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Quiz about They Helped Shape America 1st Edition

They Helped Shape America - 1st Edition Quiz

America's cultural formation is diverse - full of characters who are famous and infamous, saintly and notorious. Their personalities have shaped American history.

A multiple-choice quiz by blaxlaw. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
blaxlaw

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
308,794

Updated
Jul 23 22

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
1630

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. This American film director, best known for his 1915 "Birth of a Nation", ("nation" referring to the American Confederacy), pioneered many visual and production techniques used to make modern movies. Hint

D. W. Griffith

Cecil B. DeMille

Sam Peckinpah

Irving Thalberg

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Question 2 of 10

2. Charged with and arrested for rape and kidnapping, this criminal's conviction was set aside by the U.S. Supreme Court because he was not informed of his right to remain silent and the confession was elicited without legal counsel being present. Hint

Carlos Escobedo

Baron Parke

E. L. Godkin

Ernesto Miranda

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Question 3 of 10

3. Serving as private secretary to President Lincoln, this American later served as ambassador to England, and then U.S. secretary of state. Hint

Mary McCauley Hayes

Matthew B. Ridgway

Mary Kennedy

John Hay

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Question 4 of 10

4. Since the 1940s this American has influenced composers and pianists by marrying traditional jazz and African music with neo-classic styles. Hint

Stanley Clark

Glenn Miller

Johnny Mercer

Dave Brubeck

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Question 5 of 10

5. English by birth, but an American Patriot by zealous choice, this writer (1737-1809) was an intense and articulate supporter of the Colonies' independence from Britain and eventually penned what could be called the first American bestseller. Hint

Jonathan Dayton

Thomas Paine

William Bartram

John Hancock

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Question 6 of 10

6. Raised in Virginia, this American inventor transformed farming practices by creating the mechanical reaper. Hint

Layne R. Beaty

John Deere

Cyrus McCormick

George Washington Carver

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Question 7 of 10

7. This American athlete set a record that stood for 25 years for the running long jump. Hint

Jesse Owens

Christopher Gist

Jesse Owen

Jeremy Bentham

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Question 8 of 10

8. A Shawnee, this American brilliantly united different tribes in an effort to stem white migration (and land grabbing) spreading into the Midwest. Hint

Keokuk

Tecumseh

Pucksinwah

Tecumpease

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Question 9 of 10

9. Overcoming early struggles to go on to work in television markets in Chicago and Nashville, this American media mogul is an icon, philanthropist, and role model. Hint

Donald Trump

Ted Turner

Oprah Winfrey

Steve Forbes, Jr.

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Question 10 of 10

10. Bernstein and Woodward put sunshine on the Watergate scandal using this American's insider knowledge who was also the FBI's second in command during a portion of the scandal's investigation. Hint

Orval Faubus

W. Mark Felt, Sr.

G. David Schine

Robert Ingersoll

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

Answer: D. W. Griffith

Griffith (1875-1948) was a creative genius and a master storyteller. "Birth of a Nation" was an epic historical depiction of the American Civil War; however, many consider it flawed because it did not accurately depict the issues of slavery and carpetbagging.

Answer: Ernesto Miranda

In Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602 (1966), the Court ruled in favor of Miranda, indicating that he had to be informed of certain constitutional rights before police interrogation. This doctrine has become known as "Miranda rights". The Escobedo rule was the forerunner to this (the right to have counsel present).

3. Serving as private secretary to President Lincoln, this American later served as ambassador to England, and then U.S. secretary of state.

Answer: John Hay

Hay (1838-1905) was a skilled U.S. diplomat. He helped bring an end to the Spanish-American War, and made it possible for the Panama Canal to be built. He served Abraham Lincoln during his entire presidency.

4. Since the 1940s this American has influenced composers and pianists by marrying traditional jazz and African music with neo-classic styles.

Answer: Dave Brubeck

An American jazz legend, Brubeck, born in 1920, brought about what is known as "third-stream" jazz. He started out playing jazz, studied with modern classical greats, and then combined them.

Answer: Thomas Paine

Paine tried many different jobs in England, then traveled to America and became a writer in Philadelphia. His "bestseller", "Common Sense" was published in 1776, and galvanized citizens in their fight against King George.

6. Raised in Virginia, this American inventor transformed farming practices by creating the mechanical reaper.

Answer: Cyrus McCormick

McCormick (1809-1884) came from a farming family. The McCormick reaper heralded the introduction of large scale farming by drastically reducing the time it took to farm by hand labor.

7. This American athlete set a record that stood for 25 years for the running long jump.

Answer: Jesse Owens

Owens (1913-1980) was an African American who garnered four gold medals at the Berlin Olympics held in 1936 - wins that were made even sweeter because of Hitler's claims of Caucasian 'racial' superiority.

8. A Shawnee, this American brilliantly united different tribes in an effort to stem white migration (and land grabbing) spreading into the Midwest.

Answer: Tecumseh

Tecumseh (1768-1813) was a brilliant military strategist who was greatly admired by the British. He was killed in the Battle of the Thames. If he had lived, and continued to successfully resist white expansion in America, the geography of our country might have been drastically different.

9. Overcoming early struggles to go on to work in television markets in Chicago and Nashville, this American media mogul is an icon, philanthropist, and role model.

Answer: Oprah Winfrey

Born in 1954, Winfrey is the darling of daytime television. She had a public battle with the beef industry, and an ongoing personal battle with her weight. At age 19 she was a news anchor in Tennessee. Oprah's book club is enormously popular.

10. Bernstein and Woodward put sunshine on the Watergate scandal using this American's insider knowledge who was also the FBI's second in command during a portion of the scandal's investigation.

Answer: W. Mark Felt, Sr.

It wasn't until 2005 that Felt let it be known that he was indeed "Deep Throat", the insider source used by "Washington Post" reporter's Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. The Watergate scandal, investigated between 1972 and 1974, brought about the end of the Nixon administration.

Source: Author blaxlaw

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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