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Happy Independence Day and weekend to my fellow citizens of the USA! For your holiday enjoyment I have put together (1) a brief but challenging trivia quiz and (2) a book recommendation for the occasion. Answers to the quiz are provided after the book recommendation. As a special bonus this holiday weekend I’m also including, via the menu-tab above called “July 4 Tribute,” the full text of Longfellow’s poem about our Mr. Paul Revere’s ride.
Trivia Quiz
- What thirteen colonies existed as of July 4, 1776?
- Which one or more of these events occurred in the same year as the signing of the Declaration of Independence? (a) The Boston Tea Party; (b) The Stamp Act; (c) publication of Paine’s “Common Sense”; (d) the famous ride of Paul Revere
- Which of the following clauses or phrases did NOT appear in the Declaration of Independence? (a) We the People of the United States; (b) Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness; (c) We hold these truths to be self-evident; (d) When, in the course of human events
- In the painting by John Trumbull pictured here (titled Signing of the Declaration of Independence, 1776), who are the five men standing just in front of the table, and who is the man seated on the other side?
Book Apropos of the Fourth of July Holiday
There are probably a gazillion books apropos to this holiday, but I think probably the most current, complete, easiest to read would be 1776 by David McCullough, available in paperback. The book trailer below was created by the publisher, Simon & Schuster. Full disclosure: I have not read this book. But it really sounds great, don’t you think?
Answers to Trivia Quiz
1: Massachusetts Bay (would become the states of Massachusetts/MA and Maine/ME), NH, CT, NY, RI, NJ, PA, VA, MD, DE, NC, SC, GA
2: Only item c, but if you’d like to be reminded about all these items, click through on the following links:
Boston Tea Party
The Stamp Act
Paine’s Common Sense
Paul Revere’s Ride
3: Item a (that is in our Constitution)
4: Standing in front of table, L to R, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert R. Livingston, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin; seated at table is John Hancock. A listing of all the participants portrayed appears in Wikipedia’s entry Trumbull’s Declaration of Independence
