TRANSCRIPT:
Last 4th of July, I challenged you with some Independence Day trivia. Because it was such a hit, I decided to present Round 2 this year. Are you ready to see just how well you know your American history? Here we go, and good luck!
- What was the first state to make the 4th of July an official state holiday?
A. NEW YORK
B. PENNSYLVANIA
C.MASSACHUSETTES
D. VIRGINIA
Leading the pack of holiday revelers is Massachusetts who voted to make the 4th of July an official state holiday in 1781.
- How many versions of the U.S. flag have there been to date?
A. 7
B. 13
C. 22
D. 27
From the first flag with 13 stars and 13 stripes to the flag we recognize today with 50 stars, there have been a total of 27 different renditions of our national flag with each new version adding stars to represent the addition of more states.
- What was the age of the oldest VERIFIED survivor of America’s Revolutionary War?
A. 98 – Leonard Cassel
B. 101 – Lester Connolly
C. 105 – Lemuel Cook
D. 108 – Langford Crane
While a Daniel Bakeman who lived to the ripe old age of 109 years, 6 months and 8 days claims to have served in the war, it could never be verified. So, the official title goes to Lemuel Cook who enlisted in the Continental Army at the age of 16. Cook died in May of 1866 at the age of 105.
- Why is the U.S. flag folded into the shape of a triangle?
A. REPRESENTS THE HOLY TRINITY
B. REPLICATES THE TRI-CORNERED HAT OF THE SOLDIERS IN THE CONTINENTAL ARMY
C. REPRESENTS THE THREE BRANCHES OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT
D. NO ONE COULD FIGURE OUT HOW TO QUICKLY FOLD IT INTO A STAR SHAPE
While a star-shaped folded flag would be pretty awesome, the triangle shape represents the style of hat worn by George Washington and other soldiers who served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.
- How many U.S. Presidents were born on the 4th of July?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
Only one U.S. President to date was born on the 4th of July. That honor belongs to Calvin Coolidge. However, on a side note, former President Barack Obama’s oldest daughter was born on Independence Day in 1998.
- How many U.S. Presidents died on the 4th of July?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
This number is three times more than the previous number. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4th of 1826, and James Monroe on the same date five years later in 1831.
- Approximately how many people were living in the U.S. in 1776?
A. 5 MILLION
B. 75 MILLION
C. 1 MILLION
D. 25 MILLION
The new nation-to-be had somewhere near two and a half million people who called this land home at the time of its declaration of independence.
- What was the occasion for the last time the Liberty Bell was rung?
A. VICTORY OVER GENERAL CORNWALLACE
B. GEORGE WASHINGTON’S BIRTHDAY
C. S. CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
D. S. BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
Not many people know that the Liberty Bell had more than one crack prior to its forced retirement. It was a celebration honoring the late President George Washington’s birthday in 1846 when during the striking of the bell, a massive crack developed, and the bell was removed from service permanently. It does get the rare “tap” every now and then to mark a special occasion.
- What is the official name of the Statue of Liberty?
A. LADY LIBERTINE
B. LIBERTY ENLIGHTENING THE WORLD
C. THE STATUE OF THE AMERICAS
D. AUGUSTE BARTHOLDI STATUE
While Bartholdi was the French sculptor who designed the statue, its official name is Liberty Enlightening the World. The Statue of Liberty is simply a nickname.
- Not to be confused with the Declaration of Independence, what year was the U.S. Constitution written?
A. 1776
B. 1777
C. 1785
D. 1787
The Constitution of the United States was written and accepted by its delegates in September of 1787. It was a little under a year, in June of 1788 when it was ratified.
So, how did you do? Are you an A-1 History Buff or did you learn more than a thing or two? But listen, we’re not keeping score. All that matters is that you and yours have a very safe and happy 4th of July.