U.S. Citizenship Test Practice: Recent American History (1900s to Today)
- Recent American History (1900s to Today)
- 12 questions
- 12 minutes
These questions cover the 1900s and early 2000s: the two world wars, the Great Depression, the Cold War, the civil rights movement and September 11, 2001. Tip: for each war, remember why the United States joined it.
Tap an option to mark your answer. You can change your mind, or tap the same option again to leave the question blank. The correct answers and explanations appear when you finish the test.Tap an option to answer; tap it again to leave the question blank.
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Question 1
The United States joined World War I in 1917. What was the main reason?
Correct answer: B
German submarines attacked ships carrying Americans, so the United States joined the Allies (Britain, France, Italy and Russia) in 1917. The attack on Pearl Harbor led the country into World War II.
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Question 2
In 1920, the 19th Amendment was added to the Constitution. What did it do?
Correct answer: B
The 19th Amendment, ratified in 1920 after World War I, says the right to vote cannot be denied because of sex. It came after decades of work by the women's suffrage movement.
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Question 3
The Great Depression was a long economic crisis with very high unemployment. Which event in 1929 is usually seen as its start?
Correct answer: C
The stock market crash of October 1929 began the Great Depression, the longest economic downturn in modern U.S. history. Millions of people lost their jobs, savings and homes.
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Question 4
This President started the New Deal during the Great Depression and led the country in World War II. Who was he?
Correct answer: C
Franklin D. Roosevelt was President from 1933 to 1945. His New Deal programs responded to the Great Depression, and he led the country in World War II until his death in 1945.
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Question 5
Which event in December 1941 brought the United States into World War II?
Correct answer: D
Japan's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941, led the United States to join the Allies against the Axis powers: Germany, Italy and Japan.
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Question 6
Before he became the 34th President, Dwight D. Eisenhower had another famous role. What was it?
Correct answer: C
Eisenhower commanded the Allied forces in Europe during World War II. As President, he signed the 1956 law that created the Interstate Highway System.
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Question 7
The Cold War was a long period of tension between the United States and another superpower. Which country was it?
Correct answer: A
The Cold War, from the late 1940s to 1991, was a long rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR). The main U.S. concerns were the spread of communism and the danger of nuclear war.
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Question 8
Why did the United States fight in the Korean War and the Vietnam War?
Correct answer: D
In both wars, the United States tried to stop communist forces from taking over South Korea and South Vietnam. Stopping communism was a central goal during the Cold War.
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Question 9
What was the main goal of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s?
Correct answer: B
The civil rights movement worked to end segregation and racial discrimination, especially against African Americans. Leaders such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks used peaceful protest.
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Question 10
In 1969, American astronauts did something for the first time in history. What was it?
Correct answer: A
The Apollo 11 mission landed on the Moon in July 1969, and Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on it. It is one of the best-known American innovations in science and technology.
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Question 11
In 1991, the United States led a group of countries in the Persian Gulf War. What was the goal?
Correct answer: D
Iraq invaded its neighbor Kuwait in 1990. In early 1991, the United States and its partners drove the Iraqi military out of Kuwait.
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Question 12
Americans remember September 11, 2001 every year. What happened on that day?
Correct answer: A
Terrorists hijacked four planes. Two hit the World Trade Center in New York City, one hit the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and one crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
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