US Presidential Elections History Quiz: 100 MCQs on US Political History

Looking for a fun way to test your American history knowledge? Ever wonder about the most interesting facts behind U.S. presidential elections? Get ready to challenge yourself with our ultimate US Presidential history quiz!

100 MCQs on American Political History - Test Your Knowledge

This quiz features 100 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) that cover fascinating trivia about US presidents. It's an easy and fun way to learn something new about the people and moments that shaped America. Whether you're a student, a history fan, or just curious, this quiz will help you explore the rich past of the presidency. Let's see how many you can get right!

US Presidential Election History Quiz

1. Who was the first President of the United States?
A). John Adams
B). Thomas Jefferson
C). George Washington
D). James Madison

George Washington was unanimously elected by the Electoral College in both 1789 and 1792.

2. In which year was the first US presidential election held?
A). 1776
B). 1780
C). 1792
D). 1789

The first election was held from December 15, 1788, to January 7, 1789, with results certified in 1789.

3. Who was the first Vice President of the United States?
A). John Adams
B). Alexander Hamilton
C). Thomas Jefferson
D). Aaron Burr

John Adams was the runner-up in the first presidential election, which under the original system made him Vice President.

4. Which US President was impeached in 1868?
A). Andrew Jackson
B). Abraham Lincoln
C). Andrew Johnson
D). Ulysses S. Grant

Andrew Johnson was impeached but was acquitted by the Senate by a single vote.

5. Who won the US presidential election in 1860?
A). Stephen Douglas
B). John Breckinridge
C). Abraham Lincoln
D). John Bell

Abraham Lincoln's victory in 1860 triggered the secession of several Southern states.

6. Which amendment to the US Constitution established the two-term limit for Presidents?
A). 12th Amendment
B). 22nd Amendment
C). 25th Amendment
D). 26th Amendment

The 22nd Amendment was ratified in 1951, after Franklin D. Roosevelt's four terms.

7. Who was the only US President to serve two non-consecutive terms?
A). Grover Cleveland
B). Theodore Roosevelt
C). Woodrow Wilson
D). Calvin Coolidge

Grover Cleveland served as the 22nd and 24th President of the United States.

8. The election of 1800 was a contest between which two major political figures?
A). Thomas Jefferson and John Adams
B). George Washington and Alexander Hamilton
C). James Monroe and John Quincy Adams
D). Andrew Jackson and Henry Clay

This election was a major turning point, leading to the 12th Amendment.

9. Who won the US presidential election in 1912?
A). Woodrow Wilson
B). Theodore Roosevelt
C). William Howard Taft
D). Eugene V. Debs

The split between Taft and Roosevelt led to Wilson's victory.

10. Which President was assassinated in 1881, just four months into his term?
A). James A. Garfield
B). William McKinley
C). Abraham Lincoln
D). John F. Kennedy

Garfield was shot by a disgruntled office seeker and died from complications of the wound.

11. Who won the US presidential election in 1928?
A). Herbert Hoover
B). Al Smith
C). Calvin Coolidge
D). Franklin D. Roosevelt

Herbert Hoover's victory was followed by the start of the Great Depression.

12. The “Corrupt Bargain” of 1824 involved which two political figures?
A). Andrew Jackson and Henry Clay
B). John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson
C). Henry Clay and John Quincy Adams
D). Both A and C

Henry Clay, as Speaker of the House, helped John Quincy Adams win the presidency over Andrew Jackson.

13. Which President oversaw the Louisiana Purchase in 1803?
A). John Adams
B). Thomas Jefferson
C). James Madison
D). James Monroe

The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the United States.

14. Who won the US presidential election in 1840?
A). Martin Van Buren
B). William Henry Harrison
C). Henry Clay
D). John Tyler

William Henry Harrison served the shortest term of any US president.

15. Which President was the only one to serve in both World War I and World War II?
A). Harry S. Truman
B). Dwight D. Eisenhower
C). Franklin D. Roosevelt
D). John F. Kennedy

Truman was a WWI veteran and served as president at the end of WWII.

16. Who won the US presidential election in 1968?
A). Hubert Humphrey
B). Richard Nixon
C). George Wallace
D). Eugene McCarthy

Nixon's victory marked a major shift in American politics.

17. Which President was responsible for the "New Deal" programs?
A). Theodore Roosevelt
B). Herbert Hoover
C). Franklin D. Roosevelt
D). Harry S. Truman

FDR's New Deal was a series of programs to combat the Great Depression.

