Trivia Tussle

Shared trivia · history

History: Decisions and Milestones

Six questions about the decisions, dates and people behind major American milestones. Play this shared Trivia Tussle quiz in your browser and review your answers.

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6
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history
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  1. Question 1: Before adopting the Declaration’s text, what did Congress do on July 2, 1776?

    • Signed the Constitution
    • Approved independence
    • Ratified the Bill of Rights
    • Elected George Washington president

    Correct answer: Approved independence

    Congress approved the independence part of the Lee Resolution on July 2. It adopted the Declaration’s text on July 4; signing the parchment copy began later, on August 2.

    Sources: National Archives — Declaration of Independence

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  2. Question 2: The delegates arriving at the 1787 Constitutional Convention were initially expected to revise which framework?

    • The Bill of Rights
    • The Declaration of Independence
    • The Articles of Confederation
    • The Emancipation Proclamation

    Correct answer: The Articles of Confederation

    The convention began with a plan to repair the Articles of Confederation. During debate, delegates instead developed a new structure for the national government: the Constitution.

    Sources: National Archives — Constitution of the United States

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  3. Question 3: A museum timeline needs a date for the signing of the U.S. Constitution. Which entry belongs there?

    • September 17, 1787
    • July 4, 1776
    • January 1, 1863
    • August 18, 1920

    Correct answer: September 17, 1787

    The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, after a summer of debate. July 4, 1776 belongs to the adoption of the Declaration, a different document and event.

    Sources: National Archives — Constitution of the United States · National Archives — Declaration of Independence

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  4. Question 4: Which description fits the reach of the Emancipation Proclamation when it took effect in 1863?

    • It ended slavery in every U.S. state immediately
    • It applied only to states that stayed in the Union
    • It applied only within Washington, D.C.
    • It declared freedom in designated areas still in rebellion

    Correct answer: It declared freedom in designated areas still in rebellion

    The proclamation covered designated rebellious states and areas. It did not immediately free every enslaved person nationwide; its scope reflected its use as a wartime measure.

    Sources: National Archives — Emancipation Proclamation

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  5. Question 5: Congress proposed the Nineteenth Amendment in 1919. In which year did enough states ratify it?

    • 1918
    • 1920
    • 1924
    • 1932

    Correct answer: 1920

    The amendment reached the required number of state ratifications in August 1920. It barred voting discrimination based on sex, although other discriminatory barriers continued to exclude many women.

    Sources: National Archives — Nineteenth Amendment

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  6. Question 6: Armstrong and Aldrin descended to the Moon on Apollo 11. Who stayed with the command module in lunar orbit?

    • Alan Shepard
    • Jim Lovell
    • Michael Collins
    • John Glenn

    Correct answer: Michael Collins

    Michael Collins piloted the command module while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin used the lunar module. The two spacecraft reunited after the surface visit.

    Sources: NASA — Apollo 11

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