4th of July Trivia Answers (and winners)

4th of July

Thanks to those who participated in my little online trivia quiz!  I hope it was a good experience to test your memory and stretch your knowledge a little bit.


Without further ado, here are the answers to the 2010 quiz.

1.  What happened on July 4, 1776?
Congress voted to approve the Declaration of Independence.

2.  When did the Revolutionary War begin?  When did it end?
The war began on April 19, 1775 with the Battles of Lexington and Concord.  The fighting effectively ended in October 1781 with the defeat of the British but peace was finally secured with the Treaty of Paris in 1783.

3.  Name the author of the Declaration of Independence.
Thomas Jefferson 4.  Recite the preamble to the Constitution.
We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

5.  Name 5 signers of the Declaration of Independence.
see the entire list here 6.  In what year was the Constitution written?
1787 7.  The U.S. Constitution is organized into how many articles?
7 8.  What series of articles were written and published to convince the American people to support ratification of the Constitution?
The Federalist Papers 9.  How many of these articles were written?
85 10.  Name the three authors of the articles.
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay 11.  Who wrote the fewest?  How many did he write?
John Jay, who wrote 5.

12.  Who said the following:
“The preservation of the sacred fire of liberty and the destiny of the Republican form of government are justly considered, perhaps, as deeply, and finally staked on the experiment intrusted [sic] to the American people.”
George Washington, First Inaugural Address, April 30, 1789 13.  What form of government do we have?
At the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin was asked what kind of government had been wrought.  He answered, “…a Republic, if you can keep it.”
It is unfortunate that we are being taught in our country that our form of government is a democracy.  If we believe this, there is much we will not understand about the Constitution.  The Founding Fathers had grave concerns about democratic forms of government.  To understand some of the dangers they sought to avoid by creating a republic instead of a democracy, I highly recommend reading the Federalist #10, by James Madison.

14.  Name the battle which turned the tide of the war on Christmas Day, 1776.
The Battle of Trenton 15.  At the Battle of Monmouth, what woman’s heroic efforts carried the day for the American army?
Mary Ludwig Hays, who became known as Molly Pitcher.  Following the battle, George Washington personally awarded her the rank of Sargent in the American army.

16.  Name the man responsible for hauling cannon from Ft. Ticonderoga to Boston for General Washington?
Henry Knox 17.  Who wrote the following:
“These are the times in which a genius would wish to live.  It is not in the still calm of life, or the repose of a pacific station, that great characters are formed.  The habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties.   Great necessities call out great virtues.  When a mind is raised, and animated by scenes that engage the heart, then those qualities which would otherwise lay dormant, wake into life and form the character of the hero and the statesman.”
Abigail Adams, in a letter to her son John Quincy Adams.  I might add that this quote seems as relevant to our world today as it was 234 years ago.

18.  Name the man who led his men in executing critical amphibious operations for the Army during 1776 (and throughout the war).
The man I was referring to is Major General John Glover , whose regiment of Marblehead Mariners were responsible for the evacuation of the Army from Long Island in August 1776 and who also ferried the army across the icy Delaware River for the attack on Trenton.  I will, however, also accept Samuel Nicholas as correct.

The first comment to reply with correct answers to all 18 questions was Kristen.  Congratulations!  I was also very impressed that Emily’s 9 year old daughter contributed to their answers and posted the first response to the quiz.  I’ll be sending a flag holder to both of you!  Way to go, and thanks so much for playing along!  We’ll have another one next year.

Hopeful Homemaker

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The Mind and Heart Lead

Power of History

This evening our family sat together and read the entire text of the Declaration of Independence.  We talked about the fundamental principles embodied in it, explained some of the 27 grievances against King George III, and felt the power of the closing paragraph of that singular document.  As our family has moved from one activity to another throughout the weekend, a single thread of thought has weaved its way through my mind.


What, exactly, do we commemorate on July 4th?  The answer is obvious.  We celebrate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776.  Yet the Revolutionary war began on April 19, 1775 with the Battles of Lexington and Concord.  When the Declaration of Independence was printed and distributed throughout the colonies, General Washington had been engaged as the commander of the American army for a year.  We are not celebrating the beginning of the war on the 4th of July.  Interestingly, we aren’t celebrating the end of the war, either.  Most Americans don’t even know when the war ended.  (It effectively ended with the defeat of the British in October of 1781, but wasn’t officially concluded until the Treaty of Paris guaranteed the abandonment of British claims to the United States in 1783.)  In fact, on July 4, 1776, our independence was far from won.

Yet this is the date we remember, the date upon which we celebrate our nation and the principles upon which it was founded.  On this day, we celebrate an idea so powerful that it united a tiny populace and fueled it with determination to defeat the largest military force ever assembled in the history of the world.  We celebrate the document that provided unity, purpose and vision to an entire generation and to the generations that have followed.

“When in the Course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Separation.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness — That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness….

