The Gilded Age Trivia Quiz

Answer: tuberculosis

Many famous people had TB during this period, including Doc Holiday. The disease was widespread and one-third of the people in the US died of it for much of this period. It was particularly widespread among the poor.

Answer: Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt invented the slogan 'Good till the last drop.'

Answer: Mrs. Hayes

'Lemonade' Lucy Hayes was the first wife of a president to have a college education.

Answer: Sprite

Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Dr. Pepper were used as tonics and elixirs during this time period.

Answer: True

In fact, nearly all the tonics and elixirs had hard drugs or alcohol, and that's why many people were addicted to drugs during the Progressive Era.

Answer: All of these

Thomas Edison came out with a new invention every six months!

Answer: Columbus' discovery of America

At the expo, special coins were minted featuring Columbus and his ships.

Answer: Chicago

Louis Sullivan built the first skyscaper in Chicago. Sullivan later went on to teach a now famous 20th century architect, Frank Lloyd Wright.

Answer: Ragtime

Scott Joplin introduced the world to Ragtime with his song the 'Maple Leaf Rag.'

Answer: False

The Baby Ruth candy bar was not named for Ruth Cleveland, whatever the Curtiss candy company may say. Ruth Cleveland died 17 years before the product was introduced. The Curtiss company later claimed it was named after her, in the course of a trademark suit, asserting that Miss Ruth Cleveland visited the Curtiss candy factory when the bar was being developed.

The company's claim appears patently false. Miss Cleveland died at the age of 12, in 1904, over ten years prior to the construction of the candy factory she is said to have visited. References indicate that the Curtiss company was founded in Chicago in 1916 by one Otto Schnering.

As 1916 wasn't a very good year in the US for folk with German surnames, he used his mother's maiden name of Curtiss.

The company produced a confection called "Kandy Kake." In 1921, the item was reformulated and re-named the Baby Ruth bar. It sold for five cents, which was half the price of most competing products. It quickly became very popular. The true origin of the name is unclear; maybe the proprietor thought nobody would buy a "Baby Otto" or a "Schnering Bar"! (Information kindly supplied by player Ignotus).