What was the “Reconstruction”?
At the outbreak of the Civil War, President Lincoln offered command of the Union Army first to what General?
Which amendment came first - Prohibition or Woman’s Suffrage?
Who was Jim Crow?
Who was James Calley?
Where is Denali?
Who was Bob Dole’s running mate when he ran for president?
What city was the U.S. Capital when George Washington was sworn in?
How many cabinet positions are there now? Can you name five of them? Can you name two cabinet secretaries besides Hillary Clinton?
What was a “Sooner”?
What was a “Forty-Niner”?
Where do Hoosiers live?
In what state did the “Monkey Trial” take place? What was the issue? Who were the opposing lawyers?
Who succeeded Warren G. Harding as president when he died?
True or false: Harry Truman could have run for as many terms as president as he wanted to.
A full colonel in the U.S. Army is the same rank as what in the U.S. Navy?
Who was the most recent general to become U.S. President?
Who was the most recent U.S. President without a University degree?
What is the largest state in area east of the Mississippi River?
What president ordered the Lewis and Clark expedition? What was Lewis' first name?
Bonus question: Almost all modern U.S. Presidents had most recently been state governors, with a general or two. In fact, only two people have been elected president directly out of the Senate (or Congress) since the end of the 19th century. Can you name both of them?
13 comments:
Can I be excused.... though the forty-niners isn't that something to do with the gold rush of san fransisco and why the football team is the forty-niners?
While I know the correct answers to many of these questions, for most of the answer is the same-Who Cares?
I think several of these are good questions and I think I can answer a fair number off the top of my head. But it will be a humdinger of a comment. I might do it in chunks.
What was the “Reconstruction”? The "Reconstruction was ostensibly to "rebuild" the south which was devastated by the Civil War, not just by the fighting (though most of the battles were fought there), but also for the economic ruin and the side effects of having men sucked away from their homes for four years - and the resulting decay. However, as it was implemented, it was as much a method for Northern Republicans to punish the South for having the nerve to try to secede and to punish them for the costs of the war.
At the outbreak of the Civil War, President Lincoln offered command of the Union Army first to what General? It's been a long time, but I suspect it was actually Robert E. Lee (who recaptured Harper's Ferry from John Brown) and an army general. I can't remember for sure who was the first general (I'm terrible at names) but I think Lincoln's first top general was McClellan (or something like that)
Which amendment came first - Prohibition or Woman’s Suffrage? Not much better with dates nor much fond of history after the Civil War, but I'm thinking it was Prohibition. But I'm guessing.
Who was Jim Crow? I know Jim Crow laws were laws put into place to prevent blacks from voting - poll taxes and grandfather statutes and the like. I would presume that Jim Crow was a black who'd wanted to vote. But I don't remember specifically.
Who was James Calley? No clue.
Where is Denali? I don't know though Alaskan geography is not a strong suit.
Who was Bob Dole’s running mate when he ran for president? Don't remember - not someone who impressed me.
What city was the U.S. Capital when George Washington was sworn in? Philadelphia
How many cabinet positions are there now? Can you name five of them? Can you name two cabinet secretaries besides Hillary Clinton? 12? Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Interior, Secretary of State, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare...Not sure if the names are the same as they used to be. And, no, I can't. Same name issue.
What was a “Sooner”? One of the people galloping into Oklahoma BEFORE it was allowed. In theory, the government was opening up land via race where settlers could race out and claim tracts of land in Oklahoma. "Sooners" were those who snuck out early, camped on promising sections of land, and pretended, the next day, they raced out there legally.
What was a “Forty-Niner”? Prospectors who rushed out to California to dig up gold in 1849.
Where do Hoosiers live? Indiana
In what state did the “Monkey Trial” take place? What was the issue? Who were the opposing lawyers? Don't remember the state - likely one of those that seceded during the civil war. A teacher by the name of Scopes had the effrontery to teach evolution in *Science* class and was being procescuted. Clarence Darrow defended him and, let me see, a presidential hopeful William Jennings Bryant prosecuted him, if I remember correctly.
Who succeeded Warren G. Harding as president when he died? Don't remember.
True or false: Harry Truman could have run for as many terms as president as he wanted to. I think, if they hadn't changed it while he was president, he could have, but, since they did, no. Or maybe they changed it during FDR; but the answer's still FALSE.