18. Who won the US presidential election in 1980?
A). Jimmy Carter
B). Ronald Reagan
C). John Anderson
D). George H.W. Bush

Reagan's win marked the start of the "Reagan Revolution."

19. Which President was a former Hollywood actor?
A). Ronald Reagan
B). Arnold Schwarzenegger
C). George H.W. Bush
D). Bill Clinton

Before politics, Reagan starred in over 50 films.

20. Who was the President during the Cuban Missile Crisis?
A). Dwight D. Eisenhower
B). John F. Kennedy
C). Lyndon B. Johnson
D). Richard Nixon

The crisis was a 13-day confrontation between the US and the Soviet Union.

21. Which President signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
A). John F. Kennedy
B). Lyndon B. Johnson
C). Richard Nixon
D). Martin Luther King Jr.

LBJ's signing of the act outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

22. Who won the US presidential election in 2000?
A). Al Gore
B). George W. Bush
C). Bill Clinton
D). Ralph Nader

The election was decided by a Supreme Court ruling on the Florida recount.

23. Which President was known as the "Great Communicator"?
A). John F. Kennedy
B). Ronald Reagan
C). Bill Clinton
D). Franklin D. Roosevelt

Reagan's public speaking skills earned him this nickname.

24. Who was the first President to live in the White House?
A). George Washington
B). John Adams
C). Thomas Jefferson
D). James Madison

John Adams and his wife Abigail were the first to move into the unfinished White House in 1800.

25. Who won the US presidential election in 1932?
A). Herbert Hoover
B). Franklin D. Roosevelt
C). Alfred E. Smith
D). Norman Thomas

FDR's victory over Hoover was a landslide, ushering in the New Deal era.

26. Which President was the first to resign from office?
A). Richard Nixon
B). Bill Clinton
C). Gerald Ford
D). George W. Bush

Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 due to the Watergate scandal.

27. Who was the youngest President to be elected?
A). Theodore Roosevelt
B). John F. Kennedy
C). Bill Clinton
D). Barack Obama

JFK was 43 years old when he was inaugurated.

28. Who won the US presidential election in 1896?
A). William Jennings Bryan
B). William McKinley
C). Grover Cleveland
D). Theodore Roosevelt

McKinley's win was a defeat for the Populist movement.

29. Which President was a general in the Civil War?
A). Ulysses S. Grant
B). Abraham Lincoln
C). Andrew Jackson
D). Theodore Roosevelt

Ulysses S. Grant was the commanding general of the Union Army.

30. Who won the US presidential election in 1856?
A). James Buchanan
B). John C. Frémont
C). Millard Fillmore
D). Franklin Pierce

Buchanan's win was one of the last victories for the Democratic Party before the Civil War.

31. Which President was known for his "Square Deal" domestic policy?
A). Theodore Roosevelt
B). Franklin D. Roosevelt
C). Woodrow Wilson
D). Harry S. Truman

The "Square Deal" focused on conservation, consumer protection, and corporate control.

32. Who won the US presidential election in 1976?
A). Gerald Ford
B). Jimmy Carter
C). Ronald Reagan
D). George H.W. Bush

Carter, a former governor of Georgia, campaigned as an outsider.

33. Which President was a peanut farmer from Georgia?
A). Jimmy Carter
B). Lyndon B. Johnson
C). Bill Clinton
D). George W. Bush

Carter's background as a farmer was a key part of his campaign.

34. Who was the President during the start of the Great Depression?
A). Calvin Coolidge
B). Herbert Hoover
C). Franklin D. Roosevelt
D). Warren G. Harding

The stock market crashed in 1929, just months into Hoover's term.

35. Which President was known for his "Fireside Chats" radio addresses?
A). Theodore Roosevelt
B). Woodrow Wilson
C). Franklin D. Roosevelt
D). Harry S. Truman

The chats were a series of evening radio addresses given by FDR to explain his policies.

36. Who won the US presidential election in 1844?
A). James K. Polk
B). Henry Clay
C). Martin Van Buren
D). John Tyler

Polk was considered a "dark horse" candidate who won by focusing on westward expansion.

37. Which President was a former five-star general in the US Army?
A). Theodore Roosevelt
B). Dwight D. Eisenhower
C). Ulysses S. Grant
D). George Patton

Eisenhower was the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe during WWII.

38. Who won the US presidential election in 1908?
A). William Jennings Bryan
B). William Howard Taft
C). Theodore Roosevelt
D). Woodrow Wilson

Taft was Roosevelt's handpicked successor, easily winning the election.

