Beautiful Annapolis Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Potomac River.

Annapolis is situated at the juncture of the Chesapeake Bay and the Severn River.
Several smaller creeks cross the Potomac, including College Creek, Weems Creek and Spa Creek. The Potomac River, of course, runs from Western Maryland through Washington, D.C. and terminates at the lower end of the Chesapeake Bay, quite a distance from Annapolis.

Answer: False

The Chesapeake Bay contains brackish water, or a mixture of salt and fresh water. It is technically an estuary, drawing about half of its water from the Atlantic Ocean and its fresh water from a number of sources, the most important of which is the Susquehanna River.(See chesapeake.bay.net for more information about the Bay.)

Answer: George Washington.

George Washington resigned his commission as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army on December 23, 1783. It was an emotional moment - historians tell us that Washington's hands shook, and the crowd of onlookers wept. This event was immortalized by the painter John Trumball, whose painting of Washington resigning his commission, hangs in the United States Capitol in Washington.

Answer: Thomas Point.

Thomas Point Light, which was built in 1875, is near the north side of South River. When sailing from Annapolis towards to Bay, it is the first lighthouse one encounters.The Fort Washington Light marks the bank of the Potomac. Concord Light, at the northern end of the Bay, in Havre de Grace, was built in 1827 and is the oldest Maryland lighthouse in continuous usage. Bloody Point Lighthouse, built in 1882, is at the southern tip of Kent Island. (Information for this question came from baygateways.net/baylighthouse, which not only contains lots of information about the Bay lighthouses, but wonderful pictures of them as well.)

Answer: John Paul Jones.

John Paul Jones was born in 1747 in Scotland. He first went to sea at age thirteen, and by age twenty-one was a captain. When the Revolutionary War broke out, Jones offered his services. He captained several ships and also wrote Navy regulations. At the end of the war he was commended for his services.

He served in the Russian Navy for a short time after that. He died in 1792 in Paris and was buried there. President Teddy Roosevelt initiated the search for his body, which was brought to Annapolis amidst great pomp in 1903.

His body was moved for the last time in 1913 when he was interred in the sarcophagus in the Navy chapel, which is modelled after the tomb of Napoleon. John Paul Jones is considered the father of the United States Navy. (information for this question came fromjpjdemon.co.uk).

Answer: Anne Arundel.

Anne Arundel County was chartered in 1650. It is named for the wife of Cecilus Calvert, Lord Baltimore. Lord Baltimore was the founder of the colony of Maryland, which was founded as a haven for English Catholics. Annapolis is not only the capital of Maryland, but also the county seat of Anne Arundel County.

Answer: St. John's College.

St. John's College was chartered in 1784 and is one of the oldest colleges in the United States. It provides a unique course of study based on the "Great Book"s that are the basis of Western culture, and are studied in roughly chronological order. There are no department or majors at St. John's and all students follow the same program. (This information comes from the St. John's College website.)

Answer: Croquet.

The Navy and St. John's have been meeting annually for a croquet match since 1982. The game provides way for the two groups of students to meet. The match is held in a fun and friendly atmosphere. To emphasize the difference between the two schools and add to the festive atmosphere, the two teams come dressed quite differently.

The Navy are all spic n'span in their white uniforms, while the St. John's students could wear anything from Scottish kilts to waltz gowns!

Answer: Alex Haley.

Alex Haley himself is not from Maryland. However, Kunta Kinte, the hero of his family saga" Roots ", arrived in a slave ship to Annapolis and was sold there. Annapolis' part in the slave trade remains a blight on the city's history. In May 2007, the city council passed a resolution apologizing for Annapolis' role in the slave trade.

A statue of Alex Haley reading to children can be found at the city dock, overlooking the Port of Annapolis.

Answer: The sailing capital of the United States.

Annapolis is proud of its unofficial title, "The Sailing Capital of the United States"(although tee shirts sold in local souvenir stores claim that "Annapolis is a drinking town with a sailing problem"). It is home to an annual boat show as well as numerous marinas.

Many institutions are decorated in a nautical motif. As for being a fashion center, if a garment isn't decorated with anchors and sea-horses, you won't find it in Annapolis!