# U.S. History trivia quiz

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [October 26, 2007, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091 "2007-10-26T12:09:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 28

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**Author:** ![denquixote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@denquixote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/denquixote)\
**Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/541 "2007-11-17T10:32:53Z")

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[QUOTE=Siam Sam]  
No, it’s Egypt, whose capital was named after President Joel Cairo.

“Our private conversations have not been such that I am anxious to continue them. Forgive me for speaking so bluntly, but i is the truth.”

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**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/542 "2007-11-18T02:56:27Z")

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How well do you know the U.S. Constitution?

1. Hamilton argued that this portion of the Constitution, the “\_\_\_\_\_ \_\_\_\_ \_\_\_\_\_\_ \_\_\_\_\_\_,” authorized the Federal government to do more than what was spelled out in the document.
2. The Executive Branch’s powers and responsibilities are set forth in Article \_\_\_\_.
3. Which of these principles is explicitly set forth in the Constitution as originally approved in 1787: no state has the right to secede; the judiciary may review and overturn legislative acts; the Supreme Court shall have a particular number of justices; treaties have the same force of law as Acts of Congress; there shall be no cruel or unusual punishment.
4. How many proposed constitutional amendments have been introduced in Congress?
5. What is one specifically-provided-for method of amending the Constitution which has never been tried?

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**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/543 "2007-11-18T02:59:18Z")

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Hey! My last one was #292. ☹

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**Author:** ![denquixote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@denquixote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/denquixote)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/544 "2007-11-18T03:08:02Z")

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1. Judicial review of legislative acts was Marbury v. Madison was it not? So it must not have been explicit in the Constitution. Cruel and unusual punishment is prohibited by the 8th Amendment so not in the original Constitution; on the issue of secession I think the Civil war was fought over that so i would guess it is not explicitly denied. Treaties do have the same force of law as acts of Congress and I believe that is in the original Constitution, the rest no.

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**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/545 "2007-11-18T23:00:19Z")

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[QUOTE=denquixote]  
294. Judicial review of legislative acts was Marbury v. Madison was it not? So it must not have been explicit in the Constitution. Cruel and unusual punishment is prohibited by the 8th Amendment so not in the original Constitution; on the issue of secession I think the Civil war was fought over that so i would guess it is not explicitly denied. Treaties do have the same force of law as acts of Congress and I believe that is in the original Constitution, the rest no.  
[/QUOTE]

Right you are.

And my apologies, **Siam Sam** - I did indeed misnumber my questions.

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**Author:** ![Julius\_Henry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8797f3/32.png) [@Julius\_Henry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Julius_Henry)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/546 "2007-11-19T00:44:15Z")

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[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir]  
293. The Executive Branch’s powers and responsibilities are set forth in Article \_\_\_\_.  
[/quote]

Article 2.

[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir]  
295. How many proposed constitutional amendments have been introduced in Congress?  
[/quote]

Is there any way to determine this short of reading every page of The Congressional Record? Amendments get introduced in Congress with alarming frequency. Very few get sent to the states.

[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir]  
296. What is one specifically-provided-for method of amending the Constitution which has never been tried?  
[/QUOTE]

A Convention.

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**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/547 "2007-11-19T04:55:45Z")

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[QUOTE=Julius Henry]  
[293.] Article 2.

[295.] Is there any way to determine this short of reading every page of The Congressional Record? Amendments get introduced in Congress with alarming frequency. Very few get sent to the states.

[296.] A Convention.  
[/QUOTE]

1. Correct.
2. I’m thinking of a round number which I read once in a book about failed amendments. Come as close you can in your guess.
3. Correct.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![denquixote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@denquixote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/denquixote)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/548 "2007-11-19T13:39:21Z")

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1. This ventriloquist was also an inventor who donated an artificial heart he invented to the University of Utah, for research, where the Jarvik-7 artificial heart was invented. Who was he?

2. When this irascible former champion golfer saw his age misprinted in the paper he accosted the author of the article and complained. The author responded that it was a typographical error. The golfer then said “typographical my a\*\* it was a perfect 5 and a perfect 9.” Who was he?

3. Name the star, his character’s name and the name of the 1950’s series about an FBI agent who infiltrated the Communist party.

4. Name the owner of the steel mill where the Homestead strike took place where many strikers and strike-breaking Pinkertons were killed.

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**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/549 "2007-11-19T16:17:29Z")

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Just to clarify, **denquixote** ’s post shows still-unanswered questions.

