Are you proficient in American history? Test

In My Humble Opinion
1

Our kids continue their downward spiral in American History. 25% are proficient. 75% aren’t :smack:

History was always my easiest subject in school. Read the textbook, outline the major topics, and update with any extra material from the teacher’s lecture. Simple stuff and an Easy A.

Sample Test that our kids take. I had to think about a few of the questions. I’ve been out of school 20 years. Two of my answers were educated guesses that were based on the context of the question. But, I still got all ten correct.

The closing of the frontier question and the trade question almost tripped me up. I didn’t recall that the frontier was ever formally closed. I’ll take their word for it. :wink:

your turn to take the test. How did you do?
http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/07/25/quiz.us.history/index.html

CNN article our kids are failing history. How could a kid not know the importance of Abe Lincoln? Didn’t he chop down that cherry tree? :stuck_out_tongue:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/07/26/education.history.soboroff/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

2

If anyone wants to discuss any of the questions it could be fun.

3

I got 9 out of 10. I had a lot of difficulty believing that there was a major cross-atlantic trade of meat in the 18th century.

Am I missing something or was that meat disgusting either through being rotten or filled with salt?

4

I got all 10 right. Didn’t think any of the questions were particularly hard.

5

10/10. I don’t think any of them really used my history knowledge but rather my critical thinking skills which ideally is a cross-discipline skillset.

6

10/10. I’d be embarrassed if I got any lower. I teach this stuff.

7

I got all 10 right (although I admit, I only knew the Korean War one due to an obsession with MAS*H - we never got as far as the Korean War in school), and I generally consider myself horrendously deficient in American (and all other) history.

8

That was the question I thought about the longest. I vaguely remembered the West Indies Trade Company and that led me to the right answer. I didn’t recall meat being a major trade item either. :smiley:

9

I’m thinking this test was designed to be easy. The question concerning Germany in WWII was really ridiculously obvious. It’s a lot like those IQ tests where a very large percentage of test takers could apply to Mensa.

In this case, it gives the audience an ego boost, making them like CNN more. Also, it can create outrage because: “Look how easy it is and students can’t even do that! What’s the world coming to?!”

10

8/10. I’m always wary about tests that throw in trick questions, so I second-guessed question 1 and decided the obvious answer couldn’t have been right. Also missed the Frederick Jackson Turner one.

11

10/10. thought most of the questions were straight forward,

12

From Richard Middleton’s Colonial America: a History, 1565-1776

13

8/10 and I am not American and have made no special study of American history. It did seem some what simple.

14

10/10, and I’ve never studied U.S. history – though I’ve learned a lot through living 12 years in the U.S.

15

10/10 - These seemed rather easy. The only question that gave pause was the frontier question.

16

Brit. 8/10

Got the factory piece wrong as well as the “closing of the frontier” question - didn’t understand the term.

17

10/10

18

10/10 - All seemed easy to a history major.

19

South African - 9/10
I thought the *start *of the 1800s was too soon for factories in the US to have that big an impact so went with immigrant labour.

20

10/10. It was insanely easy. Too easy.

I am a history major though.