U.S. and U.S. Presidency - A Quiz ( Level 2 )

U.S. and U.S. Presidency - A Quiz ( Level 2 )  -   P..Natarajan, camp: Canton MI

A quiz about America was mailed by me to you on 14th Nov 2014 which could be perhaps termed as level - 1 now , in view of this level 2 quiz, which accounts for more historical and interesting information about United States. The answers follow the questions as usual.  Pl. spare some time to pursue the same and trigger your memory.

1.0  Do you know from which country and how many years before , the first north American settlers migrate ?

(Ans:- Siberia , 15000 years ago via Bering Land Bridge which is an ancient bridge connecting

Asia and north America at various times.)

2.0  What event spurred the Western Migration ?

(Ans:- The California Gold Rush was the event in 1848-49. Gold was found by James W Marshall at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma in Cal. The news spread like a wild fire and about 3 lakhs people from rest of America and abroad migrated to Cal. The migration caused creation of additional Western States, The seekers called themselves as ‘ forty - niners‘ with reference to the year 1849.)

3.0  Virginia State is known as the mother of U.S. Presidents.  how many were born there and further name them ?

( Ans:-  8 from Virginia. 1st President George Washington , 3rd Thomas Jefferson, 4th James Madison, 5th James Monroe, 9th William Henry , 10th John Tyler. 12th Zachary Taylor and 28th Woodrow Wilson.  )

4.0  ‘O for Ohio which has played a vital role in electing the U.S. presidents. Pl. elaborate the considerations for this statement?

( Ans:- 7 Presidents were Ohioans in this order. (1) Ulysses S. Grant, (2) Rutherford Birchard Hayes (3) James Abram Garfield, (4) Benjamin Harrison (5) William McKinley (6) William Howard Taft, (7) Warren Gamaliel Harding. They were respectively 18th, 19th, 20th, 23rd, 25th, 27th and 29th U.S. Presidents.

Second consideration :- (a) Out of 4 assassinated, 2 were Ohioans in Sl.Nos. (3) and (5); (b)  3 out of 4 died in office named in sl.nos. (3), (5) and (7).  (c) Out of 9 Presidents portrayed in U.S.paper currency, 2 were from Ohio in sl. nos (1) and (5). .(d)  Out of 12 Generals , 4 were Ohioans in sl.nos.:- (1), (2), (3) and (4).

5.0  Which President issued an executive order in 1901 officially changing the’ Executive Mansion’ name to the ‘White House’

(Ans:- George Washington preferred to call it as ‘President’s House‘. It was also known as Executive Mansion’ But following the war of Britain, the White House was destroyed in 1814.

It was rebuilt and painted White, It looked more white after the repairs. Theodore Roosevelt issued an executive order in 1901 changing the building's name permanently to White House)

6.0 Who was the first known Presidential jogger ?

(Ans:- Theodore Roosevelt who jogged around ‘ Washington Monument ‘ daily.

7.0  July 4 1776 is now celebrated as America's independence day annually. Name the two Presidents who died on this day and name one who was born this day ?

(Ans:- John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died within minutes on July 4.,1826 exactly after 50 years after Declaration of Independence.  Calvin Coolidge who became the 30th U.S.President was born on July 4 1872 in Plymouth Notch, Vermont.)

8.0  Focus on the background climate and the causes in detail which led to the civil war in America .

(Ans:-  Seven Southern States left the Union during the time of Abraham Lincoln’s taking the Presidency, and formed a ’ new nation, the Confederate States of America ’. Secession became no longer a mere threat. Confederate Forces fired in 1861 April 12 the Fort Sumter in the harbor in Charleston, South Carolina. Lincoln called for 75000 militia to join the army. The civil war in 1861 became a reality. Inherent divisions over slavery between the North and the South was the underlying cause for the civil war. Virginia secedes, followed by  North Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas.The war remains the deadliest military conflict in American History in the death of 618000 deaths and many casualties. Lincoln declared that half free and half slave was not the answer to end the rebels’ stand.. After the victory in Antietam by the Union, Lincoln announced Emancipation Proclamation. The Emancipation Proclamation went into the effect on Jan1,1863.

