CFIF History &
Civics Quiz


Question of the week CFIF History & Civics Weekly Quiz Archive

In testing your knowledge of U.S. history and civics, click on the buttons
(a,b,c or d)* below each question for the correct answers.

 (Last Updated May 7, 2008)


How many Amendments to the Constitution specifically address “the right of citizens of the United States to vote…”?

A2

B3

C4

D6


*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Including the 2008 election, how many times in U.S. history have 2 sitting U.S. Senators run against each other for President?

AOnce

BTwice

CThree Times

DFour Times


*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Where in the U.S. Constitution is Congress first granted the power to tax?

APreamble

BArticle 1

C16th Amendment

DArticle 6


*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




At the beginning of the Civil War, field command of the Union Army was first offered to which of the following men?

ARobert E. Lee

BUlysses S. Grant

CHenry W. Halleck

DGeorge McClellan


*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




What was the average time for mail delivered by Pony Express?

A3 days

B7 days

C10 days

D30 days


*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




What is considered to be the 4th most commonly used language in the U.S.?

AArabic

BSpanish

CVietnamese

DAmerican Sign Language

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Which one of the following states was the first to have an African-American Governor?

ALouisiana

BMassachusetts

CNew York

DVirginia

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




U.S. Daylight Saving Time begins on which of the following days each year?

AThe first Sunday in April

BThe second Sunday in March

CThe last Sunday in October

DThe first Sunday in November

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




The daughter of which of the following generals was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated Virginia streetcar in 1902?

A Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower

B Gen. Ulysses S. Grant

C Gen. Robert E. Lee

D Gen. Douglas MacArthur

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




When did Congress first pass the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)?

A 1963

B 1978

C 1987

D 2001

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Who was the only U.S. President to never marry?

A James Buchanan

B Grover Cleveland

C James Monroe

D Theodore Roosevelt

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




What was George Washington's salary as President of the United States?

A $  25,000

B $  50,000

C $  75,000

D $100,000

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Who was the first African-American to launch a serious bid for President of the United States?

A Shirley Chisholm

B Frederick Douglass

C Charlene Mitchell

D Barack Obama

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Who was the first woman to run for U.S. President?

A Hillary Clinton

B Elizabeth Dole

C Victoria Woodhull

D Margaret Chase Smith

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Who was the first Catholic nominated by a major political party to run for President of the United States?

A John F. Kennedy

B Richard M. Nixon

C Ronald W. Reagan

D Alfred E. Smith

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Which was the first state to establish a presidential primary?

A Iowa

B Michigan

C New Hampshire

D Oregon

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Which First Lady started the tradition of “themed” White House Christmas trees?

A Abigail Adams

B Frances Cleveland

C Jacqueline Kennedy

D Eleanor Roosevelt

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Which one of the following U.S. Presidents will have two White House Christmas ornaments issued to commemorate his terms of office?

A Abraham Lincoln

B Grover Cleveland

C Ronald W. Reagan

D Franklin D. Roosevelt

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Where is the USS Arizona Memorial located?

A Phoenix, Arizona

B Baltimore, Maryland

C Oahu, Hawaii

D Washington, DC

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Which state recently banned the use of lead-based bullets by hunters in order to protect endangered wildlife?

A California

B Texas

C Vermont

D Washington

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Which Founding Father famously opposed naming the American Bald Eagle as the national bird, preferring instead the wild turkey?

A Benjamin Franklin

B Thomas Jefferson

C James Madison

D George Washington

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Which U.S. President signed legislation to establish the Department of Veterans Affairs as a cabinet agency?

A Herbert Hoover

B Jimmy Carter

C Ronald Reagan

D George H.W. Bush

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




When Washington, D.C. was burned in 1814, which of the following Founding Fathers sold his personal library to re-establish the Library of Congress?

A George Washington

B John Adams

C Thomas Jefferson

D Benjamin Franklin

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Which of the following significant historical events occurred on the 24th of October?

