Made in America Quiz | World

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1. Lunch just wouldn't be lunch without this comfort food with its recognizable red and white label. Andy Warhol helped bring it to iconic status with his paintings. Which American favorite is it?

Answer: Campbell's Soup

Joseph Campbell and Abraham Anderson founded the company in 1869 in Camden, New Jersey. Originally sold from a horse-drawn wagon, the Campbell Soup Company is now the world's largest maker and marketer of soup. Chemist John Dorrance, who worked for the company, figured out a way to eliminate most of the water in a can of soup, its heaviest ingredient.

This allowed the company to sell it at a lower cost than its competition. Campbell's has produced a line of regional soups as well as sauces and juice drinks.

2. In 1938, native Oklahoman Sylvan Goldman invented something that has become a staple of every grocery store and supermarket. The telescoping type was later invented by Orla Watson. What did Goldman invent that is so integral to our shopping experience?

Answer: grocery cart

Goldman was owner of the Piggly-Wiggly grocery chain when he came up with the idea of using shopping carts rather than baskets, although some retailers still have a few of those for shoppers who are just picking up a few items. How brilliant a marketing idea is it to think that a shopper could load up a cart full of groceries and then pay for all those groceries? Orla Watson, an engineer and inventor, came up with the telescoping, or nesting, shopping cart for easy storage.

3. It began as a rags-to-riches story and grew to become a leader in the greeting card business. With very little money but a keen business sense, Joyce Hall went from a small business of printing postcards to a successful greeting card company. Anyone who has bought one of these cards will recognize the crown above the company's name. Which card company is it?

Answer: Hallmark Cards

In 1915, Hall began with Christmas and Valentine's Day cards and included envelopes. Gift-wrap followed in 1917 along with the slogan "When you care enough to send the very best." There is a Hallmark card for any occasion you can think of. Losing a tooth? Check. Successful potty-training? Check. How about a card for a new grandmother? It's there, too.

4. Inspired by the TV series "The Lieutenant," toy creator Stan Weston introduced a new toy in 1964 aimed at young boys. Marketed as an action figure rather than a doll, what did Weston create?

Answer: G.I. Joe

The Hasbro Company quickly expanded to include vehicles, uniforms, and accessories for their action figure. After the Vietnam War, Hasbro changed the image of the doll from a soldier to adventurer to distance itself from the war image. In 2004, G.I Joe was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame.

5. If you've ever shopped for condiments you've probably reached for a container with the image of a little girl in a yellow dress with an opened umbrella. What did you just buy?

Answer: Morton Salt

In 1886, Joy Morton acquired Richmond & Company, a salt manufacturer. Under his leadership, Morton Salt Company developed free-flowing, iodized salt and introduced the first table salt in 1924. Joy's son coined the slogan "When it Rains, It Pours" and introduced the Morton Umbrella Girl.

6. Known for its trademark hanging sheep, this company is the oldest clothing retailer in America. Introduced in 1818 in New York City, which clothier is it?

Answer: Brooks Brothers

It says a lot about a company's integrity and quality of product to have lasted as long as Brooks Brothers has. The company's clientele have included U.S. Presidents John F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton, and Theodore Roosevelt. President Abraham Lincoln himself was wearing a Brooks Brothers suit and overcoat when he was assassinated.

Henry Sands Brooks got it right when he sold ready-to-wear suits in 1845 and introduced the button-down collar in 1896. The company later introduced women's wear, offering ladies their famous pink shirt.

7. During the 1870s, a Connecticut baking company began using thin pie plates for their pies. Tossing these pie tins in the air became the rage among college students. These plates led to a toy made out of plastic in the shape of a flying saucer. It was named for a Connecticut baking company. What was this toy called?

Answer: Frisbee

The Frisbee's predecessors were called Flyin' Saucer and Pluto Platter to capitalize on the UFO phenomenon sweeping the country in the 1950s. Wham-O came up with the name Frisbee in honor of the original "Frisbie Baking Company." Mattel bought the brand in 1994.

8. This product was originally called "Candied Popcorn and Peanuts." The cover of the box shows a sailor boy (Sailor Jack) and his dog Bingo. Name this snack first introduced at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.

Answer: Cracker Jack

Cracker Jack is a tasty blend of popcorn, peanuts, and molasses. What sets this product apart is the prize added to each package. Even though the prizes are small, it's still fun to see what's hiding in your very own Cracker Jack box. The song "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," which first came out in 1908, immortalized the product and sent sales soaring.

9. The movement to modernize post-World War II America led to many inventions still in use today. One of these products, created by design innovators Charles Eames and his wife Ray, was produced in the early 1940s in Venice, California where they opened their famous Eames House. What product did the Eames create that propelled them to celebrity status?

Answer: chair

Charles Eames had studied design at a Michigan art academy and, in 1940, won the "Organic Design" competition held at New York's Museum of Art. Both he and his wife collaborated with the federal government to produce aluminum chairs for the armed forces which are still in use today. Producing fiberglass, plastic resin, and wire mesh chairs was a huge hit with the public and put the name Eames on the map.

Incidentally, when the Eames moved to California, Charles worked as set designer for the Hollywood film "Mrs. Miniver."

10. Edwin Binney and his cousin C. Harold Smith, who both had backgrounds in color technology, started experimenting with colors in the late 19th century and created something for children that is still being used by young budding artists. What did the cousins create?

Answer: Crayola Crayons

Binney and Smith started their partnership in 1885 and introduced Crayolas in 1903. They formulated crayons which were safe, non-toxic, and affordable for kids. The original box of eight Crayola crayons included the colors black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, violet and yellow. Edwin's wife coined the name Crayola by combining "craie", the French word for chalk, and "ola," for oleaginous, or oil-producing. Crayola has expanded to include crayons that sparkle, glow in the dark, and smell like flowers.

By the way, Binney's father, who owned a chemical company, manufactured barn red paint.

Source: Author nmerr

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor trident before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Made in America Trivia Quiz

Americans have come up with some great products over the years. Here's a sampling of ten.

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