So Here's the Deal Trivia Quiz

Answer: Choctaw

The "ethnic cleansing" that resulted in the movement of a wide range of American Indians west of the Mississippi involved many different tribal nations. It was the Choctaw that were first removed and they have been identified as the tribe coining the phrase the "Trail of Tears." The forced migration of the Choctaw saw the tribe eventually settling in both Mississippi and Oklahoma, with the majority being located to the latter.

Answer: Persia

The treaty made between the Greek states, forged by the Delian League and Persia ended the Greco-Persian Wars in 449 BC. The treaty was negotiated by a politician from Athens, named Callias, thus the eponymous treaty. The treaty granted escape from Persian rule and removed the Persia invaders from the Greek borders and seas.

Answer: Manhattan

The purchase of Manhattan was completed on or about May 24, 1626. This deal can be sliced several ways...on one hand, the Dutch might be viewed unfavorably because the value of their "payment" for the island of Manhattan was less than $1000, for the whole island. On the other hand, the Indians didn't see ownership the same way, so they essentially sold something they didn't even own.

In the end, it didn't much matter as ownership by the Dutch was short lived. They were soon conquered by the British and the region was renamed "New York."

Answer: Margaret Tudor

The short-lived treaty was signed December 10, 1502, tying England and Scotland by the bonds of marriage. In addition to the hand of a royal princess, the treaty set ground rules for border conflicts in an effort to avoid war. The oath spoken by James IV had to be repeated once as the word "France" was accidentally included in place of "England." Scrivener error, I suppose.

The treaty lasted until 1513 when an older treaty with France was honored forcing James to go to war against England, resulting in his death at the Battle of Flodden.

Answer: Alaska

The Alaskan Purchase was a land deal facilitated by Russia in 1867 in an effort to rid themselves of a territory they could not protect. The Russian's feared war with the British (over part of Canada) and sought a deal with the Americans. Although American opinions of the acquisition were mixed and it was even considered folly by some, the deal became beneficial when gold and oil were discovered in the new lands.

Answer: Germany

The Potsdam Agreement was initiated July 17, 1945, between the leaders of the Soviet Union, United States, and Britain in an effort to carve up post-World War II Germany. At the time of the meeting, Japan was still actively at war, not surrendering until after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The effect of the Potsdam Agreement redefined the borders and demilitarized Germany.

Stalin's intentions during the meeting were heavily criticized by Winston Churchill, acting Prime Minister of Britain. Churchill feared the Communist takeover of the countries of Eastern Europe, and he was correct. Churchill's warnings fell on deaf ears as both the newly elected prime minister replacing Churchill during the course of the meetings, Clement Atlee and newly elected U.S. President, Harry Truman, did not take the threat of Communism seriously at that stage. The Cold War did not begin till later.

Answer: Liberia

Liberia was a colonization project engineered by the United States after the American Civil War and the emancipation of slaves. The American Colonization Society, with the support of many prominent Americans, including President Abraham Lincoln, secured property in Africa and encouraged freed slaves to return to their homeland. Support was granted to those choosing to return to Africa and a new government was established, modeled after the U.S. government including similar freedoms the U.S. Constitution bestowed. Approximately 13,000 emancipated slaves returned to Africa through these provisions, establishing themselves and working toward a future.

Answer: Spain

The Treaty of Tordesillas was executed in June 1494, the result of a papal bull drafted by Pope Alexander VI (aka, Rodrigo Borgia), settling the boundary dispute between Portugal and Spain at the conclusion of the Christopher Columbus voyages. Portugal thought they were getting the better end of the deal, ensuring them Brazil and an open route to India. However, they did not yet appreciate the scope of the lands that made up the majority of North and South America, thinking instead they were dealing with some smaller land masses. Spain, on the other hand, received the larger portion of land, including the majority of South America, all of Central America, and almost all of North America (minus some portion of Greenland).

This ownership was of great benefit to Spain as they began exploration of the Americas and the vast resources found there.

Answer: Panama

The Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty was executed November 18, 1903, providing the United States with the necessary shares and ownership in the Panama Canal Zone. The United States paid $10 million for the property, plus $250-thousand in annual rents. Additionally, the United States purchased all of the shares of the canal development company for $40 million.

Upon completion of the canal in 1914, the United States maintained the Panama Canal Zone until 1977 when another treaty, the Torrijos-Carter Treaty, abolished the original treaty and relinquished control of the canal to Panama.

Answer: Louisiana

The Louisiana Purchase was initially negotiated in Paris in 1802 by diplomats John Monroe and Robert Livingston, beginning a lengthy process that eventually came to fruition with the signing of the treaty on April 30, 1803. The original intent of the negotiations was solely for the city of New Orleans, as the city protected the Mississippi delta and access up and down the river. Upon the execution of the treaty, the United States land area of ownership nearly doubled, encompassing the majority of Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, and portions of Texas, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, and Minnesota.

The uppermost portion of the purchase even reached across the border into Canada.