The civil war became the cause for fighting to free the slaves when Northerners were not interested in abolition. The battle of Gettysburg ended in the victory of the Union followed by Atlanta, Nevada. After the Union victory, it made four million African American who had been slaves free as U.S.Citizens and promised them voting rights.)

9.0  What was the day when Abraham Lincoln was shot ?

( Ans:- A Good Friday - April 14, 1865 )

10.0.  Which City is known as New Amsterdam, also as Big Apple

( Ans:- New York )

11.0 (a) If it is 6 a.m. in New York, what is the time in Los Angeles? (b) Which State was once a part of Mexico

(Ans:-(a)  3.00 a.m.;  (b) Texas )

12.0 What is the tallest building in U.S. ?

( Ans:- One World Trade Center in New York City is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere and 4th tallest in the world is 1776 feet high, (541.3M, )104 floors and opened to public on November 3rd, 2014. Second tallest in Western hemisphere is now known as Willis Tower and commonly known as Sears Tower, 1440’ HIGH (442M), 108 floors, built in 1973. There are many more skyscrapers in N.Y. and Chicago making U.S.proud of housing most skyscrapers )

13.0 (a)  Name the only President to have ruled 3 terms ? (b) Who becomes the President if the President and the Vice President die

( Ans:- (a) 32nd U.S.President Franklin D Roosevelt had served three terms from March 4 1933 to April 12 1945. He belonged to the Democratic Party -  was born in Hyde Park, New York.

( b ) The Speaker of the house of the Representatives when the Pres. and vice Pres. die.

14.0 (a) Which three U.S.Presidents find their names as top 3 consistently in the ranking system of scholars and historians ?  (b) Which other Presidents figure in the ranking but do not figure in the system. (c) Which President served in the House of Representatives after the Presidency?  (d) Who served as a Speaker and later as the President ?

(Ans:- (1) Abraham Lincoln (16th President), Franklin D Roosevelt ( 32nd )  George Washington (1st). figure as top three in ranking.

(b) Harry S Truman, Woodrow Wilson, Dwight Eisenhower, James K Polk and  Andrew Jackson are ranked in the second ring.

J.F.Kennedy, R.Reagan, Bill Clinton, tend to be rated among the greatest in public opinion polls but do not figure in the Scholars list.

(c). John Quincy Adams served as the U.S. President from 1825-29. He was also U.S.Representative from Massachusetts during the period 1830-48.

(d).  James K Polk was the Speaker from 1835-39. He became 11th President (1845-49).

15.0  Good Slogans have rhyme, rhythm or alterations to make them memorable. U.S. presidential elections witnessed campaigns of slogans. Do you know some by history?

(Ans:- ( 1 )   We polked you in ‘44. We shall pierce you in 52. This was how Franklin Pierce

campaigned in 1852 to the 1844 elections of fellow Democrat James K Polk as President

(2).” Don’t swap horses when crossing streams” -  Abraham Lincoln employed this slogan to urge the war-weary Nation to remain on course instead of voting challenger  George McLean in 1864.

(3.  “Keep Cool and Keep Coolidge” - Calvin Coolidge employed this winning slogan in 1924

(4). “ We are turning the corner “ - 1932 campaign by Herbert Hoover in the depths of Great Depression.

(5. Washington wouldn't, Grant Couldn't, Roosevelt shouldn't  - this was anti Franklin D'Roosevelt's slogan referring FDR who was running for a third term.

(6).“ I like Ike”, “ I still Ike “ was the popular slogan(s) of Dwight Eisenhower in 1952 and in 1956- the second slogan gave him more favorable win.

(7).“ Morning again in America “ - Ronald  Reagan's campaign in 1984

(8) “ Sunflowers die in November ” - in 1936 Franklin D Roosevelt employed this slogan to counter Alf Landon whose home State was Kansas which state uses Sunflower as its official Flower and November is the month when U.S. presidential election takes place.

(9).  “Yes We Can “  -  Barack Obama in 2008 election

(10). “ Change We can Believe ” - Barack Obama in 2008 )

The campaign ends here and shall we move to the next !

16.0  Presidential Faces of U.S.Currency -  Explain what are in vogue.

( Ans: $1 Note : George Washington ;  $2 Note :- Thomas Jefferson;  $5 Note :- Abraham Lincoln

$20 Note :- Andrew Jackson;  $50 Note:-  Ulysses S. Grant.

