The Rushmore Boys Trivia Quiz

Answer: Thomas Jefferson

South Dakota's territory was part of the Louisiana Purchase, which Jefferson obtained from Napoleon and France in 1803. Except for part of Texas and a chunk of northern land composed mostly of what is now North Dakota, the Louisiana Territory covered the area roughly between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains.

Answer: Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was 6' 4", according to most sources, although he is sometimes listed as 6' 3 and 3/4". Jefferson is listed at 6' 2 and 1/2" and Washington at 6' 2". Although Theodore Roosevelt was 5' 10", FDR, his fifth cousin, was 6' 2".

Answer: Thomas Jefferson

When Jefferson was inaugurated for his second term, his age was 61 years and 325 days, while Washington was not far behind at his second inauguration, aged 61 years and 10 days. At his second inauguration, just five weeks before the assassination, Lincoln was 56 years and 20 days old. Teddy Roosevelt was the youngest man to become president in the 20th Century, taking over from the assassinated William McKinley on 14 September, 1901.

At the time of his inauguration following the Election of 1904, TR was still only 46 years, 128 days old.

Answer: Theodore Roosevelt

TR owned two ranches in North Dakota. The first was Chimney Butte Ranch, located on the Little Missouri River where Roosevelt arrived in 1883 to hunt bison. His cabin there would become known as the Maltese Cross Cabin. Following the Election of 1884, Roosevelt returned to North Dakota, establishing a second ranch he named Elkhorn Ranch, which he'd established after losing his mother and then his wife on the same day in February of 1884.

His experiences in North Dakota no doubt had a great influence on his enthusiasm for conservation as president.

Answer: Abraham Lincoln

The Black Hawk War was a series of confrontations between US and Illinois forces and a band of Sauk and Fox, plus allies, commanded by Chief Black Hawk. Black Hawk's warriors, called the British Band, crossed the Mississippi River from Iowa back into Illinois in hopes of re-occupying land that had been ceded to the US in the 1804 Treaty of St. Louis. The hostilities lasted from about April until August in 1832.

Because he served in Illinois militia units, although without seeing any actual combat, Lincoln was awarded a land grant in Iowa. Such land grants were often awarded to officers and soldiers for service in US Army and militia units during so-called Indian Wars east of the Mississippi.

Answer: George Washington

The country's basic two-party system was a reflection of the differences in political philosophy between what were the original Federalists who favored the new Constitution of 1789 which ended the Confederation period on one hand, and those favoring greater power in the states.

The former group were led by the authors of the Federalist Papers, i.e., James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay. Those who mistrusted a strong central government were led by Thomas Jefferson. Washington, on the other hand, was opposed to the very formation of political parties, fearing they would be a threat to the nation.

In his farewell address, he strongly advised against the formation of parties and thus was never a member of one.

Answer: Theodore Roosevelt

Roosevelt's political career began as a member of the New York State Assembly, followed by being President of the New York City Board of Police Commissioners. He then entered Federal service as Assistant Secretary of the Navy under President McKinley. He followed that office by being elected Governor of New York. It is said that the powers that be within the Republican Party hoped to keep the rambunctious Roosevelt under control by burying him in the obscure position of McKinley's Vice President. Six months after being inaugurated in the nation's second highest office, he became president.

Jefferson was the only other member of the Rushmore bunch in a presidential cabinet, serving as the first Secretary of State. He was then Vice President under John Adams before winning the Election of 1800.

Answer: George Washington

Washington in effect ran unopposed in the first election under the Constitution. In that Election of 1789, a total of 138 votes were cast by 69 electors, with the winner of the highest total to become president and the second highest total to become vice president. Since no elector was to use both of his votes for the same person, Washington's 69 votes represents a de facto percentage of 100%.

He repeated the feat statistically in 1792, receiving one vote from each of the 132 electors. With the advent of political parties in the Election of 1796, no other election has produced an equivalent result.

Answer: Thomas Jefferson

Eleven presidents are tied with having served two full terms for a combined total of 2,922 days in office. Jefferson is among those 11. While Washington did serve two full terms, since the first election took place in 1789 and not 1788, his total time in office was only 2,865 days. While Lincoln duplicated Washington and Jefferson by winning two elections, he was assassinated in April of 1865, just one month into his second term, following his inauguration on 4 March. His total time in office was 1,503 days. Theodore Roosevelt was first sworn in as president on 14 September, 1901, following the assassination of William McKinley. He then won the Election of 1904 and served a total of 2,728 days as president.

FDR served a total of 4,422 days as president.

Answer: Lincoln Borglum

The elder Borglum's full name was John Gutzon de la Mothe Borglum. He was also the creator of a number of normal-sized statues and monuments, including a bust of Abraham Lincoln which President Theodore Roosevelt exhibited in the White House. The younger Borglum's full name was James Lincoln de la Mothe Borglum.

He served as the first superintendent of the Mount Rushmore Memorial until 1944, although work on the monument ended in October of 1941. Afterwards he executed several other sculptures, including notable religious works in Texas, and wrote three books, all about the work on Mount Rushmore.