Historical Figures — Answer Key
Part A: Sort the Words
Sort each word or number into the correct category box.
1. Sort each figure by the time period when they lived.
A long time ago (1700s-1800s)
George WashingtonThomas JeffersonAbraham LincolnBenjamin Franklin More recent (1900s)
Martin Luther King Jr.Rosa ParksRuby BridgesHelen Keller Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Franklin lived in the 1700s and 1800s. King, Parks, Bridges, and Keller lived in the 1900s.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. George Washington was the first president of the United States.
Washington became the first president in 1789 after helping win independence.
2. Abraham Lincoln helped end slavery in America.
Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed enslaved people.
3. Ruby Bridges was the first Black child at her new school.
In 1960, six-year-old Ruby bravely attended an all-white school to help end segregation.
4. Helen Keller could not see or hear.
Helen was deaf and blind but learned to read, write, and speak with help from her teacher.
5. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence.
Jefferson wrote the Declaration in 1776 to announce America was free from Britain.
Part C: True or False?
Read each statement. Circle True or False.
1. Martin Luther King Jr. lived in the 1900s.
True False
King was born in 1929 and led the civil rights movement during the 1900s.
2. Benjamin Franklin lived more recently than Rosa Parks.
True False
Franklin lived in the 1700s; Parks lived in the 1900s, so Parks lived more recently.
3. Abraham Lincoln was president during the 1800s.
True False
Lincoln was president from 1861 to 1865, which is during the 1800s.
4. Ruby Bridges lived a long time ago in the 1700s.
True False
Ruby Bridges lived in the 1900s, which is more recent, not a long time ago.