bush

70
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • American author, professor, and civil rights activist of the 19th and 20th centuries who co-founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
  • He insisted that blacks should receive full civil rights and political representation, contrary to the position of Booker T. Washington, who argued that blacks should submit to white political rule
A

W.E.B. DuBois

71
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • 20th-century aviator who was the first woman to fly an airplane across the Atlantic Ocean
  • She disappeared in 1937 while flying over the Pacific Ocean
A

Amelia Earhart

72
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • Chicago-based American gangster who led a crime syndicate in the late 1920s and early 1930s, primarily focused on the illegal sale of alcohol
  • He was sent to prison in 1931 for tax evasion
A

Al Capone

73
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • Author and activist of the 20th century who was a major figure in the Women’s Movement and was the first president of the National Organization for Women
  • Her most famous work is The Feminine Mystique, published in 1963
A

Betty Friedan

74
Q

Name the figure from American History:

Jamaican-born political leader and black nationalist who was a proponent of the Back-to-Africa movement and founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association

A

Marcus Garvey

75
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • American law enforcement official of the 20th century who was the first director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
  • He is considered a pioneer in law enforcement for his innovations to police technology, but he is also seen as a controversial figure who abused his power and used illegal and secretive methods to collect evidence
A

J. Edgar Hoover

76
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • African-American clergyman and political leader of the 20th century who was the most prominent leader of the Civil Rights Movement
  • He combatted racial inequality through nonviolence, promoting the use of boycotts or sit-ins
  • He is most famous for his 1963 “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and for organizing the 1963 March on Washington, where he delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech
  • He was assassinated by James Earl Ray on April 4, 1968
A

Martin Luther King, Jr.

77
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • American author and activist of the 19th and 20th centuries who was deaf and blind but who learned to write, read, and communicate through sign language
  • Her work with her teacher Anne Sullivan was dramatized in the play and film The Miracle Worker
A

Helen Keller

78
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • American politician of the 20th century who was President of the United States from 1961-63
  • A Democrat, he had served in the South Pacific in World War II, and, at 43, was the youngest person to be elected President
  • He supported the Space Race and the Civil Rights Movement, negotiated the Cuban Missile Crisis, oversaw the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion, and was in office for the building of the Berlin Wall and the early years of the Vietnam War
  • He was assassinated in Dallas on November 22, 1963; Lee Harvey Oswald was charged with the crime
A

John F. Kennedy

79
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • German-born American writer and diplomat who served as National Security Advisor and Secretary of State under Presidents Nixon and Ford
  • He helped open relations with the People’s Republic of China and negotiated the Paris Peace Accords, putting an end to American involvement in the Vietnam War
  • Certain American foreign policy decisions executed by him remain controversial, most notably the secret bombings of Cambodia and Laos
A

Henry Kissinger

80
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • Attorney and judge of the 20th century who was the first African-American justice of the United States Supreme Court, serving from 1967 to 1991
  • He had worked as a lawyer for the NAACP and argued against segregation in Brown v. Board of Education
A

Thurgood Marshall

81
Q

Who is:

Charles A. Lindbergh

A
  • American aviator of the 20th century who became a hero in 1927 after becoming the first person to fly nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean
  • In 1932, he again gained worldwide attention for the tragic kidnapping and murder of his infant son
82
Q

Who is:

Malcolm X

A
  • African-American Muslim minister and political leader of the 20th century
  • For years he preached black supremacy and strongly advocated for the rights of blacks in America, opposing integration and concentrating instead on separation
  • In 1964, however, he broke with the Nation of Islam, renounced racism, and increased his willingness to work with civil rights leaders
  • He was assassinated in 1965 by three members of the Nation of Islam
83
Q

Who is:

Joseph R. McCarthy

A
  • American politician of the 20th century who represented Wisconsin in the Senate
  • In the 1940s and 50s he led efforts to identify communists in the American government and society in general
  • His extreme opposition to communism led to many accusations of treason or disloyalty without sufficient regard for evidence, today known as McCarthyism
84
Q

Who is:

Sandra Day O’Connor

A

American judge who was the first woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court, from 1981 until her retirement in 2006

85
Q

Who is:

Lee Harvey Oswald

A
  • The alleged killer of President John F. Kennedy
  • He was captured but was never tried because he was killed by Jack Ruby two days after the assassination when he was being moved by police
86
Q

Who is:

Rosa Parks

A
  • African-American civil rights activist who famously refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus to a white passenger in 1955
  • She was arrested for civil disobedience, but she and the ensuing Montgomery Bus Boycott became symbols of the Civil Rights Movement
87
Q

Who is:

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

A
  • Also known as FDR, an American politician of the 20th century who was the 32nd President of the United States
  • A Democrat, he was elected four times and was president for longer than anyone else in American history, from 1933 until his death in 1945
  • He took office during the Great Depression and instituted major legislative changes as part of the New Deal, establishing government programs (like the FDIC, SEC, and Social Security) meant to reform and boost the economy
  • After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he declared war on Japan and Germany, began the Manhattan Project, and helped lead the Allies to eventual victory, though he died before the war ended
88
Q

Who is:

Richard Nixon

A
  • American politician of the 20th century who was Vice President under Dwight D. Eisenhower and later won the 1968 presidential election as the Republican candidate
  • During his presidency the United States withdrew troops from Vietnam, but he was embroiled in the Watergate scandal, which eventually led to his resignation in 1974
89
Q

Who is:

George Wallace

A
  • American politician of the 20th century best known for being governor of Alabama during the Civil Rights Movement and resisting integration
  • He unsuccesfully ran for President four times, coming closest in 1968 and surviving an assassination attempt during his campaign in 1972
  • In later years he renounced his segregationist stance and endorsed integration
90
Q

Who is:

Booker T. Washington

A
  • American educator and author of the 19th and 20th centuries who headed the Tuskegee Institute, a black college in Alabama
  • In light of the political realities of the day, he urged blacks to pursue economic gains rather than sociopolitical equality with whites
91
Q

Who is:

Barack Obama

A
  • American politician who is the 44th and current President of the United States and the first African-American to hold the office
  • After serving as an Illinois Senator, he won a close Democratic primary campaign against Hillary Clinton and was elected President in 2008
  • His main policy initiatives have been in response to the American economic recession, but he has also sought to reform healthcare, in 2010 repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, and in 2012 publicly supported the legalization of same-sex marriage
  • He ended American military involvement in Iraq and ordered the operation that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden
  • He was reelected in 2012
92
Q

Who is:

Woodrow Wilson

A
  • American educator and statesman who served as President of Princeton University before later becoming President of the United States from 1913-21
  • A Democrat, he at first sought to keep the U.S. out of World War I but finally entered the war in 1917
  • In 1918 he issued his Fourteen Points, his goals for peace and the prevention of further conflict
  • After the war in 1919, he was instrumental to both the Treaty of Versailles and the creation of the League of Nations, which the Senate later refused to join, to his disappointment
93
Q

Who is:

Harry S. Truman

A
  • American political leader of the 20th century who served as FDR’s last Vice President and became President when Roosevelt died in 1945
  • A Democrat, he was reelected in 1948 and served until 1953
  • He led the United States in the final months of World War II and made the controversial decision to use atomic weapons against Japan to end the war
  • He oversaw the Berlin Airlift, the creation of NATO, and the start of the Cold War
  • He also instituted the Marshall Plan to help Europe in its post-war recovery and gained approval for the Korean War in 1950
94
Q

Who is:

Colin Powell

A
  • American military leader and statesman of the 20th and 21st centuries
  • He served in the Vietnam War then rose through the American military ranks, becoming a general in the U.S. Army and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
  • He served as the Secretary of State from 2001-05 and was the first African-American to hold the position
95
Q

Who is:

Janet Reno

A

American attorney who became the first female Attorney General of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001

96
Q

Who is:

Henry Clay

A
  • American politician of the 19th century who represented Kentucky in both the House of Representatives and the Senate
  • Admired by Abraham Lincoln, he is regarded as one of the great senators in American history, especially for his central role in producing the Missouri Compromise in 1820 and the Compromise of 1850
97
Q

Who is:

Douglas MacArthur

A

American general of the 20th century who commanded Allied forces in the Pacific in World War II and later commanded troops of the United Nations in the Korean War

98
Q

Who is:

John C. Calhoun

A
  • American politician of the 19th century who was Vice President under both John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson and also served as Senator, representing his native South Carolina
  • He promoted states’ rights and nullification, and for his defense of slavery pointed the South toward secession
99
Q

Who is:

Dwight D. Eisenhower

A
  • American general and politician of the 20th century who commanded Allied forces in Europe in World War II
  • Highly popular in America after the war, he was elected President of the United States in 1952 and was elected again in 1956
  • His presidency was marked by booming prosperity, the end of McCarthyism, the end of the Korean War, the Suez Crisis, and the ongoing Cold War
  • Known as Ike, he also served as President of Columbia University for five years
100
Q

Who is:

George Patton

A
  • Olympic athlete and American military leader of the 20th century who served as general in World War II
  • An expert in motorized-vehicle attacks, he commanded troops in both North Africa and Europe
101
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • American aviator of the 20th century who became a hero in 1927 after becoming the first person to fly nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean
  • In 1932, he again gained worldwide attention for the tragic kidnapping and murder of his infant son
A

Charles A. Lindbergh

102
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • African-American Muslim minister and political leader of the 20th century
  • For years he preached black supremacy and strongly advocated for the rights of blacks in America, opposing integration and concentrating instead on separation
  • In 1964, however, he broke with the Nation of Islam, renounced racism, and increased his willingness to work with civil rights leaders
  • He was assassinated in 1965 by three members of the Nation of Islam
A

Malcolm X

103
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • American politician of the 20th century who represented Wisconsin in the Senate
  • In the 1940s and 50s he led efforts to identify communists in the American government and society in general
  • His extreme opposition to communism led to many accusations of treason or disloyalty without sufficient regard for evidence, today known as McCarthyism
A

Joseph R. McCarthy

104
Q

Name the figure from American History:

American judge who was the first woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court, from 1981 until her retirement in 2006

A

Sandra Day O’Connor

105
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • The alleged killer of President John F. Kennedy
  • He was captured but was never tried because he was killed by Jack Ruby two days after the assassination when he was being moved by police
A

Lee Harvey Oswald

106
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • African-American civils rights activist who famously refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus to a white passenger in 1955
  • She was arrested for civil disobedience, but she and the ensuing Montgomery Bus Boycott became symbols of the Civil Rights Movement
A

Rosa Parks

107
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • Also known as FDR, an American politician of the 20th century who was the 32nd President of the United States
  • A Democrat, he was elected four times and was president for longer than anyone else in American history, from 1933 until his death in 1945
  • He took office during the Great Depression and instituted major legislative changes as part of the New Deal, establishing government programs (like the FDIC, SEC, and Social Security) meant to reform and boost the economy
  • After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he declared war on Japan and Germany, began the Manhattan Project, and helped lead the Allies to eventual victory, though he died before the war ended
A

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

108
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • American politician of the 20th century who was Vice President under Dwight D. Eisenhower and later won the 1968 presidential election as the Republican candidate
  • During his presidency the United States withdrew troops from Vietnam, but he was embroiled in the Watergate scandal, which eventually led to his resignation in 1974
A

Richard Nixon

109
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • American politician of the 20th century best known for being governor of Alabama during the Civil Rights Movement and resisting integration
  • He unsuccesfully ran for President four times, coming closest in 1968 and surviving an assassination attempt during his campaign in 1972
  • In later years he renounced his segregationist stance and endorsed integration
A

George Wallace

110
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • American educator and author of the 19th and 20th centuries who headed the Tuskegee Institute, a black college in Alabama
  • In light of the political realities of the day, he urged blacks to pursue economic gains rather than sociopolitical equality with whites
A

Booker T. Washington

111
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • American politician who is the 44th and current President of the United States and the first African-American to hold the office
  • After serving as an Illinois Senator, he won a close Democratic primary campaign against Hillary Clinton and was elected President in 2008
  • His main policy initiatives have been in response to the American economic recession, but he has also sought to reform healthcare, in 2010 repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, and in 2012 publicly supported the legalization of same-sex marriage
  • He ended American military involvement in Iraq and ordered the operation that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden
  • He was reelected in 2012
A

