30 + US History Questions: Awesome ESL Conversation Practice

To boost our English vocabulary and fluency we are going to practice over 30 US history questions, along with some fun trivia! Don’t worry if you have never been to the US before, or you do not know much about it – the main idea here is to practice English by learning new words and expressions, and also to practice the simple past tense. Also a quick disclaimer – my apologies if any of the facts are wrong in this article. The point is to practice making English questions in full sentences. Let’s go!

US history questions

Here are the first 10 US history questions. After these, we will look into the past tense a little bit, so that we can get confident with answering in full sentences. If you do not know the answers, a quick search will tell you. Also, it is perfectly fine to say that you do not know – that is all part of English communication.

Here are some common ways to say we don’t know something:

• I don’t know the answer to that question
• Hmm. That’s a tricky one!
• I’m sorry, I’ve no idea!

1. Who was the first President of the United States?
2. In what year did Christopher Columbus arrive in America?
3. What is the document that declared America’s independence from Great Britain called?
4. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
5. Which war was fought between the North and the South in the United States?
6. Who is famously known for having a dream about racial equality in the United States?
7. In what year did World War II begin for the United States?
8. Which event marked the beginning of the American Revolutionary War?
9. Which US President issued the Emancipation Proclamation to abolish slavery?
10. Which famous civil rights leader was known for his nonviolent protests?

Related: 50 Questions About America: How To Converse ESL Guide

Past simple exercise

As you have seen up until now, we are going to practice asking and answering US history questions. For the English learners out there, mastering the “past simple” tense is really useful if we want to talk about history. So, this whole article is basically a past simple exercise! Read the questions, and then answer using full sentences!

Forming past simple

Here is a short table which will help you to form the past simple:

Verb	Past Simple Form	Example Sentence
be	was/were	Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States.
arrive	arrived	Christopher Columbus arrived in America in 1492.
declare	declared	The document that declared America’s independence from Great Britain is called the Declaration of Independence.
write	wrote	Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence.
fight	fought	The American Civil War was fought between the North and the South in the United States.

Answering questions

Let’s now look specifically at answering questions in the past simple. Here is a table showing how to answer questions in the past simple for American history:

Question	Verb	Past Simple Answer
When did the American Revolution start?	start	The American Revolution started in 1775.
Who was the first President of the United States?	be	George Washington was the first President of the United States.
What year did the United States gain its independence?	gain	The United States gained its independence in 1776.
Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?	write	Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence.
Which war did the United States fight against itself?	fight	The United States fought the Civil War against itself.

Questions on us history

Now that we have understood a little more about the simple past, let’s look at the next lot of questions!

1. In what year did the United States land the first man on the moon?
2. Who invented the telephone?
3. What event led to the United States joining World War II?
4. What is the largest state in the United States by land area?
5. Who is the Founding Father known for many inventions, such as the bifocals and the lightning rod?
6. Which monument in South Dakota features the faces of four US Presidents?
7. Who is the only US President to have served more than two terms?
8. Which city was attacked by Japan and prompted the United States to join World War II?
9. What is the national bird of the United States?
10. Who is credited with discovering the continent of America?

American history questions

1. What is the holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States?
2. Which US President is known for his leadership during the Great Depression?
3. Who was the leader of the Union forces during the American Civil War?
4. What is the longest river in the United States?
5. Which amendment to the US Constitution abolished slavery?
6. Who is the African American woman who refused to give up her seat on a bus, sparking the civil rights movement?
7. In what year did the United States gain its independence from Great Britain?
8. Which city is known for its historical significance as the site of the signing of the Declaration of Independence?
9. What is the nickname of the United States Constitution?
10. Which state was the first to be admitted to the United States?

US history trivia

To round off today’s US history questions, let’s look at some general trivia surrounding the country. Read and repeat all of the answers too, so that your English fluency can get some benefit!

US History Trivia Questions	Answers
Who was the first President of the United States?	The first President of the United States was George Washington.
What document declared America’s independence?	The document that declared America’s independence is called the Declaration of Independence.
Which war was fought between the North and the South?	The war that was fought between the North and the South is known as the American Civil War.
Who had a dream about racial equality in the US?	Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream about racial equality in the US.
In what year did World War II begin for the US?	World War II began for the US in the year 1941.
What is the capital city of the United States?	The capital city of the United States is Washington, D.C.
Which civil rights leader was known for nonviolent protests?	Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights leader known for his nonviolent protests.
Who invented the telephone?	The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell.
What is the largest state in the US by land area?	The largest state in the US by land area is Alaska.

US History Questions: a good way to practice English!

I hope you have enjoyed reading and repeating today’s US history questions! Talking about history is really useful when it comes to learning a language. Here are 3 reasons why:

1. Expanding Vocabulary: Discussing historical events and figures allows learners to encounter new vocabulary related to specific time periods, cultural movements, and historical concepts. This helps in expanding their language repertoire and equips them with a broader range of words to express ideas and opinions.
2. Enhancing Grammar Skills: History discussions require the use of various grammatical structures, especially when describing historical events in the past. This provides learners with opportunities to practice and reinforce their understanding of past tense, verb forms, and sentence structures.
3. Cultural Awareness: History offers insights into the cultural, social, and political aspects of a country. Exploring historical topics exposes learners to different perspectives, traditions, and events, fostering cultural sensitivity and intercultural communication skills.