Question 1

On what date was the Declaration of Independence adopted by the Continental Congress?

Accepted Answer

July 4, 1776. The Continental Congress voted to declare independence on July 2, 1776, and adopted the final text of the Declaration on July 4. Most signers actually signed the document on August 2, 1776.

Question 2

How many men signed the Declaration of Independence?

Accepted Answer

56. The 56 signers represented the 13 American colonies. They included merchants, lawyers, plantation owners and farmers, all risking treason charges by signing.

Question 3

Who is credited as the primary author of the Declaration of Independence?

Accepted Answer

Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson wrote the initial draft. The Committee of Five, which also included John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, then revised it before submitting it to Congress.

Question 4

Which Philadelphia printer produced the first broadside copies of the Declaration of Independence?

Accepted Answer

John Dunlap. John Dunlap printed about 200 copies of the Declaration on the night of July 4, 1776. About 26 of these 'Dunlap broadsides' are known to survive today.

Question 5

In which Philadelphia building was the Declaration of Independence signed?

Accepted Answer

Independence Hall. Then known as the Pennsylvania State House, Independence Hall in Philadelphia hosted the Second Continental Congress. The same building later hosted the drafting of the US Constitution.

Question 6

Who was the youngest signer of the Declaration of Independence?

Accepted Answer

Edward Rutledge. Edward Rutledge of South Carolina was 26 years old when he signed. He later served as governor of South Carolina from 1798 until his death in 1800.

Question 7

Who was the oldest signer of the Declaration of Independence?

Accepted Answer

Benjamin Franklin. Benjamin Franklin was 70 years old when he signed the Declaration. He was also a key diplomat in securing French support for the American Revolution.

Question 8

How many original colonies declared independence in 1776?

Accepted Answer

13. The 13 original colonies were Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina and Rhode Island.

Question 9

In which year was the Statue of Liberty dedicated in New York Harbor?

Accepted Answer

1886. The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on October 28, 1886. It was a gift from France to the United States to celebrate friendship between the two nations and the centennial of American independence.

Question 10

Which French sculptor designed the Statue of Liberty?

Accepted Answer

Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. Bartholdi designed the statue while Gustave Eiffel (later of Eiffel Tower fame) designed its internal iron framework. Its full title is 'Liberty Enlightening the World'.

Question 11

How many US presidents are carved into Mount Rushmore?

Accepted Answer

Four. Mount Rushmore in South Dakota features George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. The monument was sculpted between 1927 and 1941 by Gutzon Borglum.

Question 12

In which Philadelphia building was the Liberty Bell originally hung?

Accepted Answer

Independence Hall (then the Pennsylvania State House). The Liberty Bell hung in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House. The famous crack that runs down its side appeared sometime in the early 19th century, with the exact date debated by historians.

Question 13

According to popular legend, who sewed the first American flag?

Accepted Answer

Betsy Ross. The Betsy Ross story was first publicized in 1870 by her grandson. Historians today doubt the legend, but Betsy Ross has remained an enduring American folk hero.

Question 14

What is the official national bird of the United States?

Accepted Answer

The bald eagle. The bald eagle was adopted as the national emblem in 1782. Benjamin Franklin famously preferred the turkey, calling the eagle "a bird of bad moral character" in a private letter.

Question 15

Who wrote the lyrics to the American national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner"?

Accepted Answer

Francis Scott Key. Francis Scott Key wrote the poem in 1814 after witnessing the British bombardment of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. It became the official US national anthem in 1931.

Question 16

How many stripes are on the modern American flag?

Accepted Answer

13. The 13 stripes represent the 13 original colonies. The 50 stars represent the 50 states. The current flag design was adopted in 1960 after Hawaii became the 50th state.

Question 17

Who was the first President of the United States?

Accepted Answer

George Washington. George Washington was inaugurated as the first president on April 30, 1789, in New York City. He served two terms and set the precedent of a peaceful transition of power.

Question 18

Benjamin Franklin invented many things. Name two of his most famous inventions.

Accepted Answer

Bifocals and the lightning rod. Franklin invented bifocal spectacles, the lightning rod, the Franklin stove, the glass armonica and swim fins. He famously refused to patent his inventions so others could benefit from them.

Question 19

What is the name of Thomas Jefferson's Virginia estate, now a UNESCO World Heritage site?

Accepted Answer

Monticello. Jefferson designed Monticello himself over four decades. The neoclassical mansion in Charlottesville, Virginia, is featured on the back of the US nickel.

Question 20

In which year did Aaron Burr fatally shoot Alexander Hamilton in their famous duel?

Accepted Answer

1804. The duel took place on July 11, 1804, in Weehawken, New Jersey. Hamilton died the next day, and Burr (then Vice President) was charged with murder, though never tried.

Question 21

Who was the second First Lady of the United States and a famous letter-writer?