A First time a person rode a barrel over Niagara Falls

B First transcontinental telegram sent

C End of commercial supersonic transportation

D Establishment of the United Nations

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Which U.S. Vice President both won a Nobel Peace Prize and wrote the melody to a hit song?

A Al Gore

B Charles Dawes

C Gerald Ford

D Thomas Jefferson

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Which of the following U.S. states currently has a single-house system of governance?

A Georgia

B Nebraska

C Pennsylvania

D Vermont

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




According to the U.S. Constitution, how many Justices comprise the Supreme Court?

A 1 Chief Justice and 8 Associate Justices

B One Justice for each circuit

C No number is specified

D 13, one for each original colony

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




The August 3, 1981 strike called by PATCO, then the government union of professional air traffic controllers, was resolved by President Ronald Reagan when he:

A acquiesced to the union's demands

B declared a national state of emergency

C fired the strikers and permanently banned them from federal service

D ordered the strikers back to work

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Who was the first sitting U.S. President to have his photograph taken?

A William Henry Harrison

B Abraham Lincoln

C Martin Van Buren

D Ulysses S. Grant

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Independence Day is celebrated annually on July 4th, the date on which the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776.  What day is observed annually as Constitution Day?

A June 14

B September 17

C November 11

D December 7

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Who is the only U.S. President to hold a doctoral degree?

A Thomas Jefferson

B John F. Kennedy

C Franklin D. Roosevelt

D Woodrow Wilson

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Labor Day Weekend traditionally signals the end of summer vacation and Americans take to the roads by the millions. How many state capitals are not directly served by the Interstate system?

A 2

B 5

C 10

D 25

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




The U.S. Congress is on recess during the month of August.  The August Congressional Recess is observed:

A by law

B by tradition

C by mutual consent

D All of the above

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




The national highway system serves a critical role in our freedom of movement, our economy and our nation's defense.  When was federal funding first authorized for construction of a nationwide highway system?

A 1938

B 1944

C 1952

D 1956

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Who was the only U.S. Supreme Court Justice to be a Phi Beta Kappa, a Rhodes Scholar, an All-American halfback and a professional football player?

A Warren Burger

B Byron White

C John Roberts

D William Rehnquist

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Who was the first U.S. President to have been born in the United States?

A George Washington

B Andrew Jackson

C Martin Van Buren

D Zachary Taylor

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




The U.S. Office of Government Ethics has launched a new program "providing guidance on how to interpret and comply with modifications or new issuances of conflict of interest regulations, standards of conduct regulations, or financial disclosure policies and procedures." This new program is:

A Regional Training Seminars

B Weekly Video Conferences

C Employee Crossword Puzzles

D Monthly Senior Staff Meetings

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Which Presidential spouse is credited with starting the tradition of playing "Hail to the Chief" to announce the President of the United States?

A Martha Washington

B Julia Gardiner Tyler

C Mary Todd Lincoln

D Sarah Childress Polk

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Who are the only two U.S. Presidents to date who did not grant any pardons during their terms of office?

A George Washington and John Adams

B James Garfield and William H. Harrison

C Woodrow Wilson and Harry S. Truman

D Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Who is the only U.S. President to have been born on the Fourth of July?

A Thomas Jefferson

B Abraham Lincoln

C Calvin Coolidge

D William McKinley

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




The first federal gasoline tax was enacted by Congress in what year?

A 1919

B 1932

C 1964

D 1973

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




The Emancipation Proclamation was issued on January 1, 1863.  When did formal word of the abolition of slavery reach Texas, the western-most slave state in the Confederacy?

A December 1863

B April 1864

C June 1865

D December 1865

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




The Star Spangled Banner contains how many stripes?

A 12 (for the constellations)

B 13 (for the original colonies)

C 15 (for the states during the War of 1812)

D 36 (for the states at the end of the Civil War)

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




When the federal government moved from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. in 1800, how long was the allotted "transition" time for the cabinet agencies and Congress to be fully functional in the new capital city?

A 30 days

B 60 days

C 10 weeks

D 12 months

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Memorial Day was begun to honor "comrades who died indefense of their country" following which of the following wars?

