# U.S. History trivia quiz **URL:** \ **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:** 53
**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:** [January 17, 2008, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1041 "2008-01-17T16:19:38Z")
Thanks, **OtakuLoki** , for those answers. I’d wondered about the WW2 ship nicknames, in particular. Ever read _The Desperate Hours_? It’s a so-so book about the _Squalus_ disaster. White House staff. 1. William Clark, Reagan’s first national security advisor, kept this nickname/title from a previous gig. 2. This Truman aide and well-connected Washington “fixer” served as LBJ’s second and last SecDef. 3. This Bush 41 OMB director was criticized for his ego and arrogance. 4. He was JFK’s press secretary and later served briefly, by appointment, as a U.S. senator before returning to journalism. 5. Capricia Penavic Marshall held this title late in the Clinton Administration. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1042 "2008-01-17T16:32:03Z")
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] Ever read _The Desperate Hours_? It’s a so-so book about the _Squalus_ disaster. [/QUOTE] No, I haven’t. Actually, it wasn’t until a few years ago when I caught a show about it, and Momsen, on the Discovery Channel that I’d ever heard of it. When my to be read pile gets a little lower I’ll have to start looking for it. Even a so-so book on that should be pretty interesting. ---
**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:** [January 17, 2008, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1043 "2008-01-17T20:22:52Z")
Ooops. I see it’s actually _The Terrible Hours_. The other book is about the _Andrea Doria_ sinking, actually. ---
**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:** [January 17, 2008, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1044 "2008-01-17T23:57:38Z")
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] 1. He was JFK’s press secretary and later served briefly, by appointment, as a U.S. senator before returning to journalism. [/QUOTE] Pierre Salinger. ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1045 "2008-01-18T05:56:47Z")
684: George Washington, in his farewell address to Congress, I think 685: Robert E. Lee’s dying words ---
**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:** [January 18, 2008, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1046 "2008-01-18T15:32:32Z")
[QUOTE=movingfinger] 684: George Washington, in his farewell address to Congress, I think 685: Robert E. Lee’s dying words [/QUOTE] **Julius Henry** , that’s correct. 1. Yes, it was Washington, but it was actually in an address to his fractious officers in Newburgh, N.Y., when they were considering marching on Congress in 1783, IIRC, to demand long-overdue back pay. His gentle reminder of the sacrifices they’d all made took the wind out of their sails, and the army peacefully disbanded. 2. Correct. Historic American flags. 1. This John Paul Jones flag was named after the British warship he defeated; the design was originally noted only in Dutch shipping records. 2. What distinguished the third official Confederate “national” flag from the second? 3. What four words appeared on the flags flown by the privateers commissioned by Gen. Washington? 4. The \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ state flag is the only one which has different front and back images. 5. The Bunker Hill flag bore a solid field of either red or blue (historians aren’t sure), a cross of St. George, and a \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1047 "2008-01-18T15:42:56Z")
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] 693. This John Paul Jones flag was named after the British warship he defeated; the design was originally noted only in Dutch shipping records. 694. What distinguished the third official Confederate “national” flag from the second? 695. What four words appeared on the flags flown by the privateers commissioned by Gen. Washington? 696. The \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ state flag is the only one which has different front and back images. 697. The Bunker Hill flag bore a solid field of either red or blue (historians aren’t sure), a cross of St. George, and a \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. [/QUOTE] 1. Serapis (?) 2. It was rectangular rather than square. 3. In God We Trust. 4. A fir tree. ---
**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:** [January 18, 2008, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1048 "2008-01-18T17:53:54Z")
[QUOTE=Really Not All That Bright] 693. Serapis (?) 694. It was rectangular rather than square. 695. In God We Trust. 697. A fir tree. [/QUOTE] 1. Yes 2. No 3. Nope 4. Yup! ---
**Author:** ![Enterprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/76d3ee/32.png) [@Enterprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enterprise)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1049 "2008-01-18T19:06:03Z")
[QUOTE=Enterprise] U.S. Navy tidbits: 652. He was the only person to sign all four: the Articles of Association, Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation and U.S. Constitution. 653. These three Rear-Admirals were awarded Medals of Honor in World War II. [/QUOTE] 1. Roger Sherman of Connecticut. 2. Admirals Isaac Kidd, Pearl Harbor, Callaghan & Scott, Guadalcanal. > [@](#): > > Ship nicknames: > 657. “Blue Swan” > 658. “Holiday Raider” > 659. “The Mighty Moo” > 661. “Swayback Maru” 1. USS _Honolulu_, a _Brooklyn_-class light cruiser. 2. USS _Bunker Hill_ 3. USS _Cowpens_ 4. USS _Salt Lake City_ ---
