The Reagans
The Great Depression
Deserts of the World
First Ladies
Obscure American History
100

What pseudonym did Ronald Reagan use when checking into hospitals and hotels during his presidency?

John Barletta

100

What year did the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act pass, which significantly worsened the global economic downturn by raising U.S. tariffs on thousands of imported goods?

1930

100

What is the largest non-polar desert in the world by area?

The Sahara Desert

100

Which First Lady was the first to hold regular press conferences and was an advocate for civil rights, women’s issues, and the United Nations?

Eleanor Roosevelt

100

What was the name of the short-lived independent republic that existed in northern California in 1846?

The Bear Flag Republic

200

What was Nancy Reagan's maiden name before she was adopted by her stepfather?

Anne Frances Robbins

200

Which American economist famously warned against raising interest rates in 1929, advice that was largely ignored by the Federal Reserve?

Irving Fisher

200

Which cold desert spans parts of Mongolia and northern China and is known for its harsh winters and extreme temperature variations?

The Gobi Desert

200

Who was the only First Lady to be born outside the United States?

Melania Trump

200

Which U.S. President had a patent for a device to lift boats over shoals and obstructions in a river?

Abraham Lincoln

300

Which 1942 film featured Ronald Reagan in a role that he often said was his favorite performance?

Kings Row

300

What environmental disaster during the Great Depression devastated the Great Plains and led to a mass migration to California?

The Dust Bowl

300

What desert, considered the oldest in the world, is located along the Atlantic coast of southern Africa?

The Namib Desert

300

Which First Lady was both the niece of a former president and the wife of a president?

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt (niece of Theodore Roosevelt, wife of Franklin D. Roosevelt)

300

What Native American leader’s confederation defeated U.S. forces at the Battle of the Wabash in 1791, resulting in the worst defeat ever suffered by the U.S. Army by Native Americans?

Little Turtle

400

In what year did Nancy Reagan famously consult an astrologer to help schedule her husband's public appearances, following an assassination attempt?

1981

400

In 1932, which World War I veterans marched on Washington, D.C., demanding early payment of a promised bonus?

The Bonus Army

400

Which desert contains the driest place on Earth, where some weather stations have never recorded rainfall?

The Atacama Desert

400

What First Lady was known for her opposition to secession and her conflicted loyalties during the Civil War, as she was from the South?

Mary Todd Lincoln

400

Which U.S. Vice President killed a former Secretary of the Treasury in a duel?

Aaron Burr

500

What disease was Nancy Reagan a major advocate for researching, due in part to her husband's diagnosis after his presidency?

Alzheimer’s disease

500

Which New Deal program employed young men in conservation and public works projects such as planting trees and building parks?

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)

500

Which Australian desert is named after a European explorer and is known for its red sand dunes?

The Simpson Desert

500

Which First Lady ran a successful horse ranch and was an accomplished horsewoman, known for her Western lifestyle?

Nancy Reagan (formerly Nancy Davis; she and Ronald Reagan owned a ranch in California and were known for riding)

500

What early American political party opposed the ratification of the U.S. Constitution?

The Anti-Federalists

600

Which university did Ronald Reagan graduate from, and in what year?

Eureka College, 1932

600

What was the peak unemployment rate in the United States during the Great Depression?

Approximately 24.9% in 1933

600

What desert in Central Asia is bordered by the Caspian Sea and the Aral Sea and is largely covered by sand dunes and salt flats?

The Karakum Desert

600

What First Lady was nicknamed “The Steel Magnolia” for her Southern charm and iron will during her husband’s presidency?

Rosalynn Carter

600

Which President served two non-consecutive terms, making him both the 22nd and 24th President?

Grover Cleveland

700

Who did Ronald Reagan defeat in the 1966 California gubernatorial race, launching his political career?

Pat Brown

700

Which 1935 piece of legislation established unemployment insurance and old-age pensions, becoming a cornerstone of the American welfare state?

The Social Security Act

700

What massive desert region, composed of several smaller deserts, covers much of the Arabian Peninsula?

The Arabian Desert

700

Which First Lady founded the White House Historical Association and helped preserve the White House’s historic integrity?

Jacqueline Kennedy

700

Which state was an independent nation for nine years before joining the United States?

Texas

800

What controversial White House renovation project did Nancy Reagan oversee, which drew criticism for its cost during a recession?

The redecoration of the White House, including new china

800

Which novel, published in 1939, chronicled a family’s journey from Oklahoma to California during the Dust Bowl and became a symbol of the era?

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

800

Which North American desert stretches across parts of California, Nevada, and Arizona and is home to Death Valley?

The Mojave Desert

800

Who was the first First Lady to graduate from law school and have her own legal career before entering the White House?

Hillary Clinton

800

What was the real name of the spy known as “Agent 355” who worked with the Culper Ring during the American Revolution?

Her identity remains unknown

900

What was the name of the secret initiative, supported by Nancy Reagan, aimed at freeing American hostages in Iran during the Reagan administration?

The Iran-Contra Affair

900

What 1933 banking reform act created the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)?

The Glass-Steagall Act

900

The Taklamakan Desert is one of the largest sandy deserts in the world. In which country is it primarily located?

China

900

Which First Lady spoke fluent French, often acted as a translator, and had a background in classical piano?

Louisa Catherine Adams

900

Who was the only person to serve as both President and Chief Justice of the United States?

William Howard Taft

1000

Which U.S. President did Ronald Reagan campaign for as a Democrat before switching parties in the early 1960s?

Harry S. Truman

1000

. What policy approach did President Herbert Hoover favor in response to the initial stages of the Depression, often criticized as too passive?

Voluntary cooperation and limited government intervention (laissez-faire approach)

1000

What large desert spans several countries in Southern Africa and supports a surprising amount of wildlife, including lions and meerkats?

The Kalahari Desert


1000

Which First Lady was known for battling addiction publicly and established a treatment center bearing her name?

Betty Ford

1000

What U.S. city was originally called Yerba Buena?

San Francisco

1100

What was Nancy Reagan's role in Hollywood before marrying Ronald Reagan?

She was an actress under contract with MGM Studios

1100

Who was the Secretary of the Treasury under Hoover who infamously advocated for liquidation of labor, stocks, and real estate as a response to the Depression?

Andrew Mellon

1100

Which desert is home to the famous Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat?

The Altiplano Desert (also acceptable: the Bolivian Salt Flats region)

1100

Which First Lady, a Quaker, served as her husband’s moral compass and opposed slavery, influencing his presidency?

Lou Hoover

1100

What is the oldest continuously occupied European-established settlement in the continental United States?

St. Augustine, Florida

1200

What was the title of Nancy Reagan’s 1989 memoir that revealed details about life in the White House and her husband's presidency?

My Turn

1200

What was the name of the 1933 government program that paid farmers to reduce crop production in order to raise agricultural prices?

Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA)

1200

What is the name of the desert region in Iran known for being one of the hottest places on Earth by ground temperature?

Dasht-e Lut (Lut Desert)

1200

Which First Lady never lived in the White House, dying before her husband was inaugurated?

Hannah Van Buren

1200

What U.S. President took the oath of office aboard Air Force One?

Lyndon B. Johnson

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