Social Studies Bowl Questions
Page 1
Who was the President of the Confederate States of America? Jefferson Davis
Who was President of the United States of America during the Civil War? Abraham
Lincoln
One cause of the Civil War? Slavery
Name the Great Lakes. Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior (locate on a map)
What major rivers touch Tennessee? Mississippi, Tennessee, and Cumberland (Be able
to find them on a map)
What river is the western border of Tennessee? Mississippi
Latitude lines run in what direction? East and West
Longitude lines run in what direction? North and South
0 degrees latitude is? The equator
0 degrees longitude is? The prime meridian
Freedom of speech, religion, right to assemble, and press is what amendment? First
The first ten amendments are called? The Bill of Rights
July 4th is what holiday? Independence Day
November 11th is what holiday? Veteran’s Day
Who is known as the Father of the Constitution? James Madison
What is a physical map? A map that shows mountains and rivers
What is a political map? A map that shows states and capitals
Name the eight states that border Tennessee? Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina,
Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Missouri.
What are the grand divisions of Tennessee? East, Middle, and West
What are the four major cities in Tennessee? Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, and
Chattanooga (Be able to find these on a map)
Page 2
S.S. Bowl Questions
What is an economic boom? A time of rapid growth in the economy – for example
during the 1920’s (Roaring 20’s)
What is an economic bust? A time of rapid decline in the economy – for example during
the Great Depression (1930’s)
What is Black Tuesday? October 29, l929 – when the Stock Market crashed
What is the 19th amendment? Gave Women the right to vote (1920)
What is prohibition? The 18th amendment made drinking and selling alcohol against the
law.
Who was in charge of the Union Army? Ulysses S. Grant
Who was the most popular confederate general during the Civil War? Robert E. Lee
Who started the American Federation of Labor (AFL)? Samuel Gompers
Who was the governor of Tennessee who passed laws to create state parks (Great Smoky
Mountains National Park) and worked to improve roads, healthcare, and education?
Austin Peay
In the late 1800’s, workers fought to improve wages, hours, insurance, and working
conditions by forming _________________ and holding _______________. Unions and
strikes
What did the American Indian Movement (AIM) want? Equal rights for Native
Americans
What was the decision of the Supreme Court in Brown v Board of Education? It decided
that school segregation was illegal under the Constitution.
Rosa Parks was jailed for refusing to give up her seat and move to the back of the bus.
As a result, African Americans stopped using the buses in Montgomery, Alabama. What
was this event called? The Montgomery Bus Boycott
Who was the minister from Atlanta, Georgia who helped lead boycotts and made
speeches like “I Have a Dream”? Martin Luther King, Jr.
Page 3
S.S. Bowl
In 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. was put in jail for almost two weeks for leading a protest
group in what city? Birmingham, Alabama: This event became know as what?
Birmingham Civil Rights march
What President signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964? President Lyndon Johnson
What did the Civil Rights Act do? This law banned or stopped segregation in schools,
workplaces, and public places like restaurants and theaters.
Who was the well known black abolitionist who had escaped from slavery and became a
writer and speaker? Frederick Douglas
Dred Scott was an enslaved man who argued with the Supreme Court about his right to
be free because he had once lived in Illinois, a free state. What was the decision from the
Supreme Court? Chief Justice Roger Taney said that slaves were property and that living
in a free state did not make them citizens. This was a victory for slavery!
This woman was a nurse during the Civil War and started the American Red Cross. Who
was she? Clara Barton
What was the 13th amendment? It said that slavery in the U.S. is illegal.
What was the 14th amendment? It said that African Americans had the rights of all
citizens.
What was the 15th amendment? It said that all American men had the right to vote no
matter what their skin color was or if they had been enslaved.
Who founded Hull House in Chicago which was a center where the poor could get help?
Jane Addams
This lady was the first President of the Tennessee Equal Suffrage Association in
Tennessee. She worked hard to help get women the right to vote. Who was she? Anne
Dallas Dudley
Between 1923 to 1937, about 350 fierce dust storms swept through the Great Plains
ruining crops and covering homes. The dust was so thick it often blocked out the sun.
What was this called? The Dust Bowl
During the Great Depression, many people lost their homes because they did not have a
job and could not pay for them. Many people built shakes out of cardboard boxes,
broken down cars, and scraps of wood. Clusters of these shakes were called
shantytowns. They were also known as what? Hoovervilles (Herbert Hoover was
President during this time)