Quiz of the Day
US 250th Birthday
Saturday, 4 July 2026
American Semiquincentennial — 250 years of US history, founding fathers, Declaration trivia
1. In what year was the Declaration of Independence adopted by the Continental Congress?
- 1778
- 1776
- 1775
- 1774
The Declaration was actually voted on and approved on July 2, 1776. July 4th is when the final wording was agreed upon. John Adams wrote to his wife that July 2nd would be 'the most memorable epoch in the history of America' — he was off by two days.
2. Who was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence?
- John Adams
- Benjamin Franklin
- Thomas Jefferson
- George Washington
Jefferson wrote the first draft in just 17 days while staying in a boarding house in Philadelphia. He was only 33 years old at the time. Benjamin Franklin and John Adams made edits, and Congress cut about a quarter of the original text.
3. How many of the original 13 colonies had to approve the Declaration for it to pass?
- 7 (simple majority)
- 12 (all but one)
- 13 (unanimous)
- 9 (two-thirds)
New York's delegates abstained on July 2nd because they hadn't yet received permission from their state assembly. They formally approved it on July 9th, making the vote eventually unanimous among all 13 colonies.
4. Which founding father served as the first President of the United States?
- Benjamin Franklin
- George Washington
- John Adams
- Thomas Jefferson
Washington was elected unanimously by the Electoral College — the only president in US history to achieve this. He set the precedent of a two-term limit, which wasn't made law until the 22nd Amendment in 1951, after FDR won four terms.
5. What famous phrase opens the Declaration of Independence?
- In order to form a more perfect Union
- Four score and seven years ago
- When in the Course of human events
- We the People of the United States
'We the People' actually opens the Constitution, written 11 years later in 1787. The Declaration's most famous line — 'all men are created equal' — has been described by Abraham Lincoln as 'the electric cord' that links all Americans together.
6. Which founding father is known for his famous kite experiment with lightning?
- Thomas Paine
- Benjamin Franklin
- James Madison
- Alexander Hamilton
Franklin's 1752 experiment proved lightning was electrical, leading to his invention of the lightning rod. He was also the oldest signer of the Declaration at age 70, and the only founding father to sign all four major documents of early America.
7. The Liberty Bell, an iconic symbol of American independence, is cracked. When did it reportedly crack?
- During the Civil War in 1863
- While ringing for George Washington's birthday in 1846
- When it was first cast in 1752
- During the signing of the Declaration
The bell had actually cracked once before when first tested in 1752 and was recast twice. The famous visible crack developed over time and was widened by a repair attempt. The bell hasn't been rung since 1846 — it's now gently tapped on special occasions.
8. How many people signed the Declaration of Independence?
- 74
- 13
- 39
- 56
Most delegates signed on August 2, 1776, not July 4th. The youngest signer was Edward Rutledge at 26, and the oldest was Benjamin Franklin at 70. By signing, they committed treason against Britain — punishable by death.
9. Which amendment to the US Constitution abolished slavery?
- The 19th Amendment
- The 10th Amendment
- The 1st Amendment
- The 13th Amendment
Ratified in 1865, the 13th Amendment ended legal slavery in the US. Mississippi didn't officially ratify it until 1995, and that ratification wasn't formally filed with the federal government until 2013 — 148 years after it became law.
10. Which founding father is featured on the US $10 bill?
- Alexander Hamilton
- John Adams
- James Madison
- Thomas Jefferson
Hamilton was the first Secretary of the Treasury and established the US financial system. He was famously killed in a duel by Vice President Aaron Burr in 1804. The 2015 Broadway musical 'Hamilton' renewed massive public interest in his life story.
11. What did the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 do for the United States?
- Established the first national bank
- Created the Bill of Rights
- Nearly doubled the size of the country
- Ended the war with France
The US purchased 828,000 square miles from Napoleon's France for $15 million — roughly 4 cents per acre. Napoleon needed the money to fund his European wars. It remains one of the greatest real estate bargains in history.
12. In what year did women gain the right to vote in the United States through a constitutional amendment?
- 1920
- 1910
- 1930
- 1900
The 19th Amendment was ratified on August 18, 1920, after a 72-year campaign. The decisive vote came from Tennessee, where 24-year-old legislator Harry Burn changed his vote to 'yes' after his mother wrote him a letter urging him to 'be a good boy.'
13. Which president delivered the Gettysburg Address during the Civil War?
- Andrew Johnson
- Abraham Lincoln
- James Buchanan
- Ulysses S. Grant
Lincoln's speech lasted just over two minutes — about 272 words. The main speaker that day, Edward Everett, spoke for two hours before Lincoln. Everett later wrote to Lincoln: 'I wish I could flatter myself that I had come as near to the central idea of the occasion in two hours as you did in two minutes.'
14. What year was the US Constitution ratified, replacing the Articles of Confederation?
- 1783
- 1788
- 1791
- 1776
The Constitution was written in just 116 days during the summer of 1787 in Philadelphia. At 4,543 words, it is the shortest written national constitution of any major government in the world. It has been amended only 27 times in over 230 years.
15. What term describes the 250th anniversary that the United States celebrates on July 4, 2026?
- Semiquincentennial
- Bicentennial
- Tercentenary
- Sesquicentennial
The last major milestone was the Bicentennial in 1976, which featured tall ships sailing into New York Harbor and the largest fireworks display in history at the time. The 2026 Semiquincentennial is expected to be the biggest celebration in a generation.