39. Which President was the first to be born after the American Revolution?
A). Thomas Jefferson
B). James Madison
C). Martin Van Buren
D). Andrew Jackson

Van Buren was born in 1782, a year after the Battle of Yorktown.

40. Who won the US presidential election in 1864?
A). Abraham Lincoln
B). George B. McClellan
C). Ulysses S. Grant
D). Jefferson Davis

Lincoln's re-election took place during the Civil War.

41. Which President oversaw the end of the Vietnam War?
A). Lyndon B. Johnson
B). Richard Nixon
C). Gerald Ford
D). Jimmy Carter

The last US troops were withdrawn from Vietnam during Ford's presidency.

42. Who won the US presidential election in 1948?
A). Thomas E. Dewey
B). Harry S. Truman
C). Strom Thurmond
D). Henry A. Wallace

Truman's victory over Dewey was a major political upset.

43. Which President was known as "Tricky Dick"?
A). Richard Nixon
B). Ronald Reagan
C). Lyndon B. Johnson
D). Gerald Ford

Nixon earned this nickname early in his political career.

44. Who won the US presidential election in 1888?
A). Grover Cleveland
B). Benjamin Harrison
C). James G. Blaine
D). William McKinley

Harrison lost the popular vote but won the Electoral College.

45. Which President was known as the "Trust Buster"?
A). Theodore Roosevelt
B). William Howard Taft
C). Woodrow Wilson
D). Franklin D. Roosevelt

Roosevelt's administration used the Sherman Antitrust Act to break up monopolies.

46. Who won the US presidential election in 1992?
A). George H.W. Bush
B). Bill Clinton
C). Ross Perot
D). Al Gore

Bill Clinton's campaign focused on the economy, with the slogan "It's the economy, stupid."

47. Which President was a former leader of the Senate?
A). Lyndon B. Johnson
B). John F. Kennedy
C). Richard Nixon
D). Dwight D. Eisenhower

LBJ served as the Senate Majority Leader before becoming Vice President.

48. Who won the US presidential election in 1960?
A). Richard Nixon
B). John F. Kennedy
C). Lyndon B. Johnson
D). Adlai Stevenson

This election was the first to feature televised presidential debates.

49. Which President was a five-star general in the US Army?
A). Theodore Roosevelt
B). Dwight D. Eisenhower
C). Ulysses S. Grant
D). George Patton

Eisenhower was a five-star general, a rank held by only a few in the US military.

50. Who won the US presidential election in 1876?
A). Rutherford B. Hayes
B). Samuel J. Tilden
C). Grover Cleveland
D). Ulysses S. Grant

Hayes won the election by one electoral vote after a compromise was reached.

51. Which President signed the Homestead Act into law?
A). Abraham Lincoln
B). Andrew Jackson
C). Ulysses S. Grant
D). Theodore Roosevelt

The Homestead Act provided 160 acres of public land to any citizen who would live on the land for five years.

52. Who won the US presidential election in 1952?
A). Adlai Stevenson
B). Dwight D. Eisenhower
C). Harry S. Truman
D). Thomas E. Dewey

Eisenhower's victory ended two decades of Democratic control of the White House.

53. Which President was the first to visit China?
A). Richard Nixon
B). Jimmy Carter
C). Ronald Reagan
D). Bill Clinton

Nixon's visit in 1972 was a key step in normalizing relations with China.

54. Who won the US presidential election in 1884?
A). James G. Blaine
B). Grover Cleveland
C). Benjamin Harrison
D). Chester A. Arthur

Cleveland's win was the first by a Democrat since before the Civil War.

55. Which President was a Rhodes Scholar?
A). John F. Kennedy
B). Bill Clinton
C). George W. Bush
D). Barack Obama

Bill Clinton attended Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar.

56. Who won the US presidential election in 2008?
A). John McCain
B). Barack Obama
C). Hillary Clinton
D). Mitt Romney

Barack Obama was the first African American President of the United States.

57. Which President was known for his "New Frontier" programs?
A). Franklin D. Roosevelt
B). John F. Kennedy
C). Lyndon B. Johnson
D). Richard Nixon

The "New Frontier" aimed to address social and economic issues and promote space exploration.

58. Who won the US presidential election in 1940?
A). Franklin D. Roosevelt
B). Wendell Willkie
C). Herbert Hoover
D). Alfred M. Landon

FDR became the first and only president to be elected to a third term.

59. Which President was a former Supreme Allied Commander during WWII?
A). Dwight D. Eisenhower
B). Douglas MacArthur
C). George Patton
D). Harry S. Truman

Eisenhower planned and supervised the invasion of Normandy.