Accepted Answer

Abigail Adams. Abigail Adams was the wife of John Adams and mother of John Quincy Adams. Her surviving letters to her husband are a famous primary source on early American political and family life.

Question 22

Which founding father is famous for his oversized signature on the Declaration of Independence?

Accepted Answer

John Hancock. Hancock's bold signature is so iconic that 'John Hancock' has become slang for any signature. He was the President of the Continental Congress when the Declaration was signed.

Question 23

Which French aristocrat became a major general in the Continental Army at the age of 19?

Accepted Answer

Marquis de Lafayette. Lafayette volunteered to fight for American independence and became a close friend of George Washington. The state of Louisiana and many US cities are named in his honor.

Question 24

Who wrote most of the Federalist Papers along with John Jay and James Madison?

Accepted Answer

Alexander Hamilton. The Federalist Papers were 85 essays written under the pen name "Publius" to support the ratification of the US Constitution. Hamilton wrote about 51 of them.

Question 25

In which country were fireworks first invented?

Accepted Answer

China. Fireworks were first developed in China over a thousand years ago, originally by stuffing bamboo with gunpowder. The technology spread along trade routes to Europe in the Middle Ages.

Question 26

In which city was the first official 4th of July fireworks display held in 1777?

Accepted Answer

Philadelphia. Philadelphia held the first organized Independence Day celebration on July 4, 1777, with bonfires, bells and fireworks. John Adams predicted in a letter that July 4 would be celebrated 'with bonfires and illuminations'.

Question 27

Which famous hot dog eating contest is held in Coney Island every 4th of July?

Accepted Answer

Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. Nathan's has held the contest at its original Coney Island, Brooklyn location since at least the 1970s. Joey Chestnut has dominated the event for years, eating 70 plus hot dogs in 10 minutes.

Question 28

Approximately how many hot dogs do Americans eat on the 4th of July?

Accepted Answer

Around 150 million. According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, Americans consume about 150 million hot dogs on Independence Day, enough to stretch from Washington DC to Los Angeles five times.

Question 29

According to the US Flag Code, the American flag should never touch what?

Accepted Answer

The ground. The US Flag Code states that the flag should never touch the ground, water or anything beneath it. It also specifies how the flag should be folded, displayed and retired with dignity.

Question 30

Which sport is traditionally called "America's pastime"?

Accepted Answer

Baseball. Baseball has been called America's pastime since the 19th century. The 4th of July has long been one of the biggest days on the Major League Baseball calendar.

Question 31

What color combinations are used to dress the Empire State Building each 4th of July?

Accepted Answer

Red, white and blue. Since 1976 the Empire State Building has lit its tower in red, white and blue around Independence Day. The lighting is one of the most photographed sights in New York City.

Question 32

Which annual Boston 4th of July event features a free outdoor concert and fireworks display?

Accepted Answer

The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular. The Boston Pops Orchestra has performed an annual July 4 concert along the Charles River since 1974. The fireworks finale, set to '1812 Overture' and 'Stars and Stripes Forever', is broadcast nationally.

Question 33

In which year did Apollo 11 land the first humans on the Moon?

Accepted Answer

1969. Apollo 11 landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the surface while Michael Collins orbited above in the command module.

Question 34

In which year did the American Civil War begin?

Accepted Answer

1861. The Civil War began on April 12, 1861, when Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter in South Carolina. The war lasted four years and ended with the surrender at Appomattox in April 1865.

Question 35

On what date did Japan attack Pearl Harbor, bringing the United States into World War II?

Accepted Answer

December 7, 1941. President Franklin D. Roosevelt called December 7, 1941, 'a date which will live in infamy'. The surprise attack on the US naval base in Hawaii killed over 2,400 Americans.

Question 36

In which year did the United States double its size with the Louisiana Purchase?

Accepted Answer

1803. President Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory from Napoleonic France in 1803 for about 15 million dollars, roughly 4 cents per acre. The deal doubled the size of the young nation.

Question 37

In which year was the Statue of Liberty officially unveiled?

Accepted Answer

1886. The Statue of Liberty was officially dedicated on October 28, 1886, by President Grover Cleveland. The gift from France had been delayed for years due to fundraising challenges on the American side.

Question 38

In what year did the Boston Tea Party take place?

Accepted Answer

1773. On December 16, 1773, American colonists disguised as Mohawk Indians dumped 342 chests of British tea into Boston Harbor to protest taxation without representation.

Question 39

In which year did Lewis and Clark begin their famous westward expedition?

Accepted Answer

1804. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led the Corps of Discovery from May 1804 to September 1806, exploring the Louisiana Purchase and the Pacific Northwest with the help of Sacagawea.

Question 40

In which year was the United States Constitution ratified?

Accepted Answer

1788. The Constitution was ratified on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth state to approve it. It officially took effect on March 4, 1789.

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