“WE, therefore, the Representatives of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the World for the Rectitude of our Intentions, do, in the Name, and by he Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly Publish and Declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be, FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES; that they are absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political Connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which INDEPENDENT STATES may of right do.  And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”  (The Declaration of Independence) Occasionally I am amazed at the conviction and nerve which the Signers displayed in pressing forward with such a Declaration.  Should they lose the war or be captured, each man had signed his death warrant.  Yet the Declaration was not an idea that suddenly sprung up amidst the debates in Congress.  The ideas had been growing, spreading, for years.   Ten and a half years earlier John Adams had written in his journal, “The year 1765 has been the most remarkable year of my life.  The enormous engine fabricated by the British Parliament for battering down all the rights and liberties of America, I mean the Stamp Act, has raised and spread through the whole continent a spirit that will be recorded to our honor, with all future generations.”  July 4, 1776 represents the day these ideas burst forth into reality, articulated brilliantly on a piece of paper which any citizen could hold in hand.

John Adams said, “But what do we mean by the American Revolution?  Do we mean the American war?  The Revolution was effected before the war commenced.  The Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people.”

I guess I’ve been marveling this weekend that what we’re really celebrating is the victory of an idea in the minds and hearts of people.  The consequences of its acceptance had yet to play out, and would take many more years, costing lives and treasure beyond, perhaps, what any could foresee.  I’ve been thinking about how true it is that when our minds and hearts are convinced, the real victory is won and all that remains is to hold fast to our convictions long enough to bring our physical reality into alignment with that paradigm.  For the first time in my life, it has dawned on me that we celebrate even more than I imagined.   July 4th is evidence of the eternal triumph of truth when it has taken root in the minds and hearts of men.

Oliver DeMille wrote, “All generations before this one have had geographical frontiers to conquer.  We don’t.  Without a frontier we cannot become what the Founders, the explorers and the pioneers became in their extremities.  Our challenges define us, our reactions to them mold and shape us…. Human beings need a frontier in order to progress.  Fortunately, we do have one frontier left, and it is in fact the hardest one.  It is the frontier within.  In all of history, this frontier has not been fully conquered.”  (A Thomas Jefferson Education, p. 63) Tonight as I sit in the comfort of my home, my heart clenches with joy and resolve.  The world I live in has different wars raging, different battles to be fought.  Truth is as powerful today as it was 234 years ago.  The victories I seek for my family, for myself, lie waiting inside us.   Many mothers have succeeded before me, but it is my first experience with this frontier.  As this holiday weekend draws to a close, my celebration has become even more meaningful, more personal.  The mind and heart will lead us to freedom if we fill them with that which is right.  We can win our wars before they commence, and have only then to stay the course until physical reality follows.

Is this not something to celebrate?

Jennifer

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4th of July Trivia (and a prize)

4th of July

One of our family’s Independence Day traditions is to have a little history trivia quiz.  It’s a fun way to test your knowledge of American history and to learn a few things.   This year I shared our quiz with friends and neighbors at our barbecue.  I thought I’d share it here, as well.  Answers will be posted Tuesday morning.  Good luck!


1.  What happened on July 4, 1776?

2.  What year did the Revolutionary War begin?  When did it end?

3.  Name the author of the Declaration of Independence.

4.  Recite the Preamble to the Constitution.


5.  Name 5 signers of the Declaration of Independence.

6.  In what year was the Constitution written?

7.  The U.S. Constitution is organized into how many articles?


8.  A series of articles were written and published to help convince Americans to support the ratification of the Constitution.  What were they called?

9.  How many of these articles were written?

10.  Name the three authors of the articles.

11.  Who wrote the fewest?  How many did he write?


12.  Who said the following:
“The preservation of the sacred fire of liberty and the destiny of the Republican form of government are justly considered, perhaps, as deeply, and finally staked on the experiment intrusted [sic] to the American people.”

13.  What form of government do we have?

14.  Name the battle which turned the tide of the war on Christmas Day, 1776.

15.  At the Battle of Monmouth, what woman’s heroic efforts carried the day for the American army?


16.   Name the man responsible for hauling cannon from Ft. Ticonderoga to Boston for General Washington?

17.  Who wrote this:
“These are the times in which a genius would wish to live.  It is not in the still calm of life, or the repose of a pacific station, that great characters are formed.  The habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties.   Great necessities call out great virtues.  When a mind is raised, and animated by scenes that engage the heart, then those qualities which would otherwise lay dormant, wake into life and form the character of the hero and the statesman.”

18.  Name the man who led his men in executing critical amphibious operations for the Army during 1776 (and throughout the war).

If you wish to participate, post your answers in a comment.  The first person to answer correctly will win this flag holder. (Holds 5 flags) Special plea:  The idea to add a prize hit me in the middle of typing this post.  Someone, anyone, please save me and answer the questions!  You’ll have my undying gratitude, and a flag holder to boot.  (I love mine!)

Jennifer

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