Barack Obama

112
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • American educator and statesman who served as President of Princeton University before later becoming President of the United States from 1913-21
  • A Democrat, he at first sought to keep the U.S. out of World War I but finally entered the war in 1917
  • In 1918 he issued his Fourteen Points, his goals for peace and the prevention of further conflict
  • After the war in 1919, he was instrumental to both the Treaty of Versailles and the creation of the League of Nations, which the Senate later refused to join, to his disappointment
A

Woodrow Wilson

113
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • American political leader of the 20th century who served as FDR’s last Vice President and became President when Roosevelt died in 1945
  • A Democrat, he was reelected in 1948 and served until 1953
  • He led the United States in the final months of World War II and made the controversial decision to use atomic weapons against Japan to end the war
  • He oversaw the Berlin Airlift, the creation of NATO, and the start of the Cold War
  • He also instituted the Marshall Plan to help Europe in its post-war recovery and gained approval for the Korean War in 1950
A

Harry S. Truman

114
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • American military leader and statesman of the 20th and 21st centuries
  • He served in the Vietnam War then rose through the American military ranks, becoming a general in the U.S. Army and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
  • He served as the Secretary of State from 2001-05 and was the first African-American to hold the position
A

Colin Powell

115
Q

Name the figure from American History:

American attorney who became the first female Attorney General of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001

A

Janet Reno

116
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • American politician of the 19th century who represented Kentucky in both the House of Representatives and the Senate
  • Admired by Abraham Lincoln, he is regarded as one of the great senators in American history, especially for his central role in producing the Missouri Compromise in 1820 and the Compromise of 1850
A

Henry Clay

117
Q

Name the figure from American History:

American general of the 20th century who commanded Allied forces in the Pacific in World War II and later commanded troops of the United Nations in the Korean War

A

Douglas MacArthur

118
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • American politician of the 19th century who was Vice President under both John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson and also served as Senator, representing his native South Carolina
  • He promoted states’ rights and nullification, and for his defense of slavery pointed the South toward secession
A

John C. Calhoun

119
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • American general and politician of the 20th century who commanded Allied forces in Europe in World War II
  • Highly popular in America after the war, he was elected President of the United States in 1952 and was elected again in 1956
  • His presidency was marked by booming prosperity, the end of McCarthyism, the end of the Korean War, the Suez Crisis, and the ongoing Cold War
  • Known as Ike, he also served as President of Columbia University for five years
A

Dwight D. Eisenhower

120
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • Olympic athlete and American military leader of the 20th century who served as general in World War II
  • An expert in motorized-vehicle attacks, he commanded troops in both North Africa and Europe
A

George Patton

121
Q

Who is:

Neil Armstrong

A

American engineer, pilot, Navy officer, and astronaut who in 1969 became the first person to walk on the Moon

122
Q

Who is:

Dorothea Dix

A

American activist of the 19th century who played a crucial role in the establishment of the first American mental asylums

123
Q

Who is:

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

A
  • American activist of the 19th century who, along with Lucretia Mott, helped organize the first women’s rights convention in America, held at Seneca Falls, NY in 1848
  • She was an active abolitionist and suffragist
124
Q

Who is:

Nancy Pelosi

A
  • American politician who is the current Minority Leader of the US House of Representatives and served from 2007-11 as the Speaker of the House
  • A Democrat who has represented California since 1987, she is the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House and is the highest-ranking female political leader in American history
125
Q

Who is:

Horace Mann

A

American education reformer and politician of the 19th century most famous for championing universal public education

126
Q

Who is:

Hillary Clinton

A
  • American politician, the wife of President Bill Clinton, and the Secretary of State of the United States from 2009-13
  • A graduate of Yale Law School, she was a Senator for New York from 2001-09 and a leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008
127
Q

Who is:

Theodore Roosevelt

A
  • American war hero and politician who was President of the United States from 1901-09
  • Known as Teddy, he led a group of volunteer cavalrymen called the Rough Riders in the Spanish-American War, famous for their victory at the Battle of San Juan Hill in Cuba
  • A Republican, he was elected Vice President in 1900 and became the youngest President ever (at 42) when William McKinley was killed
  • During his presidency he increased regulation of businesses, restricted monopolies, championed conservation, promoted increased food inspection, and oversaw the construction of the Panama Canal
  • He was known as an adventurous outdoorsman and hunter
128
Q

Who is:

