3)    Which of these accomplishments did Thomas Jefferson not include in his epitaph?           

  
            A. President of the United States                       POINTS _________   

Jefferson requested that the inscription on his tombstone should read,

“Author of the Declaration of American Independence

of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom

& Father of the University of Virginia

because by these, as testimonials that I have lived,

I wish most to be remembered.”

Rather amazingly, Jefferson did not mention in his epitaph that he had been president of the United States. But, when you have a resume like he did, I guess you have to prioritize, huh?

 4)    Near what major city was the battle of Bunker Hill fought?

A.   Boston                                             POINTS _________

The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought outside of Boston in June of 1775. Actually, it should be called the Battle of Breed’s Hill, as the battle actually took place on Breed’s Hill. There was confusion at the time as to the name of each hill. Regardless, the British won but at a shocking price in casualties. It was here that the Rebels proved themselves worthy of the fight. Behind the brave leadership of Militia Colonel William Prescott of Massachusetts, Connecticut Militia General Israel Putnam, and others, the Americans held their ground much longer than anyone thought. This “success” inspired thousands of everyday Americans to take up the cause of liberty.

5)    On what day did the Continental Congress approve independence from England?

 C. July 2, 1776                                            POINTS _________

Surprised? Many people believe that independence was approved on July 4^th, but that was actually the day that the formal Declaration of Independence was approved. On July 2, 1776, the resolution “that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states” was approved unanimously by 12 colonies, with New York abstaining. New York approved the Declaration on July 9^th.

6)    How many men signed the Declaration on July 4, 1776?

A. One                                                          POINTS _________

John Hancock alone signed the first copy of the Declaration on the 4^th. On July 19^th, it was “Resolved that the Declaration passed on the 4^th be fairly engrossed on parchment” and signed by every member. It seems that the Declaration was signed by 50 members of Congress, including Hancock, on August 2, 1776. George Wythe of Virginia signed around August 27^th; Richard Henry Lee, Elbridge Gerry, and Oliver Wolcott in September; Colonel Thomas McKean of Delaware in October; and Matthew Thornton of New Hampshire in November when he took his seat in Congress and was granted permission to sign the document. In all, the Declaration was signed by 56 men.

7)    In what city did the first Continental Congress meet?

 D. Philadelphia                                         POINTS _________

 The Continental Congress met in Philadelphia in Independence Hall, formerly known at the Pennsylvania State House. It is here that the Declaration of Independence was adopted, as well as the United States Constitution.

8)    In what country was the original Liberty Bell cast?

 C. England                                                POINTS _________

 The Liberty Bell was cast in England in 1751 at the request of the Pennsylvania Assembly to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of William Penn’s 1701 Charter of Privileges, Pennsylvania’s original Constitution. The Assembly had Leviticus 25:10 inscribed on the bell: “Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.” This was particularly appropriate because the first part of this verse says, “And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year.”

 9)    Why was John Hancock the first to sign the Declaration?

 C. He was president of Congress               POINTS _________

 As president of Congress, Hancock signed the Declaration first. Charles Thompson of Pennsylvania was secretary of the Congress. It is said that Hancock signed his name so large so that the king could read his signature without his glasses.

10)  Where did the “shot heard ‘round the world” take place?

 C. Lexington                                             POINTS _________

 America’s war for Independence began on April 19, 1775 on the grounds of Lexington, Massachusetts. The British army marched toward Lexington and Concord with the intent of seizing large stocks of colonial munitions in an effort to squash the rebellion, as well as attempting to capture John Hancock and Samuel Adams, who were in the area. However, the British regulars were met on the way by a group of Colonial Minutemen. No one knows for sure who fired the first shot, but it has since been known as the “shot heard ‘round the world” and officially began the American Revolutionary War.

How are you doing so far? Total up your score for the multiple choice portion of the quiz now. You are having fun though, right?

                                             MULTIPLE CHOICE TOTAL POINTS _________

Essay Questions (10 points each)

 11)  What was ironic about the deaths of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams?

They both died on the 50^th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, on July 4, 1826. Adams died a few hours after Jefferson.

                                                                                                       POINTS _________

 12)  Who were the five men appointed to the Committee charged with the task of drafting the Declaration?

