Difficult U.S. History Trivia

1. The borders of which state were decided by an 1846 treaty as part of the U.S. Government's response to expansionist Americans' unsuccessful demands relating to the slogan of "54 40 or Fight!"?

From Quiz HS History: Foreign Policy and the States

Answer: Washington

"54 40 or Fight!" was the demand of American expansionists for the northern boundary of the disputed Oregon Country in the 1840s. It was also the campaign slogan of James Knox Polk in the Election of 1844. The Oregon Treaty of 1846 eventually set the northern boundary of the USA in Oregon Country at the 49th parallel.

From Quiz Sorrowful Sound of Freedom

Answer: The Civil War

July 1862, Harrison's Landing, Virginia. The Union soldiers under the command of Brigadier General Daniel Adams Butterfield wanted to bring some form of comfort to his troops who had lost a well-respected captain and summoned bugler Private Oliver Willcox Norton. The general had jotted down a few notes and asked Norton to expand on them. Norton knew of a tune called 'the Scott Tattoo' signifying 'lights out', adjusted a few notes, and shortly thereafter "Taps" sounded for the first time.

From Quiz The British Invasion

Answer: Theatrical performances

The Astor Place Riot of May 10, 1849 was sparked by partisans of American Shakesperean actor Edwin Forrest. The distinguished British tragedian William Macready was performing Macbeth in New York City. A crowd of several thousand Forrest supporters gathered outside the theater - they would never have spelled it theatre; too English. The rioters were eventually dispersed by volleys from police and the militia, who also sustained casualties. Today, the Riot is regarded as a manifestation of anti-English feeling among the lower classes in mid-19th century America.

From Quiz Old Glory: II

Answer: Oneida

The war had a major impact on the Iroquois Confederacy. The Oneida and the Tuscarora sided with the Americans, but the Mohawk, the Seneca, the Cayuga, and the Onondaga sided with the British.

From Quiz Groups in U.S. History with Funny Names

Answer: Know Nothings

The name of the group originated from their insistence that if a member of the group was questioned by an outsider, he should say he "knows nothing." Former president Millard Fillmore ran as the Know Nothings' presidential candidate in the election of 1856. However, by 1860, the Know Nothing Party had dissolved.

From Quiz "Jaws": The True Story

Answer: The Jersey Shore shark attacks

The year was 1916. America was in the grip of one of its longest-running heatwaves. Naturally, this sent thousands of people flocking to the nearest rivers and beaches, looking for ways to keep cool. In all, five people were attacked on the Jersey Shore. Only one survived.

From Quiz Home, Home On Deranged

Answer: Benjamin Harrison

While all of the possible answers provided have the necessary "shared" last name requirement, only Benjamin Harrison is the correct answer. The Johnson County War was a range war which took place in April 1892 in Wyoming. It was a battle between owners of small and large ranches in the Powder River Country. In the end, president Benjamin Harrison sent in the US cavalry to stop the feud. The relationship between wealthier ranchers and smaller ranchers had grown more and more strained after an extremely harsh winter of 1887-1888 that was followed by a scorching summer that ruined grazing lands. The larger ranches began to control the supply of water in the area after losing thousands of head of their cattle to nature's forces. Some of the tactics of these wealthier ranchers included forcing smaller ranchers off their land, setting fire to their homesteads and trying to keep them from participating in the annual roundup. They justified these actions by using the allegation of "rustling". As a matter of fact, rustling in the area WAS on the increase, due to the efforts of an organized group of outfits that roamed across portions of Wyoming and Montana. Montana cattlemen declared a "War on the Rustlers" in 1889, an action that was followed by Wyoming cattlemen in 1890. In Johnson County, members of the larger ranches killed several alleged rustlers from smaller ranches. Many of these were executed on the flimsiest of "evidence". Frank M. Canton, who served as the Sheriff of Johnson County in the early 1880s, was thought to be involved in many of the deaths. In 1889, a double lynching took place that enraged residents of the county. Elia Watson and a shopkeeper named Jim Averell were killed by some of the hired gunmen. Jim Averell was not even a cattleman.

From Quiz Ten New Tidbits of American History

Answer: Chester A. Arthur

Arthur, the 21st President, assumed the office upon the assasination of President Garfield. A Republican, his main political achievement was the passage of the Pendleton Civil Service Act, which required prospective Federal employees to pass exams in order to qualify for civil service positions. He also had the nickname "Elegant Arthur." He was known for his stylish dress, constant changing of clothes, and being neatly groomed. He often socialized with high-society types. He lost his own party's nomination in 1884, thus serving only one term.

From Quiz Ten Tidbits of American History

Answer: John Scott Harrison

John Scott Harrison, son of President William Henry Harrison and father of President Benjamin Harrison, was himself a two term Congressman from Ohio and lifelong farmer. Samuel Adams was the cousin of President John Adams and not his brother despite being referred to as such in some publications. President Theodore Roosevelt was the elder, distant cousin of President Franklin Roosevelt. President George H.W. Bush was the father of President George W. Bush and the son of Connecticut Senator Prescott Bush.

From Quiz U.S. History in Abbreviations

Answer: IWW

IWW stood for the Industrial Workers of the World. It was founded on the belief that all workers should belong to a single union and the idea that the wage system should be abolished. That the organization was considered "left Wing" by federal and states' governments goes without saying. In its heyday it had an active membership of over 100,000 members and controlled the actions of about 300,000 more. Because of its many "radical" ideas, proposals and platforms various governmental agencies cracked down on the IWW, causing the arrest of many of its leaders. Repression peaked in the late 1920s and early 1930s which resulted in quickly declining membership and influence.

