Think you know America? We made it interesting — and we made it not so simple. Ten questions, answers at the bottom. No peeking.
—
1) Which President was credited with the following saying?
“You can move to France but you’ll never be French. You can move to Japan and never be Japanese. But no matter who you are or where you’re from, when you come here you’re an American.”
– a) John Kennedy
– b) Ronald Reagan
– c) Bill Clinton
– d) George Washington
—
2) How many different versions of the American flag have flown since 1776?
– a) 5
– b) 11
– c) 16
– d) 27
—
3) What’s the oldest city in America?
– a) Plymouth, MA
– b) St. Augustine, FL
– c) Santa Fe, NM
– d) Jamestown, VA
—
4) The man who assassinated Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth, did this for a profession?
– a) Actor
– b) Teacher
– c) Lawyer
– d) Farmer
—
5) What big holiday was actually illegal in Boston from 1659 to 1681?
– a) Halloween
– b) Christmas
– c) Thanksgiving
– d) New Year’s Day
—
6) In how many states are there more cattle than people?
– a) 3
– b) 5
– c) 7
– d) 9
—
7) Thomas Jefferson and John Adams had a contentious relationship during our early years. Who else was Jefferson’s biggest political rival — who together would lay the groundwork for our two-party system?
– a) Aaron Burr
– b) Alexander Hamilton
– c) James Madison
– d) Thomas Paine
—
8) What’s the tallest monument in America?
– a) The Gateway Arch
– b) Washington Monument
– c) San Jacinto Monument
– d) Statue of Liberty
—
9) Perhaps the greatest inventor in world history, Thomas Edison accumulated 2,332 patents. Which one of the following inventions wasn’t his?
– a) The Record Player (phonograph)
– b) Electric Light
– c) Motion Pictures
– d) The Jet Engine
—
10) Which President famously kept an alligator in the White House bathroom, and used it to scare unsuspecting guests?
– a) John Quincy Adams
– b) James Madison
– c) Theodore Roosevelt
– d) Andrew Jackson
—
Answers
1) b — Ronald Reagan. A characteristically optimistic line that captures something genuinely unique about American identity.
2) d — 27. A new star was added for each state admitted to the Union, from the original 13 all the way to Hawaii in 1960.
3) b — St. Augustine, FL. Founded by Spanish explorers in 1565, making it the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the continental United States — more than 50 years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth.
4) a — Actor. John Wilkes Booth was one of the most famous actors in America at the time. He had even performed at Ford’s Theatre before the night he made it infamous.
5) b — Christmas. The Puritans of Boston considered Christmas a frivolous and ungodly celebration. Violators were fined five shillings.
6) d — 9. Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and Iowa all have more cattle than people. In some of those states, it’s not particularly close.
7) b — Alexander Hamilton. The rivalry between Jefferson and Hamilton — small federal government versus strong central government — essentially created the template for American political debate that continues to this day.
8) a — The Gateway Arch. At 630 feet, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis edges out the Washington Monument (555 feet) as the tallest monument in the country. The Statue of Liberty, for reference, stands at 305 feet including its pedestal.
9) d — The Jet Engine. The jet engine was developed independently by British engineer Frank Whittle and German engineer Hans von Ohain in the 1930s. Edison’s actual list of inventions — the phonograph, practical electric light, and motion picture camera among them — is remarkable enough without adding jet propulsion.
10) a — John Quincy Adams. The sixth President received an alligator as a gift from the Marquis de Lafayette and housed it in a White House bathroom for several weeks, reportedly delighting in the reactions of unsuspecting visitors.
—
How did you do? Share your score and read more like this in the latest issue of About Town. Not getting the magazine yet? Subscribe to receive future copies, or sign up for our email to stay connected to the best of Birmingham.