               Thomas Jefferson of Virginia

              John Adams of Massachusetts

              Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania

                               Roger Sherman of Connecticut

                               Robert Livingston of New York

Interestingly, Robert Livingston did not sign the Declaration. Although a supporter of the document, he apparently did not feel free to sign, since New York had originally abstained from approving the vote for independence.

Give yourself 2 points for each committee member you were able to name. You at least got Jefferson, right? Well, there’s two points – just like a slam dunk in basketball!

                                                                     POINTS _________

  
13)  Who were the only two signers of the Declaration not given the opportunity for pardon by British?

                 John Hancock and Samuel Adams

 In 1775, General Thomas Gage offered this general pardon:

 “I do hereby in his Majesty's name, offer and promise, his most gracious pardon in all who shall forthwith lay down their arms, and return to the duties of peaceable subjects, excepting only from the benefit of such pardon, Samuel Adams and John Hancock, whose offences are of too flagitious a nature to admit of any other consideration about that of punishments.”

Mr. Hancock and Mr. Adams were vocal opponents of several laws passed by the British Parliament. Their stance helped to ignite the flames of independence amongst the Colonists. These two men were in Concord in April of 1775 when the British came marching to town. Warned by Paul Revere of the coming soldiers, Adams and Hancock narrowly escaped capture. Many in England referred to the war as “Mr. Adams’ War.”

By the way, none of the signers of the Declaration recanted or accepted the general pardon. In doing so, they became highly visible targets for the British Army.

Give yourself 5 points for each name you listed correctly.

                                                                                 POINTS _________

 14)  Do you find the phrase “separation of church and state” in the Declaration of Independence or in the U.S. Constitution?

                Neither!

So why do we have the Ten Commandments engraved on the wall of the Supreme Court, yet courts today rule that these same Ten Commandments can’t be displayed on public property? Because of the misapplication of an out-of-context portion of a personal letter, that’s why.

Let me explain – this phrase actually comes from a letter that Thomas Jefferson wrote to the Danbury Baptist Association in 1802, just after he became the third president of the United States. The church was worried about Jefferson, the first Anti-Federalist president, and his position on the First Amendment. They knew that he had been in France during the debate on the First Amendment and wanted to know where he stood. They were worried that a strong Federal Government would attempt to establish a state church, such as The Church of England. Mr. Jefferson responded to them:

“Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature ‘would make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between church and state.” 

As you can tell from the context, Jefferson meant to assure the Baptists that the government would stay out of the church. This phrase of his letter was misapplied in the 1947 case of Everson v. Board of Education to mean that the church was to stay out of the government. This opened the floodgate for decades of court rulings that have struck down religious activities and expressions which had been considered constitutional since the country’s founding.

If you got this one right, give yourself 10 points and a big pat on the back.

                                        POINTS _________

15)  What three things did the signers of the Declaration mutually pledge together (in the last line of the Declaration)?

                  Our Lives

                 Our Fortunes

                        Our Sacred Honor

Thomas Jefferson’s original draft lacked a phrase that the signers required be added before they would sign the Declaration. They knew that when they signed the document, they would be the highest targets of the British Army. In order to literally pledge their lives, fortunes and sacred honor, they thought it necessary to add the phrase “with a firm reliance upon the protection of Divine Providence.” With dependance upon God, they now felt comfortable doing what they knew was right. So, the final sentence now reads:

“And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”

I guess you should give yourself 3.33 points for each of the three pledges that you correctly listed.

                                                                                                      POINTS _________

Now, wasn’t that fun? I hope so. If you are interested in some more amazing information about our Founding Fathers, sign up for the Ancient Paths e-newsletter (sign up form below)!

Now …

                         GET YOUR FINAL SCORE

                          Multiple Choice Points        __________

                          Essay Points                     __________

                          TOTAL SCORE                 __________

How do you stack up? Take a look at the Grading Scale

Grading Scale

Well, no matter what you scored, I hope that you enjoyed the quiz and learned some interesting facts along the way. If you would like to learn more about the founding of the United States, the Declaration of Independence, and our Founding Fathers, please sign up for my e-newsletter entitled, Ancient Paths. I’ll explain the name in your first e-mail. Sign up here –