60. Who won the US presidential election in 1920?
A). Warren G. Harding
B). James M. Cox
C). Woodrow Wilson
D). Theodore Roosevelt

Harding's "return to normalcy" campaign appealed to Americans weary of war and reform.

61. Which President was a former five-star general in the US Army?
A). Theodore Roosevelt
B). Dwight D. Eisenhower
C). Ulysses S. Grant
D). George Patton

Eisenhower was a five-star general, a rank held by only a few in the US military.

62. Who won the US presidential election in 1872?
A). Ulysses S. Grant
B). Horace Greeley
C). Rutherford B. Hayes
D). Samuel J. Tilden

Grant's re-election was a landslide victory.

63. Which President signed the Emancipation Proclamation?
A). Abraham Lincoln
B). Andrew Jackson
C). Ulysses S. Grant
D). Theodore Roosevelt

The Proclamation declared the freedom of slaves in Confederate-held territory.

64. Who won the US presidential election in 1956?
A). Adlai Stevenson
B). Dwight D. Eisenhower
C). Harry S. Truman
D). Thomas E. Dewey

Eisenhower was re-elected with an even larger margin than his first win.

65. Which President was a former CIA Director?
A). Richard Nixon
B). Jimmy Carter
C). Ronald Reagan
D). George H.W. Bush

Bush served as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency in 1976.

66. Who won the US presidential election in 2016?
A). Hillary Clinton
B). Donald Trump
C). Bernie Sanders
D). Mike Pence

Donald Trump won the Electoral College, despite losing the popular vote.

67. Which President was the first to have a televised press conference?
A). Franklin D. Roosevelt
B). Harry S. Truman
C). Dwight D. Eisenhower
D). John F. Kennedy

Eisenhower's first televised press conference was in 1955.

68. Who won the US presidential election in 1900?
A). William McKinley
B). William Jennings Bryan
C). Theodore Roosevelt
D). Grover Cleveland

McKinley won re-election with Theodore Roosevelt as his running mate.

69. Which President was known as "Old Hickory"?
A). Andrew Jackson
B). Martin Van Buren
C). James K. Polk
D). Zachary Taylor

Jackson's nickname came from his toughness and resilience as a military commander.

70. Who won the US presidential election in 1892?
A). Benjamin Harrison
B). Grover Cleveland
C). James B. Weaver
D). William McKinley

Grover Cleveland won his second, non-consecutive term.

71. Which President signed the Social Security Act into law?
A). Theodore Roosevelt
B). Franklin D. Roosevelt
C). Harry S. Truman
D). Lyndon B. Johnson

The Social Security Act created a system of benefits for old age, unemployment, and other needs.

72. Who won the US presidential election in 1964?
A). Barry Goldwater
B). Lyndon B. Johnson
C). Richard Nixon
D). John F. Kennedy

LBJ won in a landslide, defeating Barry Goldwater.

73. Which President was a former college football star?
A). Gerald Ford
B). Jimmy Carter
C). Bill Clinton
D). George W. Bush

Ford played center for the University of Michigan.

74. Who won the US presidential election in 1984?
A). Walter Mondale
B). Ronald Reagan
C). George H.W. Bush
D). Geraldine Ferraro

Reagan won in a landslide, taking 49 out of 50 states.

75. Which President was known for his "Great Society" programs?
A). John F. Kennedy
B). Lyndon B. Johnson
C). Richard Nixon
D). Jimmy Carter

The "Great Society" aimed to eliminate poverty and racial injustice.

76. Who won the US presidential election in 1848?
A). Zachary Taylor
B). Lewis Cass
C). Martin Van Buren
D). James K. Polk

Taylor was a military hero with no previous political experience.

77. Which President signed the Medicare Act into law?
A). Franklin D. Roosevelt
B). Harry S. Truman
C). Lyndon B. Johnson
D). Richard Nixon

The Medicare Act provided health insurance for Americans 65 and older.

78. Who won the US presidential election in 1968?
A). Hubert Humphrey
B). Richard Nixon
C). George Wallace
D). Eugene McCarthy

Nixon's victory was a major shift in American politics.

79. Which President was a former professional baseball team owner?
A). George W. Bush
B). Bill Clinton
C). Ronald Reagan
D). Jimmy Carter

Bush was a co-owner of the Texas Rangers before becoming governor of Texas.

80. Who won the US presidential election in 1996?
A). Bob Dole
B). Bill Clinton
C). Ross Perot
D). Al Gore

Clinton became the first Democrat since FDR to win a second term.