**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:** [January 19, 2008, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1050 "2008-01-19T00:21:11Z")
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] 1. What distinguished the third official Confederate “national” flag from the second? [/quote] A vertical red stripe on the white field which was added so the CSA flag would not look like a white flag of surrender. [QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] 1. What four words appeared on the flags flown by the privateers commissioned by Gen. Washington? [/QUOTE] “Don’t tread on me.” ---
**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:** [January 19, 2008, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1051 "2008-01-19T04:13:43Z")
[QUOTE=Julius Henry] [694.] A vertical red stripe on the white field which was added so the CSA flag would not look like a white flag of surrender. [695.] “Don’t tread on me.” [/QUOTE] 1. Correct. 2. Incorrect, although other flags of the period bore that warning. ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2008, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1052 "2008-01-19T05:38:47Z")
696: The flag of Oregon has a different reverse side from the obverse 698: What state flag prominently displays the flag of a foreign country? ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2008, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1053 "2008-01-19T06:02:03Z")
[QUOTE=movingfinger] 698: What state flag prominently displays the flag of a foreign country? [/QUOTE] 1. I can think of two candidates. I’m going to go with Hawaii. ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2008, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1054 "2008-01-19T07:19:59Z")
Yup, Hawaii’s flag prominently features the British Union Jack ---
**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:** [January 19, 2008, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1055 "2008-01-19T16:33:41Z")
[QUOTE=movingfinger] 696: The flag of Oregon has a different reverse side from the obverse… [/QUOTE] Correct. A dark blue flag, with the state seal in gold on one side, and a beaver, also in gold, on the other. ---
**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:** [January 20, 2008, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1056 "2008-01-20T01:52:58Z")
[QUOTE=movingfinger] Yup, Hawaii’s flag prominently features the British Union Jack [/QUOTE] Dang! Wish I’d seen that in time. That’s my old stomping grounds. No one knows for sure how the flag ended up like that, but it no doubt harks back to the days of Maui being such a whaling center. ---
**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:** [January 20, 2008, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1057 "2008-01-20T04:24:10Z")
[QUOTE=Siam Sam] Dang! Wish I’d seen that in time. That’s my old stomping grounds. No one knows for sure how the flag ended up like that, but it no doubt harks back to the days of Maui being such a whaling center. [/QUOTE] IIRC, back when it was the Sandwich Islands but still under local rule, they wanted to include symbols in their flag from the both the UK (the Union Jack) and the US (the stripes) to placate both countries, but not commit to either. The War and, later, Defense Department. 1. This SecWar considered creating a U.S. Camel Corps for duty in the deserts of the American Southwest. 2. This SecDef was so wily he was dubbed “the Richelieu of the Cheese Belt.” 3. This is the ring of the Pentagon in which the SecDef has his offices. 4. Other than the Defense Department, of what three other Cabinet departments has the Coast Guard been a part since its creation? 5. Which uniformed military service was the last to have its own intelligence branch? ---
**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:** [January 20, 2008, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1058 "2008-01-20T05:08:27Z")
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] IIRC, back when it was the Sandwich Islands but still under local rule, they wanted to include symbols in their flag from the both the UK (the Union Jack) and the US (the stripes) to placate both countries, but not commit to either. [/QUOTE] That’s one of several possible explanations, but no one knows for sure the true story. While I was living in Honolulu, you’d see this crop up in the newspapers every few months or so, with the merits of each explanation debated, then disappear again for another few months.. ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1059 "2008-01-20T05:55:09Z")
702: Transportation, Treasury and–I’m guessing here–Interior? ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091/1060 "2008-01-20T10:05:39Z")
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] 699. This SecWar considered creating a U.S. Camel Corps for duty in the deserts of the American Southwest. [/QUOTE] 1. Jefferson Davis. AIUI, he not only considered it, but started one, on a test scale, at least. (Thank you, **Sampiro** ) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091.md?page=52) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-history-trivia-quiz/424091.md?page=54)