From Quiz Famous Taverns in U.S. History

Answer: George Washington bade farewell to his officers following the Revolutionary War.

Following his meeting with his officers, Washington resigned his commission as commander-in-chief and returned to Mount Vernon, intending to enjoy a much-deserved retirement. Fraunces Tavern is still open and houses a restaurant and a museum.

From Quiz The American Jewish Community

Answer: Christopher Columbus' interpreter

The proximity of Columbus' voyage of discovery to the Expulsion from Spain has given rise to speculation that some of Columbus' crew, or even Columbus himself, were Jews fleeing the Inquisition. There is no serious historical evidence that Columbus was Jewish, but it is certain that his interpreter, Luis de Torres, was. Torres, born Yosef Halevy, was an unwilling convert to Catholicism just prior to his voyage. De Torres spoke Hebrew, Aramaic and Arabic, and was one of the first crew members to go ashore when Columbus' ships landed at Hispaniola. De Torres was probably the first European to see tobacco. De Torres stayed on Hispaniola with a small group of explorers, who disappeared in 1493.

From Quiz Not so Famous Firsts

Answer: United States

Robert Cronk was born five seconds after midnight in Savannah, Georgia on January 1, 1924. As of 1776 he is one of only 232 people born first on this date in the United States.

From Quiz 7th Grade U.S. History

Answer: Pennsylvania and Maryland

The Mason-Dixon line also divided the middle colonies from the southern colonies.

From Quiz United States History

Answer: Abraham Lincoln

Many believe that Lincoln was the greatest of all the presidents. He was born in a log cabin on his father's farm in Kentucky. He largely educated himself and eventually became a lawyer and politician. Nicknamed "Honest Abe," he fought the Civil War in order to save the Union. Five days after the Confederacy surrendered at the Appomattox Court House, he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater.

From Quiz More New York Newspaper Front Page Stories

Answer: Corsets. They were extremely uncomfortable..and unnecessary in the eyes of Ms. Nation.

Carrie was frequently arrested for her crusade against corsets since many people considered them necessary for a woman to achieve the desired 'hourglass' shape.

From Quiz From New York Newspapers!

Answer: Staten Island

Until 1975, Staten Island was referred to as the Borough of Richmond.

From Quiz A People's History

Answer: They brought Columbus and his sailors food and water.

It was actually Columbus and his men who came carrying swords (Zinn, p. 1). Based on Columbus's logs Zinn also says that the Arawaks brought Columbus and his men food, water, and gifts. According to Columbus's logs the Arawaks were very generous. The logs also record that the Arawaks did not have horses or work animals and did not have iron (Zinn, pp.1-3).

From Quiz Notorious Historical American Firsts

Answer: William Kemmler

The first execution by electrocution took place on August 6, 1890 at the Auburn prison in the state of New York. Kemmler was convicted of killing his lover, Matilda "Tilly" Ziegler with an ax in Buffalo, New York. The first application of the electric chair's current was botched and Kemmler did not die until the current was fired up a second time. source: www.ccadp.org/electriccjair.htm

From Quiz Strange America

Answer: A tidal wave of molasses flooded it

The tidal wave of molasses was about 30 feet high, killed 21 people, and injured 50. A vast storage tank, high above street level, suddenly burst ... For those who think this is just another urban legend, see: http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/historical/a/molasses_flood.htm

From Quiz Questionable Historic Sites

Answer: Nathan Bedford Forrest

Although Forrest was certainly a capable commander, Loewen makes the case that the motivation behind most of these monuments was not to recognize his military heroism. Rather, they are a surreptitious way to recognize Forrest for his postwar activities: the general went on to found the Ku Klux Klan. As an aside, it is difficult to believe that there are more monuments to Forrest in Tennessee than there are to Lincoln in Illinois, where most towns have several statues or museum exhibits honoring the sixteenth president. Most of Forrest's markers are more modest than Lincoln's, however; those who memorialize the Great Emancipator tend to choose bronze, while many admirers of Forrest seem to prefer fiberglass.

From Quiz Obscure U. S. History #1

Answer: Emperor Joshua Norton I

He tried to corner the rice market on the West Coast and lost everything he had due to trade restrictions at the time. He lost his mind blaming the U.S. Government for his demise. He wrote to a San Fransisco Paper demanding the U.S. Government cease and desist from its operation. When told they were still meeting he ordered General Winfield Scott to take troops to Washington and clear the halls of the infidels. Scott laughed and threw the order in the waste paper basket.

From Quiz What Year Was It?

Answer: 1620

The Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock in December of 1620. They were Puritans who had broken away from the Church of England and had suffered religious oppression as a result.

From Quiz Assorted American History

Answer: James K. Polk

Polk came into office saying that he would serve only one term, and this is exactly what he did. Good thing, since he died the same year as leaving office.

From Quiz United States History

Answer: late 19th century industrialists

These men made their fortunes on the backs of factory workers and, for the most part, had little sympathy for the needs or problems of those workers.

From Quiz Noble Steeds III: United States

Answer: Nelson

Nelson, a chestnut hunter (not the white charger on which Washington is nearly always portrayed in paintings), was Washington's favored {steed;} the animal was a gift from Governor Nelson of Virginia. Washington owned him for years before the Revolution (for fox-hunting purposes), rode him through the war (many of his other mounts died of various causes, but Nelson survived), and indeed maintained him through his first term as President of the United States. Nelson was America's first First Equine.

From Quiz Assorted American History

Answer: John Adams

From Quiz U.S. History: Who Knew?

Answer: Richard Nixon

'Tricky Dick' pulls off yet another stunt.

From Quiz More American Historical Tidbits

Answer: Silversmith

Revere was Colonial America's greatest Silversmith.

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