There's a Famous Person on my Quarter Quiz

Answer: Alabama

Helen Keller (1880-1968) became ill at the age of 17 months with a fever that left her blind and deaf. With the help of teacher Annie Sullivan, Keller learned to communicate through sign language. She went on to become the first blind-deaf graduate of Radcliffe University.

Keller was an outspoken liberal throughout her life, After meeting with workers blinded in industrial accidents and prostitutes blinded by veneral diseases, Keller become a Socialist, denouncing Capitalism. She was one of the founders of the American Civil Liberties Union, and was an early supporter of the NAACP, a highly unusual move for a white southerner.

The Alabama quarter shows Keller with the motto "Spirit of Courage." It was released in March 2003.

Answer: California

John Muir (1838-1914) was one of the founders of the environmental movement, and key in establishing the National Parks Service, especially in making Yosemite a National Park. Muir traveled the United States extensively and wrote about the natural beauty of the country and how it should be protected.

Muir was a native of Scotland who emigrated to the United States at the age of 11, Muir founded the Sierra Club in 1892, and it remains one of the nation's most important environmental organizations a century later,

The California quarter shows Muir in Yosemite Valley looking at Half Dome with an eagle soaring overhead, It was released in January 2005.

Answer: Delaware

Caesar Rodney (1728-1784) was one of America's founding fathers, He is most famous for riding 80 miles to get to Philadelphia for the vote on the Declaration of Independence in July 1776, Rodney also served as the first governor of Delaware. He was extremely ill during the last decade of his life and died of cancer in June 1784.

The Delaware quarter shows Rodney riding a horse and the motto "The First State". It was the first quarter released in January 1999,

Answer: District of Columbia

Duke Ellington (1899-1974) was one of the giants of American jazz music for five decades. He led a big band from 1923 until his death, often performing at the famous Cotton Club in Harlem. Ellington was both a talented pianist and prolific composer, His hit songs include "Mood Indigo", "It Don't Mean a Thing" and "Sophisticated Lady." Ellington was instrumental in making Ella Fitzgerald a star,

The Washington DC quarter features Ellington seated at a piano and the motto "Justice for All." It was released in February 2009.

Answer: Hawaii

King Kamehameha I (1758-1819) was one of the major figures in the history of the Pacific. He rose to power in 1782, and over the course of 20 years, he consolidated the Hawaiian islands into a single political entity. Kamehameha played a key role in establishing Hawaii's legal system.

The Hawaii quarter features a statue of the king with the state motto in Hawaiian. It was the last of the state quarters to be released in 2008.

Answer: Illinois

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) was the 16th President of the United States, between 1861 and 1865. He is best remembered for being commander in chief during the Civil War (1861-1865) and for freeing the slaves with the Emancipation proclamation.

Born in Kentucky, Lincoln spent most of his life in Illinois and became of one the state's most prominent attorneys. He served in both the state legislature and the House of Representatives before his election to the Presidency. Illinois proudly calls itself "The Land of Lincoln."

The Illinois quarter features Lincoln in an outline of the state with the words "Land of Lincoln" and "21st Century State." Illinois was the 21st state admitted to the union, The quarter was released in January 2003,

Answer: Iowa

Grant Wood (1891-1942) is Iowa's most famous artist, noted for his landscapes of his home state. His most famous painting is "American Gothic," an iconic portrait of a farmer and his wife. Wood used his dentist and his sister as the models,

While Grant Wood is not shown on the Iowa quarter, one of his
works is, along with his name.
.

Answer: Missouri

Meriwether Lewis (1774-1809) and William Clark (1770-1838) began their exploration of the Pacific Northwest from St Louis, which is one reason the Gateway Arch is there. The Corps of Discovery left St Louis in May 1804, took 18 months to reach the Pacific and returned to Missouri by September 1806.

The Missouri quarter shows Lewis and Clark in a canoe and celebrates the 200th anniversary of the Corps of Discovery. It was released in August 2003.

Answer: New Jersey

While George Washington is technically on all quarters, he is on the obverse on the New Jersey quarter, which displays his famous crossing of the Delaware River during the Revolutionary War.

Washington was the leader of the Continental Army during the Revolution (1775-1783) and later became the first President of the United States (1789-1797). He is one of the central figures in US history, and appears on both coins (25 cents) and currency (one dollar bill).

The New Jersey quarter shows Washington crossing the Delaware River, which lead to the Battle of Trenton. It contains the motto "Crossroads of the Revolution" and was released in May 1999, New Jersey was the third state in the union,

Answer: North Carolina

Orville (1871-1948) and Wilbur Wright (1867-1912) owned a bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio, where they experimented with early aircraft designs. They made history in December 1903 with the first lighter than air flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Wilbur died of typhoid fever at the age of 45,

North Carolina commemorates the Wright Brothers for their monumental achievement on their state quarter with the phrase "First in Flight." The quarter was released in March 2001.