A full colonel in the U.S. Army is the same rank as what in the U.S. Navy? No clue.
Who was the most recent general to become U.S. President? Eisenhower.
Who was the most recent U.S. President without a University degree? Harry S Truman
What is the largest state in area east of the Mississippi River? Florida - I guess.
What president ordered the Lewis and Clark expedition? What was Lewis' first name? Thomas Jefferson and Clark had a weird first name...Merivale, Meriweather, something like that. Not as bad as Marion, perhaps.
Bonus question: Almost all modern U.S. Presidents had most recently been state governors, with a general or two. In fact, only two people have been elected president directly out of the Senate (or Congress) since the end of the 19th century. Can you name both of them? Obama and Truman again, wasn't it?
1: Don't know.
2: No idea.
3: Suffrage?
4:No idea, but he gave his name to some unpopular laws relating to black americans?
5: No idea, but Lt William Calley was a war criminal of the Vietnam war who served a trivial sentence of house arrest, despite exhorting his men to rape and kill the entire population of a village called My-Lai.
6: it's a gmc truck, and i vaguely think it's a part of Alaska My friend Ian went climbing in..
7: No idea.
8:New York, I think, then the capital moved to Philadelphia.
9: No. I could manage sec of defense, sec of treasury, um, no.
10: Sooner, I've heard that one, but.... nope. I can't remember.
11:Clementine's papa, Oh me daaarlin', was a miner, forty niner. Californian Goldrush of 1849, miners were forty-niners.
12 In houses, I suppose, they're people, from, I think, Indiana. there was a crummy movie. That's the only thing I know about them. I could not point to the state on a map. Is it just east of Montana?
13. monkey trial was about Darwin, the teaching of evolution, where I don't know, I'll guess Louisiana.
14, I don't know who succeeded Harding, but can I have a point for knowing that his middle name was Gamaliel?
15: Um. Maybe.
16: Captain?
17: Truman?
18: Reagan?
19:Um. Um, Jawja's pretty big?
20:Lincoln? um, no idea... Daniel?
21:no idea.
Now you know just how flaky my Americana knowledge really is.
Gamaliel, though, Warren Gamaliel Harding. Surely that's worth something...
(Al Stewart had a song about him on "Past Present and Future")
I'll take " I don't know" for $100 please.
Sage, your knowledge of sports never ceases to amaze me. Didn't you go to that American Football exhibition game last year? I think it was, anyway. Yes, San Francisco 49ers. Accompanied by an obnoxious chant, "Niners! Niners! Niners! Blech. :)
I hope you try your hand on the British section of the upcoming test. I put some Cornish question in it for you.
@Stephanie B - Pretty good! I agree with you on Reconstruction. I also believe the southern states had a right to secede. You'll probably disagree with me on that.
You can be excused for not knowing James Calley. I don't either. :) The correct name was William Calley. You don't have to know him either. Best forgotten.
If you know Denali is in Alaska, that's good enough. Better than saying Arkansas. :)
I think you did pretty well coming up with the cabinet names. There's a lot of them now. We started with only four.
All in all, pretty darn good general knowledge. Considering this was trivia and not earthshaking. Thank you for playing!
Soubriquet, that wasn't bad at all. I really didn't think yall would get any of these. So, good on you!.
I was surprised you knew about the GMC SUV with the special sports package they call Denali. Unfortunately you didn't say where it was, so...
I can't believe you have a friend who climbed it. That's pretty awesome!
Got New York right. Got the Clementine song connection right. (Did you remember Churchill's wife's name was Clementine? Probably.) Got the Hoosier thing right (though a person who loved basketball would realize what a great movie that was.) Of course you got Calley right. And pegged right. Why they didn't just shoot him on the spot over there, I'll never know. He is still walking around a free man/pig last I heard.
Yes, points for Harding's middle name. Extra points if you remember Nasser's first name. Not quite the same, but close enough it made me think of him.
Captain's right. Georgia's right.
Al Milhous Stewart. I remember him well.
You did good for a Yorkshireman. Really.
Now I expect much better, though, on the British version coming up soon.
@Lady Sarcasm alias Chica :)
You know. You just don't want to play. Heh.
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