A The War of Independence

B The War of 1812

C The War Between the States

D World War I

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Every year during the month of May, Americans mark Memorial Day, Law Day and Loyalty Day.  Which of the following observances also occurs annually, always on the third Saturday in May?

A Armed Forces Day

B Citizenship Day

C Flag Day

D Veterans Day

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




On May, 14, 1607, Virginia Company explorers made landfall in what is now the Commonwealth of Virginia and established Jamestown, the first permanent English colony in the New World. The ships which brought the settlers from England to the east coast of North America were:

A Sea Venture, Deliverance and Patience

B Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria

C Godspeed, Susan Constant and Discovery

D Mayflower and Speedwell

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




The first day of May (May Day) is also known as:

A International Workers' Day

B Labor Day

C Law Day

D Loyalty Day

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




The last time an American was convicted of treason against the U.S. was during which of the following conflicts?

A Vietnam

B World War II

C War of 1812

D Revolutionary War

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




What is the procedure for filling a vacancy in the Office of Vice President if the vacancy occurs prior to the end of a full term in office?

A Holding a national election

B Secretary of State automatically assumes duties

C House of Representatives chooses a replacement

D President nominates replacement & Congress confirms

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Who is the only woman thus far in American history to have served in both chambers of a state legislature and both houses of Congress?

A Millicent Fenwick

B Hillary Clinton

C Olympia Snowe

D Margaret Chase Smith

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Which U.S. Vice President is credited with having cast the most tie-breaking votes as President of the Senate?

A John Adams

B Richard Cheney

C Andrew Johnson

D Theodore Roosevelt

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Our nation's capital, Washington, the District of Columbia, with approximately 580,000 residents, has its own Department of Motor Vehicles and its own license plate. What logo is inscribed on all plates issued to new registrants by the D.C. Department of Motor Vehicles?

A A Capital City

B Fight Terrorism

C Nation's Capital

D Taxation Without Representation

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Which U.S. Vice President is credited with having cast the most tie-breaking votes as President of the Senate?

A John Adams

B Richard Cheney

C Andrew Johnson

D Theodore Roosevelt

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Prior to 1988, which was the last Presidential election in which the incumbent Vice President was elected President?

A 1796

B 1800

C 1836

D 1976

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




The origin of U.S. Daylight Saving Time can be traced to a temporary measure first implemented during which of the following wars?

A The War of 1812

B World War I

C World War II

D The Korean War

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




The U.S. Census Bureau estimated in October 2006 that the U.S. population reached 300 million.  How many years did it take for our population to grow from 200 to 300 million?

A 75

B 60

C 50

D 40

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




What is the official name of the federal holiday which falls on the third Monday in February?

A Presidents Day

B Washington's Birthday

C Lincoln/Washington Day

D Washington/Lincoln Day

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




What motto is inscribed on the base of the Statue of Freedom which sits atop the Capitol dome in Washington, D.C.?

A E Pluribus Unum

B Semper Fidelis

C Sic Semper Tyrannis

D Caveat Emptor

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Current Members of Congress stand to lose their pensions and other retirement benefits only if found guilty of which of the following?

A Bribery

B Any felony

C Treason or espionage

D All of the above

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Who was the last U.S. President to fulfill his Constitutional mandate by submitting a written State of the Union to the Congress rather than delivering it in person?

A Calvin Coolidge

B Jimmy Carter

C Harry Truman

D Woodrow Wilson

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




During what war was the Congressional Medal of Honor created?

A Revolutionary War

B Civil War

C Spanish American War

D World War I

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Including President George W. Bush, our nation has had 43 Presidents. How many Vice Presidents have there been in the history of our nation?

A 43

B 46

C 51

D 60

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




Who is the only U.S. President to be buried in Washington, D.C.?

A George Washington

B John F. Kennedy

C Ulysses S. Grant

D Woodrow Wilson

*If your browser is not compatible with the quiz links, click here.




The first National Christmas Tree was lit by the President of the United States on December 24 of what year?