USA History
USA Miscellaneous
Food History
Fireworks
St. Augustine History
100
What was the USA called before it was the United States of America?
The Thirteen Colonies
British America
The United Colonies
100
What is the national symbol and bird of America?
The Bald Eagle
It was suggested in 1782 by Charles Thomson, secretary of the Continental Congress and successfully voted in. Benjamin Franklin famously disagreed, and suggested the Wild Turkey instead.
100
There are seven regions that make up the "Barbecue Belt" in the U.S. - name some (or all) of them!
Texas, The Carolinas, Kentucky, Alabama, Missouri (Kansas City) and Tennessee (Memphis).
100
Which color is the hardest to produce in fireworks?
A.) Red
B.) White
C.) Blue
D.) Green
C.) Blue
The copper compound responsible for producing the blue color is a very temperature sensitive gas - it must be heated to a very high heat to emit the blue color, but if the temperature gets too high, it dims the color.
100
True or False: St. Augustine sided against the patriots during the American Revolution.
True!
During this time, Florida was divided into East and West Florida, with East Florida remaining loyal to Britain and St. Augustine serving as its loyalist capital city from 1763-1783, when it was returned to Spain via the Treaty of Paris.
200
The USA declared independence from Britain in on July 4th, 1776, but when was it "officially recognized" by Britain as such?
September 3rd, 1783
The Treaty of Paris was signed this day, ending the Revolutionary War with Britain finally recognizing the USA as an independent nation.
200
What is the name of the United States National Anthem?
Bonus: Who wrote it?
The Star Spangled Banner - it was written by Francis Scott Key in 1814.
200
True or False: American BBQ has Caribbean and Native American roots.
True!
The technique of adding sauce to the meat as it cooks came from British colonists adopting this Caribbean technique of basting.
The first indigenous tribes Christopher Columbus encountered on the island he named Hispaniola had developed a unique method for cooking meat over an indirect flame, created using green wood to keep the food (and wood) from burning. The Spanish referred to this new style of cooking as barbacoa - the original barbecue.
200
True or False: The first fireworks set off in celebration of Independence Day began on the day itself, July 4th, 1776.
True!
Col. Thomas Craft of the Sons of Liberty is said to have fired off fireworks and shells over Boston Common - However, the tradition of officially organized fireworks displays for the holiday began the year after in 1777.
200
What nickname did St. Augustine (East Florida) earn during this time period due to its British Loyalism?
Hint: "The ___ Colony"
The 14th Colony.
300
How many people signed the Declaration of Independence?
A.) 48
B.) 53
C.) 56
C.) 56
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300
True or False: The first ever American Flag had 13 stars and 13 stripes, representing the 13 colonies.
False
That flag design was adopted in 1777, but the first American flag was called both the "Grand Union" flag and the "Continental Colors", and had 13 stripes but featured the British Union Jack in the top left.
300
What was the typical meat used in barbecue in early America?
Pork
Pigs were inexpensive and easier to raise than beef, making pork widely accessible to many.
300
Fireworks were originally invented in what country?
Bonus: When?
China - the very first primitive fireworks originated around 200 B.C., by throwing hollow bamboo stalks into fires. However, they created the first manufactured fireworks around 600-900 A.D. by filling hollow bamboo stalks with an early "gunpowder."
Modern colored fireworks were invented in Italy in the 1830s.
300
Presently, St. Augustine is famous for its 4th of July firework display over the Castillo de San Marcos - but this wasn't always the case.
When did St. Augustine first begin to celebrate Independence Day?
a.) 1847
b.) 1822
c.) 1796
b.) 1822
The city first began its Independence Day celebrations with simple bonfires and gatherings in 1822, and for the first time as a US State in 1845.
400
True or False: Only two people actually signed the official Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
False!
The vote was had to approve it on July 4, 1776, and before it was published in the papers, president John Hancock and secretary Charles Thomson of the Continental Congress had their names printed in endorsement. On August 2nd, 1776, after it was unanimously accepted, Congress declared a handwritten and signed copy be created, and all but one signed it that day.
400
The Statue of Liberty (including the base) is how tall?
A.) 285 feet
B.) 295 feet
C.) 305 feet
C.) 305 feet
400
This popular dessert was introduced to early settlers by Dutch Immigrants in the 1700s, and became an American food symbol of patriotism.
Apple Pie
It even appears in "American Cookery", a cookbook published in 1796 by Amelia Simmons, which is considered the first cookbook written by an American author and published in the United States.
400
Which company is the largest consumer of fireworks in the world?
Hint: This is the person/company that created Mickey Mouse
Walt Disney
400
St. Augustine residents burned effigies of which two famous revolutionary leaders?
John Hancock & Samuel Adams.
500
Name the the members of the "Committee of Five" appointed to draft the Declaration of Independence on June 11, 1776.
John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston.
500
True or False: The USA has no federally declared official language.
True!
While many states have their own legislation designating English as the official language, there is technically no official language at the federal level in the USA.
500
What soup is said to have been eaten by John Adams in celebration of the 4th?
a.) Pea Soup
b.) Turtle Soup
c.) Beef Stew
b.) Turtle Soup
This was a surprisingly common summertime soup staple, particularly during early celebrations of the holiday, until the turtle species became threatened in the early-mid 1800s.
500
True or False: All of the different firework shapes have their own names.
True! Some examples:
500
Three (less-famous) signers of the Declaration of Independence were held prisoner in St. Augustine. Who were they?
Thomas Heyward, Jr., Arthur Middleton, and Edward Rutledge.
They were imprisoned for a year until they were released in a prisoner exchange in 1781. Famously, on July 4, 1781, Thomas Heyward, Jr. penned his own verses to the tune of "God Save the King," titling it "God Save the Thirteen States"