North Carolina History II Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Wright Brothers made the first flight in an airplane

The Wright Brothers had selected Kitty Hawk as the site to make their attempt at the first powered flight of a heavier than air aircraft. Though they made a failed attempt on the 14th, forcing them to make repairs to the Flyer, just three days later the Flyer would lift off the ground and fly 120 feet in a mere 12 seconds with Orville at the controls. Wilbur and Orville would then take turns flying the Flyer, each flight going farther than that historic first flight. Wilbur's second and final flight of the day lasted 59 seconds during which he traveled 852 feet.

Answer: Took the photo of the Wright Brothers historic flight

Captain John T. Daniels of the Coast Guard was stationed at the Kitty Hawk Lifesaving Station in 1903. Along with fellow members Adam Etheridge and Will Dough of the station, W.C. Brinkley, and Johnny Moore, Daniels was one of five people to witness the brothers historic flight on December 17, 1903. Before he climbed aboard the Flyer for that flight, Orville Wright set up his camera and instructed Captain Daniels to use it "if something intresting happened." He would end up snapping the now famous picture of the brothers' first flight. Until that day Captain Daniels had never used a camera before.

Captain Daniels would also find himself taking part in another bit of historic trivia after the fourth and final flight of the day. He attempted to help the brothers prevent the Flyer from being blown away by a gust of wind. Unfortunately for him, he was unable to let go when the plane proved difficult to keep grounded. He ended up being injured as the plane tumbled about, though not seriously.

Captain Daniels hailed from Roanoke Island.

Answer: The relocation of Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

For decades the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse had been threatened by beach erosion. At one point the surf from the Atlantic was coming within 150 feet of the tower, in fact in a December storm in 1994 waves actually reached the base of the tower. Though efforts had been made for years to try and slow this process, they could not prevent it from occuring.

In the end the choice was between saving a historic national landmark in a multi-million dollar relocation program or losing it forever. Hatteras was moved, without being taken apart brick by brick, to a point that placed it about 1,600 feet from high tide.

Answer: A seventeen pound gold nugget

John Reed, a former Hessian soldier turned North Carolina farmer, took the "yellow stone" to a Fayetteville jewler in 1802 to have it identified. Until that point, the family had been using the "yellow rock", found in Little Meadow Creek, as a doorstop. The jeweler identified the nugget as gold and then bought it from Reed for a mere tenth of a percent its actual value.

Reed would return to his farm and the next year start the Reed mining operation, which would result in an estimated $100,000 being unearthed by 1824. The Reed's good fortune would spark the North Carolina gold rush. People from all over the Piedmont Region, as well as from places such as England, were soon mining for gold in North Carolina. The state would be the nation's leader in gold production until the California gold rush began in 1848.

Answer: True

Although Virginia Dare was not the first European born in the New World, she does hold the distinction of being the first baby of English descent. Born on Roanoke Island to Ananias Dare and his wife Eleanor, Virginia Dare was the granddaughter of the Roanoke Colony's governor, John White. When White returned to England, he left behind his daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter, never to see them again. This is because by the time White managed to return to the colony it had gone completely missing with only the word Croatan as a clue to where they may have gone.

Virginia Dare was born August 18, 1587.

Answer: 1863

A Richmond-class ironclad, the CSS North Carolina was built in Wilmington, North Carolina. She was underpowered due to her engines, taken from the captured Union tug Uncle Ben, being both old and defective. She also was apparently weak structually. Unable to cross the bar in the Cape Fear River and enter the ocean, she served on the river until September 27, 1864. However, it wasn't through Union efforts that she was lost. Rather, the CSS North Carolina's mortal enemy would prove to be the toredo, a type of sea worm. The worms ate holes in her wooden hull, causing her to eventually flounder near the town of Smithfield (present day Southport). Her armor plating would eventually be stripped from her and sold at auction in Wilmington in 1868.

Intrestingly, the CSS North Carolina was built on Wilminton's Eagles Island. The reason this is so interesting is that Eagles Island is today the home to the battleship BB-55 USS North Carolina.

Answer: True

As strange as it may sound to folks today, there was once a proposed state named Franklin that would have bordered North Carolina to the west. In 1784 North Carolina voted to cede about 29 million acres of its western lands to the federal government, then withdrew this offer for fear the government would sell the land to foreign countries. Citizens of the lands the state had offered thew government met on the 23rd of August that same year and voted to leave North Carolina.

In 1785 Frankland, as the citizens were calling it, attempted to become a new state. Although a majority of states voted to accept Frankland into the Union, statehood at the time was dependent on a two-thirds majority which was not achieved. In the hopes of gaining favor to their cause, Frankland became Franklin after Benjamin Franklin. However, even with the name change Franklin was never given statehood.

North Carolina would again cede these lands to the federal government around 1789. Today the proposed state of Franklin is part of eastern Tennessee.

Answer: 1794

It wasn't until after the Revolution that Raleigh was even founded. In 1788 it was decided that the state capital should be found within ten miles of Isaac Hunter's tavern. At that time the tavern was a well known watering hole, which may explain why the capital was to be founded within ten miles of it.

In 1792 a tract of 1,000 acres was purchased from State Senator Joel Lane. This tract of land became the basis for Raleigh. The layout of the capital was designed by another senator, William Christmas, who was also a professional surveyor. The General Assembly held its first session in the new capital in December of 1794.

Answer: Bladenboro

For all those yelling about a mythological creature not deserving a place in a historical quiz, I bet you there's some folks living who still remember this incident.

The "Bladenboro Vampire Beast," also known as the "Beast of Bladenboro," may or may not have actually been a vampire. But whatever it was, it certainly had folks scared. The creatures victims were all animals with at least one case where the victim was found drained of all its blood. At least one incident suggests that it was also stalking humans. While sightings began in late 1953, reports of the beast appeared in newspapers in early 1954.

Answer: False

Actually, Mississippi was the first state after South Carolina to secede. It did so January 9, 1861, months before North Carolina. It wasn't until after Lincoln started calling for troops that North Carolina seceded. Although Kentucky and Missouri both had governments that voted to secede, both states remained as border states in the Union (though they did send troops to both sides during the war). Thus North Carolina, which seceded May 20, 1861, became the second to last state to do so. Tennessee seceded June 8, 1861.