History Questions & Answers (Compiled from previous question papers)

What man was a critical figure in Northwest Coast style art (specifically that of the Kwakwaka'wakw Aboriginal people) while also a prominent singer and songwriter? First hired by the Museum of Anthropology at UBC, he later created his most famous work -- a massive totem pole standing 160 feet tall that was raised in 1956 and stood until 2000.

Under the supervision of Dr. Alan Isen in a television studio, who was the first U.S. President to appear in public wearing contact lenses? This occurred during the decade in which contact lenses first had mass appeal thanks to improved manufacturing technology.

What 1862 Civil War battle marked the "high water mark" for the Confederacy in the Western Theater after the Union Army of the Ohio (under Buell) won a tactical victory over the Confederate Army of Mississippi (under Bragg) in the largest battle in Kentucky history?

James Garfield was shot by Charles Guiteau in 1881. This assassination attempt eventually led to Garfield's death. The bullet was lodged near Garfield's spine and could not be located by doctors. What contemporary American scientist and inventor created a metal detector to try (unsuccessfully) locating the bullet for removal?

The Battle of Bunker Hill in Boston was one of the turning points of the American Revolutionary War. Today, you can visit the monument as well as climb the 221-foot granite obelisk which honors the fallen soldiers. Within 20 steps, how many steps does it take to climb to the top?

As per the terms of the 1850 Clayton-Bulwer Treaty, the United States and the United Kingdom agreed to halt colonization efforts in what region?

Widely regarded as the world's first commercial steamboat, Robert Fulton's North River Steamboat began operating in 1807 and is also known by what eight-letter name?

Which American president had such distinct blue eyes and such a cold, stone-faced demeanor that he was popularly known as the "human iceberg?" This man served one term as a US Senator from Indiana and one term as US President.

The portrait of George Washington that appears on $1 bills is based on an unfinished painting begun in 1796 by what American artist?

The League of Nations originated from what numerically-named speech given by President Woodrow Wilson in January 1918?

Starting during Abraham Lincoln's presidency, what was the serpentine name of the "Peace Democrats" that opposed the Civil War and wanted to strive for a peace settlement with the Confederates as quickly as possible?

Well before he was President, Lincoln stated his opposition spoke against which war by stating "military glory—that attractive rainbow, that rises in showers of blood"?

Which president one the only election in United States history in which the candidate with the most electoral votes actually lost?

While roundly celebrated as the "arsenal of democracy" during WWII because of the city's steel production, Pittsburgh has also unfortunately been known as "______ with the lid off" since an infamous 1868 observation by Boston writer James Parton. What word fills in the blank?

What mixed-race Black and Native American man who escaped slavery is generally regarded to be the first American colonist killed in the Boston Massacre, and thereby the first American to die in the Revolution?

In 1924 she was born in Brooklyn to Caribbean immigrant parents. In 1968 she became the first black woman elected to the United States Congress. Who is this woman? She served seven terms in Congress, was the first woman to appear in a Presidential debate, and most recently had a namesake state park opened in Brooklyn in 2019.

Metacomet, chief of the Wampanoag in what is now New England, was known to European colonists as a "King" with what English name? A 17th-century war between colonists and Native Americans is named for him.

Hundreds of thousands of Asian immigrants passed through what island in San Francisco bay in the early 20th century, sometimes called the "Ellis Island of the West?"

What "Army" of protestors, who gathered in Washington D.C. in 1932, took its name from the military service payments they were promised, but weren't meant to collect until 1945?

Citing policy differences with President Andrew Jackson, what Southerner became the first person to resign the U.S. vice presidency on December 28, 1832?

What is the name of the biographer whose famous American subjects include George Washington, John D. Rockefeller, and Alexander Hamilton -- the last of whose biography was adapted into a hit Broadway musical?

In a 1952 speech, Richard Nixon denied using political contributions for personal expenses, but famously said he'd keep what cocker spaniel given as a gift?

What 1836 battle, which secured independence for Texas from Mexico, is memorialized by name in the lyrics of "Texas, Our Texas," the state's official song?

In what future state was the "golden spike" driven into the ground in 1869 to commemorate the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in the U.S.?

In presidential elections, Washington DC receives three electoral votes due to what numbered constitutional amendment, ratified in 1961?

Including a container for a brewed beverage, what is the name of the scandal that rocked the Harding administration in the 1920s, involving bribery to obtain leases of Navy petroleum reserves without competitive bidding?

What is the name of the "Island" which had a famous nuclear accident with a radiation leak in Pennsylvania in 1979?

When JFK decided against running for his House of Representatives seat in 1952 in order to run for the U.S. Senate, fellow Massachusettsan Tip O'Neill said "All politics is ______" and subsequently won and kept the seat for over 30 years. What word fills in the blank?

There is only one U.S. state with four syllables in its name that borders zero other states with exactly four syllables. What is this state?

Originals of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights reside in the National Archives' Rotunda for the ___ of Freedom. What "C" word goes in the blank?