The Two non-Presidents on current American currency are:- $10:- Alexander Hamilton;

$10 Note:- Benjamin Franklin

Presidents featured on current coins:- Penny :- Lincoln;  Nickel:- Jefferson;  Dime;- Franklin D. Roosevelt;  Quarter:- George Washington;  Half dollar:- John F. Kennedy )

17.0. Name the 5 Youngest presidents in that order /

( Ans:- Theodore Roosevelt (26th ) - 42Y,10 m ;  John F.Kennedy (35) - 43Y, 7m ,  Bill Clinton 42) - 46Y, 5m,  Ulysses S. Grant (18th) -  46Y, 10m,  Barack Obama (44) - 47 Y,5m )

18.0  Alabama is known as Yellow Hammer State. What are the names for the following States likewise? :- (1) Wisconsin, (2) Virginia, (3) Vermont, (4) Utah, (5) Rhode Island, (6) Oklahoma, (7) North Dakota, (8) New Jersey, ( 9) New Hampshire, (10) Nevada, (11) Montana, (12) Missouri, (13) Maryland, (14)  Georgia, (15) Louisiana

(Ans:- (1) Badger state, (2) Old Dominion state, (3) Green Mountain state, (4) Beehive State, (5) Ocean state, (6) Sooner State, (7) Peace Garden State, (8) Garden State, (9) Granite State, (10) Silver State, (11)Treasure State, (12)  Show Me State, (13) Old Line state , (14) Peach State, (15) Pelican state. )

19.0 The following U.S. Presidents were also referred by another popular names. What are they ?

(A) -  (1) John Adams (2nd President), (2) Thomas Jefferson (3rd), (3) James Monroe (5th), (4) John Quincy Adams (6th), (5) Andrew Jackson (7th), (6) Martin Van Bruce (8th) (7) John Tyler (10th),  (8) William Henry Harrison (9th) Abraham Lincoln, (16th), (10) Ulysses S Grant (18th) :-

(Ans (A):- in the same order:- (1) The Atlas of Independence, (2) The Sage of Monticello, (3) The Last Cooked Hat (4) The Old man eloquence as he taught oratory & rhetoric in Harvard, ( 5) Old Hickory (6) The little Magician (7) His Accidency (8) Old Tippecanoe (9) The Great Emancipator (10) Unconditional Surrender. )

(B) - In the same manner as stated in (A) above in Sl. No.19 -  the question in (B) is framed in the other way, The other referred name of the U.S. Presidents appear first and you have to name their real names:-

(1) Big Steve or Uncle Jumbo, (2) Idol of Ohio, (3) Little Ben, (4) Dubya, (5) The Gipper, (6) Man From Plains, (7) Tricky Dick, (8) Ike, (9) Silent Cal, (10) School Master in Politics (11) "TR" The Trust Buster

( Ans (B):- in the same order :- (1) Grover Cleveland (22nd), (2) William McKinley(25th), (3) Benjamin Harrison (23rd) (4) George Walker Bush (43rd), (5) Ronald Wilson Reagan (40th), (6) James Earl Carter Jr.(39th), (7) Richard Milhous Nixon ( 37th), (8) Dwight David Eisenhower (34th), (9) Calvin Coolidge (30th), (10) Woodrow Wilson, (28th), (11) Theodore Roosevelt (26th). )  

20.0.  Describe the U.S.National Flag with a sketch:-

(Ans:-  The alternate Titles :- Old Glory; Star Spangled Banner, Stars and Stripes

The White Stars stand for 50 States of the Union on a blue canton ;  13 alternate stripes 7 red and 6 white stand for the original 13 States, The flag width to length ratio :- 10 to 19; White signifies:- Purity and Innocence; Red :- Hardiness, Valour;  Blue:- Vigilance, Perseverance and Justice. The Stars and Stripes has long been a focus of patriotic sentiment. See portrait below:-

The Quiz ( level 1 ) " About America " and now the Quiz ( level 2) - " U.S. and U.S. Presidency " are now in your hands. At this context, let me ask what I may say as a ' real ' quiz ' :-

While the right answers would indicate the score for the readers, I am tempted to know from the readers:- " what is your score for the " Quiz Master " ? 

Regards.

pn