Ronald Reagan

A
  • American film actor of the 20th century who began his political career in the 1960s, becoming Governor of California, and later, the 40th President of the United States (1981-89)
  • A Republican, he reduced taxes and increased spending on defense, planning to reduce federal spending outside of defense to balance the budget
  • The federal debt increased during his presidency, but he remained highly popular, called a “Great Communicator” and praised for his strong opposition to communism
  • On the international front, he engaged in an arms race with the USSR, instituted the Strategic Defense Initiative, and ordered an invasion of Grenada and a bombing of Libya
129
Q

Who is:

J. William Fulbright

A
  • United States Senator of the 20th century who represented Arkansas from 1945 to 1974
  • During his time in office he supported the creation of the United Nations and segregation, but opposed McCarthyism and American involvement in the Vietnam War
  • He is best known for establishing an international fellowship program that bears his name
130
Q

Who is:

Condoleezza Rice

A
  • American political leader and professor who was the first woman to serve as National Security Advisor (2001-05) and the second African-American to serve as United States Secretary of State (2005-09)
  • In 2009 she returned as a political science professor to Stanford University, where she’d worked before joining the Bush administration in 2001
131
Q

Who is:

Joseph Smith

A

American religious leader of the 19th century who founded the Latter Day Saint movement, of which Mormonism is a branch

132
Q

Name the figure from American History:

American engineer, pilot, Navy officer, and astronaut who in 1969 became the first person to walk on the Moon

A

Neil Armstrong

133
Q

Name the figure from American History:

American activist of the 19th century who played a crucial role in the establishment of the first American mental asylums

A

Dorothea Dix

134
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • American activist of the 19th century who, along with Lucretia Mott, helped organize the first women’s rights convention in America, held at Seneca Falls, NY in 1848
  • She was an active abolitionist and suffragist
A

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

135
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • American politician who is the current Minority Leader of the US House of Representatives and served from 2007-11 as the Speaker of the House
  • A Democrat who has represented California since 1987, she is the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House and is the highest-ranking female political leader in American history
A

Nancy Pelosi

136
Q

Name the figure from American History:

American education reformer and politician of the 19th century most famous for championing universal public education

A

Horace Mann

137
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • American politician, the wife of President Bill Clinton, and the Secretary of State of the United States from 2009-13
  • A graduate of Yale Law School, she was a Senator for New York from 2001-09 and a leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008
A

Hillary Clinton

138
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • American war hero and politician who was President of the United States from 1901-09
  • Known as Teddy, he led a group of volunteer cavalrymen called the Rough Riders in the Spanish-American War, famous for their victory at the Battle of San Juan Hill in Cuba
  • A Republican, he was elected Vice President in 1900 and became the youngest President ever (at 42) when William McKinley was killed
  • During his presidency he increased regulation of businesses, restricted monopolies, championed conservation, promoted increased food inspection, and oversaw the construction of the Panama Canal
  • He was known as an adventurous outdoorsman and hunter
A

Theodore Roosevelt

139
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • American film actor of the 20th century who began his political career in the 1960s, becoming Governor of California, and later, the 40th President of the United States (1981-89)
  • A Republican, he reduced taxes and increased spending on defense, planning to reduce federal spending outside of defense to balance the budget
  • The federal debt increased during his presidency, but he remained highly popular, called a “Great Communicator” and praised for his strong opposition to communism
  • On the international front, he engaged in an arms race with the USSR, instituted the Strategic Defense Initiative, and ordered an invasion of Grenada and a bombing of Libya
A

Ronald Reagan

140
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • United States Senator of the 20th century who represented Arkansas from 1945 to 1974
  • During his time in office he supported the creation of the United Nations and segregation, but opposed McCarthyism and American involvement in the Vietnam War
  • He is best known for establishing an international fellowship program that bears his name
A

J. William Fulbright

141
Q

Name the figure from American History:

  • American political leader and professor who was the first woman to serve as National Security Advisor (2001-05) and the second African-American to serve as United States Secretary of State (2005-09)
  • In 2009 she returned as a political science professor to Stanford University, where she’d worked before joining the Bush administration in 2001
A

Condoleezza Rice

142
Q

Name the figure from American History:

American religious leader of the 19th century who founded the Latter Day Saint movement, of which Mormonism is a branch

A

Joseph Smith

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