Death and taxes…

1. What first name did the first two soldiers buried in Arlington National Cemetery share?
2. How many pages was the first IRS tax form?
3. What was the name of the horse which was in JFK’s funeral parade with boots symbolically reversed in the stirrups?
4. Before the Civil War, what was the source of the great majority of the Federal government’s revenue?
5. What were George Washington’s last words?

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**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/550 "2007-11-19T16:38:15Z")

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[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir]  
Just to clarify, **denquixote** ’s post shows still-unanswered questions.

Death and taxes…

1. Before the Civil War, what was the source of the great majority of the Federal government’s revenue?  
[/QUOTE]

2. Import Tariffs, IIRC.

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**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/551 "2007-11-19T16:39:25Z")

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1. Andrew Carnegie
2. Tariffs, although I think there were a few years when land sales were right up there too.

Somebody please post the answer to #299 because I can’t remember and it’s driving me nuts.

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**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/552 "2007-11-19T17:01:33Z")

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[QUOTE=OtakuLoki]  
300. Import Tariffs, IIRC.  
[/QUOTE]

Correct ( **Freddy the Pig** got it, too). That’s why the Federal patronage post of Collector of the Port of New York (held by Chester Arthur, among others) was so prized.

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**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/553 "2007-11-20T03:00:44Z")

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[QUOTE=denquixote]  
245. This ventriloquist was also an inventor who donated an artificial heart he invented to the University of Utah, for research, where the Jarvik-7 artificial heart was invented. Who was he?

1. When this irascible former champion golfer saw his age misprinted in the paper he accosted the author of the article and complained. The author responded that it was a typographical error. The golfer then said “typographical my a\*\* it was a perfect 5 and a perfect 9.” Who was he?

2. Name the star, his character’s name and the name of the 1950’s series about an FBI agent who infiltrated the Communist party.

[/QUOTE]

1. Paul Winchell

2. Walter Hagan?

3. Don’t know the actor, the character was Matt Cvetic or something similar, and the program is “I Was A Communist For The FBI”

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![denquixote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@denquixote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/denquixote)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/554 "2007-11-20T04:15:46Z")

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[QUOTE=Freddy the Pig]  
289. Andrew Carnegie  
300. Tariffs, although I think there were a few years when land sales were right up there too.

Somebody please post the answer to #299 because I can’t remember and it’s driving me nuts.  
[/QUOTE]

1. correct

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![denquixote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@denquixote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/denquixote)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/555 "2007-11-20T04:17:50Z")

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[QUOTE=Governor Quinn]  
245. Paul Winchell

1. Walter Hagan?

2. Don’t know the actor, the character was Matt Cvetic or something similar, and the program is “I Was A Communist For The FBI”  
[/QUOTE]

3. correct

4. wrong

5. I can’t prove you are wrong, but not the answer I was looking for.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![denquixote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@denquixote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/denquixote)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/556 "2007-11-20T04:21:17Z")

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1. Riderless horse - Blackjack?

2. Washington’s last words - “Read my lips, no new taxes?”

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![denquixote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@denquixote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/denquixote)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/557 "2007-11-20T04:30:41Z")

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1. There … was … a … BRIDGE?

Just guessing now, obviously.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/558 "2007-11-20T17:31:32Z")

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What never-to-be-forgotten catch phrase, beloved of impersonators, did the given politician utter on the given day?

1. Bill Clinton, January 26, 1998
2. Bill Clinton, March 26, 1992
3. George H.W. Bush, August 18, 1988
4. Ronald Reagan, June 12, 1987
5. Ronald Reagan, October 28, 1980
6. Richard Nixon, November 17, 1973

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/559 "2007-11-20T17:36:19Z")

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[QUOTE=Freddy the Pig]  
What never-to-be-forgotten catch phrase, beloved of impersonators, did the given politician utter on the given day?  
304. George H.W. Bush, August 18, 1988  
[/quote]

Read my lips, no nude…err…new taxes!

> [@](#):
>
> 1. Richard Nixon, November 17, 1973

I am not a crook. \<shake jowls\>

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![5\_time\_champ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/278dde/32.png) [@5\_time\_champ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5_time_champ)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/560 "2007-11-20T18:29:41Z")

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1. Bill Clinton, January 26, 1998  
**It depends on what your definition of is, is**

2. Bill Clinton, March 26, 1992  
**I intend to focus with laser-like intensity on the Economy**

3. Richard Nixon, November 17, 1973  
More precisely **Americans want to know if their president is a crook. Well, I am not a crook.**

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