81. Which President was the first to be born in a hospital?
A). Jimmy Carter
B). Ronald Reagan
C). Franklin D. Roosevelt
D). Abraham Lincoln

Carter was born at Wise Sanitarium in Plains, Georgia, in 1924.

82. Who won the US presidential election in 2012?
A). Mitt Romney
B). Barack Obama
C). Paul Ryan
D). Gary Johnson

Obama won re-election, securing a second term in the White House.

83. Which President was the only one to serve as President of the Continental Congress?
A). George Washington
B). John Adams
C). Thomas Jefferson
D). John Hancock

John Hancock was the first President of the Continental Congress, preceding the presidential office under the Constitution.

84. Who won the US presidential election in 1860?
A). Abraham Lincoln
B). Stephen Douglas
C). John C. Breckinridge
D). John Bell

Lincoln's victory in 1860 triggered the secession of several Southern states.

85. Which President was a former general in the War of 1812?
A). Andrew Jackson
B). James Madison
C). William Henry Harrison
D). James Monroe

Jackson's victory at the Battle of New Orleans made him a national hero.

86. Who won the US presidential election in 1852?
A). Winfield Scott
B). Franklin Pierce
C). John P. Hale
D). Millard Fillmore

Pierce won with a decisive majority, but his presidency was plagued by conflict over slavery.

87. Which President was the only one to serve in the House of Representatives after his presidency?
A). John Quincy Adams
B). Thomas Jefferson
C). James Madison
D). Martin Van Buren

Adams served for 17 years in the House after his single term as president.

88. Who won the US presidential election in 1904?
A). Theodore Roosevelt
B). Alton B. Parker
C). William Jennings Bryan
D). William Howard Taft

Roosevelt became president after McKinley's assassination and won the election by a landslide.

89. Which President was a former schoolteacher?
A). Woodrow Wilson
B). Lyndon B. Johnson
C). Jimmy Carter
D). All of the above

Wilson, LBJ, and Carter all worked as teachers before entering politics.

90. Who won the US presidential election in 1880?
A). James A. Garfield
B). Winfield Scott Hancock
C). James B. Weaver
D). Chester A. Arthur

Garfield won by a very narrow margin in the popular vote.

91. Which President was the first to be born a US citizen?
A). George Washington
B). John Adams
C). Martin Van Buren
D). Andrew Jackson

Van Buren was born after the Declaration of Independence.

92. Who won the US presidential election in 2004?
A). John Kerry
B). George W. Bush
C). Al Gore
D). Ralph Nader

Bush won his second term, with a focus on national security after 9/11.

93. Which President was the first to travel overseas while in office?
A). Theodore Roosevelt
B). Woodrow Wilson
C). Franklin D. Roosevelt
D). Harry S. Truman

Wilson traveled to Paris in 1918 for the Paris Peace Conference.

94. Who won the US presidential election in 1916?
A). Charles Evans Hughes
B). Woodrow Wilson
C). Theodore Roosevelt
D). William Howard Taft

Wilson's campaign slogan was "He kept us out of war."

95. Which President was the first to have a child born in the White House?
A). John Adams
B). Thomas Jefferson
C). Grover Cleveland
D). Benjamin Harrison

Cleveland's daughter, Esther, was the only child of a president to be born in the White House.

96. Who won the US presidential election in 2020?
A). Donald Trump
B). Joe Biden
C). Bernie Sanders
D). Mike Pence

Joe Biden won the election, with Kamala Harris as his Vice President.

97. Who won the US presidential election in 1872?
A). Ulysses S. Grant
B). Horace Greeley
C). Rutherford B. Hayes
D). Samuel J. Tilden

Grant's re-election was a landslide victory.

98. Which President signed the Homeland Security Act into law?
A). Bill Clinton
B). George W. Bush
C). Barack Obama
D). Donald Trump

The act was signed in 2002, creating the Department of Homeland Security.

99. Who won the US presidential election in 1820?
A). James Monroe
B). John Quincy Adams
C). Andrew Jackson
D). Henry Clay

Monroe's re-election was nearly unanimous, with only one electoral vote cast against him.

100. Which President was the first to use a motorcade?
A). Theodore Roosevelt
B). Woodrow Wilson
C). Franklin D. Roosevelt
D). William Howard Taft

Taft was the first president to use a fleet of cars for transportation.

Congratulations on finishing the ultimate U.S. Presidential history quiz! Whether you aced it or learned a few new facts, we hope you enjoyed this deep dive into American history.

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