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Important Places in U.S. History

Can you name these cities and towns that played an important part of American history?
Quiz by Quizmaster
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Last updated: January 11, 2020
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First submittedMarch 1, 2014
Times taken34,964
Average score55.0%
Rating4.15
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Clue
City
City where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776
Philadelphia
City known as the birthplace of jazz music
New Orleans
The first permanent English settlement in the United States
Jamestown
In the year 1800, this city was by far the most populous in the southern states
Charleston
Francis Scott Key wrote the words to the "The Star-Spangled Banner" while
watching a naval battle in this city's harbor
Baltimore
The Battle of the Alamo took place in this city in 1836
San Antonio
At least 25 "witches" were killed in this Massachusetts town in 1692
Salem
In 1848, the population of this city was just 1,000. In just one year, however,
it would increase to 25,000.
San Francisco
The main capital of the Confederate States
Richmond
National Guard troops were called in to end segregation at this city's schools in 1957
Little Rock
The bloodiest Civil War battle was fought near this Pennsylvania town
Gettysburg
Cattle drives often ended in this Kansas frontier town
Dodge City
This city in Florida, founded in 1565, is the oldest European settlement in the U.S.
St. Augustine
This Massachusetts town was center of the nation's textile industry in the 19th century
Lowell
Coastal city famous for the summer mansions of the Vanderbilts and Astors
Newport
During WWII, more tanks were made in a single factory in this city than
in the entirety of Germany
Detroit
New Mexico art colony where Georgia O'Keefe and Ansel Adams sojourned
Taos
City where Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus
Montgomery
The Wright Brothers called this city home. Later, it would be the site of
peace accords that ended the Bosnian War
Dayton
Abraham Lincoln practiced law in this city
Springfield
+1
Level 65
Aug 6, 2015
I got Taos, but wouldn't normally classify it as "important".
+1
Level 88
Jul 2, 2018
No, that's more of a place colonized by photographers the quiz maker likes. It could just as easily be Chadds Ford or Prouts Neck or Key West.
+2
Level 82
Feb 23, 2019
If you include the adobe Native American settlements built there it's actually the oldest continually-inhabited city in the United States.
+1
Level 85
Feb 28, 2022
The arts aren't important?
+2
Level 48
Apr 16, 2016
I briefly hoped this covered some obscure fact I received growing up in Arizona; Oraibi, a Hopi village is the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in the US. Considerably short of a city, but claim to fame still.
+1
Level 69
May 1, 2017
Generally Quizmaster makes interesting quizzes that make you think a bit. I hope that we see more of these quizzes that make you go "hmm".
+2
Level 72
Aug 18, 2017
Interesting, if very tricky quiz for us non Americans.
+1
Level 82
Jul 2, 2018
Some ideas for cities if anyone makes a sequel: New York, Boston, Levittown (1st suburb), Flint, Dearborn (Ford), Williamsburg, Lexington, Concord, Savannah, Youngstown (steel, mafia), Salt Lake City, San Juan (actual oldest city), Antietam/Sharpsburg, Manassas (Civil War), Yorktown, St Louis (Westward expansion), Kitty Hawk (Wright Brothers), Chicago (many things), Atlanta (Coca Cola), Tombstone, Atlantic City, San Antonio (I forget)
+3
Level 69
Apr 18, 2019
Antietam is a creek, Sharpsburg is a town
+1
Level 82
Apr 18, 2019
town = city for the purposes of this quiz and most others on the site. But yes the answer should be Sharpsburg, and the clue perhaps Antietam.
+2
Level 92
Apr 18, 2019
san antonio is already on this one
+1
Level 82
Sep 23, 2019
I guess I didn't remember the Alamo
+1
Level 43
Oct 6, 2019
Why Atlantic City?
+1
Level 43
Oct 8, 2018
Isn't New York City extremely important because of it's reputation as a immigration hub? What about Cleveland and it's manufacturing or Akron and it's rubber? I would like to think all those were more important then St. Augustine, Dodge City and Taos. Especially New York City and why Oklahoma City just for a terrorist attack that's barely remembered? New York City had a much bigger and much more remembered attack happen on 9/11.
+6
Level 76
Jan 12, 2019
No one is saying that these are the MOST important American cities. Sure, New York is a very important city, but it's also the first city just about anyone in the world will guess on a quiz on American cities, without even looking at the clues. These cities are important as well, in their own ways, and there's nothing wrong with making the quiz just a little more challenging.
+5
Level 82
Feb 23, 2019
I think the quiz maker was probably trying to come up with American cities that were historically relevant but that might not otherwise appear on other quizzes about American cities. New York and Chicago always show up.
+2
Level 77
Mar 8, 2019
One Springfield also does.
+1
Level 82
Mar 8, 2019
Not nearly as often.
+1
Level 39
Jan 23, 2019
Personally, I think Fort Sumter is more famous.
+2
Level 46
Mar 8, 2019
Quiz is incorrectly tagged as "Quizzes by Place > Europe". Hopefully a simple fix.
+1
Level 72
Apr 23, 2019
Could you accept Nola for New Orleans?
+1
Level 71
Apr 25, 2019
No Boston? Chicago? New York City?

Just because these are easy to know definitely does not mean they should be excluded...

+1
Level 68
Jan 13, 2022
I found this quiz very interesting - thank you. I'd say just the right balance of hard and easy for me as a European. Still trying to discover the official definitions for 'city' and 'town' in the US, if anyone can enlighten me?
+1
Level 72
Mar 15, 2022
They are generally used interchangeably in the US. If pressed for differences, towns are generally smaller and/or less important, but that's purely relative. Many parts of the country, people come from "small towns" of pop. <1000 to the "big city" of pop. 2-5000.

Very different from the UK where city has a very specific meaning.