AMERICA’S 250TH BIRTHDAY QUIZ, PART I

In honor of America’s upcoming 250th birthday I will be posting a series of quizzes over the next several weeks. Time to test your knowledge (or lack thereof) of American history. The first one deals with the formation of our country. In recognition of the fact that there are different levels of knowledge among the readers I have tried to moderate the difficulty of the questions. The answers were drawn primarily from and confirmed by Wikipedia and other internet sources and publications.

1. The Revolutionary War began in what year? (a) 1774, (b 1775, (c) 1776, (d) 1777
2. The primary author of the Declaration of Independence was (a) George Washington, (b) Thomas Jefferson, (c) Alexander Hamilton, (d) John Hancock.
3. Each of the following is recognized as a “Founding Father except (a) John Jay, (b) Alexander Hamilton, (c) James Madison, (d) James Monroe
4. Each of the following states was one of the 13 original colonies except (a) Rhode Island, (b) Georgia, (c) Vermont, (d) Delaware.
5. The British general who surrendered at Yorktown thus ending the Revolutionary War was (a) Howe, (b) Burgoyne (c) Mitchell, (d) Cornwallis.
6. Who was known as the “Swamp Fox?” (a) Francis Marion, (b) John James, (c) Jim Duffy, (d) William Tarleton.
7. George Washington led troops across the frozen Delaware River to defeat the opposition at the Battle of (a) Yorktown Heights, (b) Monmouth, (c) Trenton, (d) Brooklyn Heights
8. Who was the leader of the Green Mountain Boys? (a) Benedict Arnold, (b) Roger Miller, (c) Ethan Allen, (d) Charles Lee.
9. Which battle is generally considered to be the turning point of the RW? (a) Lexington and Concord, (b) Saratoga, (c) Albany, (d) Charleston.
10. Each of the following was a colonial RW general except (a) Henry Clinton, (b) John Knox, (c) Nathanael Greene, (d) Horatio Gates
11. What is the origin of the term “Uncle Sam?” (a) a famous army general, (b) a meatpacker, (c) a financier, (d) a politician
12. What is the origin of the term “Yankee Doodle Dandy?” (a) a musical comedy; (b) a term to insult a person, (c) a British army tune, (d) a popular song.
13. Who said, “give me liberty or give me death?” (a) Patrick Henry, (b) John Hancock, (c) John Adams, (d) Nathan Hale
14. Who said, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country?” (a) Benedict Arnold, (b) Nathan Hale, (c) Henry Lee, (d) Crispus Atticks
15. What battle is generally considered to have been the turning point of the RW. (a) NY; (b) Trenton, (c) West Point; (d) Saratoga.
16. When asked to surrender who said, “I have not yet begun to fight?” (a) John Paul Jones, (b) Ethan Allen, (c) Gerry Mander, (d) George Washington
17. During the RW many cities served as the capital city. Basically, the capital was wherever the Continental Congress was in session at the time, and it had to move on several occasions to avoid the British Army. Each of the following served as the capital of the colonies except (a) Philadelphia, (b) NYC, (c) Lancaster, (d) Princeton.
18. Which was the first colony to sign the Constitution? (a) Delaware, (b) Virginia, (c) Rhode Island, (d) NY.
19. How many signatories of the Declaration of Independence were there? (a) 52, (b) 26, (c) 56, (d) 13.
20. Who was the first President to occupy the White House? (a) George Washington, (b) John Adams, (c) Thomas Jefferson, (d) James Madison.
21. France “officially” presented the Statue of Liberty to the US in (a) 1776, (b) 1880, (c) 1884, (d) 1888.
22. What RW battle was precipitated by “the shot heard around the world?” (a) Lexington and Concord, (b) Saratoga, (c) Yorktown, (d) Baltimore
23. In what year was the constitution finally ratified? (a) 1787, (b) 1788, (c) 1789, (d) 1790.
24. Who was the King of England during the RW? (a. George I, (b) George II, (c) George III, (d) George IV
25. Who was the first colonial fatality of the RW? (a) Crispus Attucks, (b) Jeffrey Kent, (c) Jeremiah Langley, (d) Edward Smyth
26. Who was the head of the “Sons of Liberty?” (a) James Otis, (b) John Hancock, (c) Paul Revere, (d) Samuel Adams.
27. Who wrote the pamphlet Common Sense, which was first published on January 10, 1776, widely disseminated and presented the case for American self-government? (a) Thomas Paine, (b) Benjamin Franklyn, (c) Thomas Jefferson, (d) Alexander Hamilton.

Answers: (1) b; (2) b, [Jefferson was assisted by a committee which was appointed by the Second Continental Congress that included Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman.]; (3) d; (4) (c); (5) d; (6) a; (7) c; (8) c; (9) b; (10) a.[Clinton was a British general]; (11) b. [Samuel Wilson was a meatpacker from Troy, New York, who supplied beef to the U.S. Army.]; (12) b. [ ‘Yankee” was a contemptuous term used by the British referring to American colonists. “Doodle” was slang for a simpleton, country bumpkin, or fool. A “dandy” was a man who is overly obsessed with his appearance.] 13. a; (14) b; (15) d; (16) a. (17) b; (18) a; (19) c [Few persons signed on July 4. Most signed on August 2 or later.]; (20) b; (21) c; (22) a; (23) b; (24) c; (25) a; (26) d; (27) a.

I would be remiss if I failed to mention the many females who also contributed to the cause in a variety of ways. Some, such as Molly Rinker, Anna Strong, Anna Bates, and the mysterious “agent 355,” posed as loyalists but, in reality, operated as spies right under the noses of the British. In addition, the following deserve special mention for their heroism:

• Deborah Sampson – Disguised herself as a man named Robert Shurtleff and enlisted in the Continental Army in 1782. She fought in several skirmishes and afterwards became one of the first women to receive a full military pension. 
• Margaret Corbin – Fought at the Battle of Fort Washington in 1776. After her husband was killed, she took over operating his cannon and was severely wounded. Later she became the first woman to earn a lifelong military pension.
• Anna Marie Lane – Fought alongside her husband in the Battle of Germantown (1777). She also earned a military pension for her service.
• Sybil Ludington – Though only 16 she rode 40 miles through the night in 1777 to alert local militia that British troops were burning nearby Danbury, Connecticut. 
  

Conclusion

As America’s 250th birthday approaches the country finds itself in a state of turmoil. A small, but vociferous portion of the people, who are disaffected and hate America, are finding it necessary to criticize, denigrate and tear down our way of life and what the country stands for. They will likely try to disrupt the various celebratory activities. Yes, America has flaws, but they do not obscure the multitude of benefits, which make it the greatest nation in the world and one to which millions of foreigners aspire to emigrate.

In addition, let’s remember and pay homage to the tens of thousands of patriots who fought and died in various wars so that we may enjoy all the freedoms we often take for granted.