Test your Independence Day knowledge
1. This future president was chosen to draft the words of the Declaration of Independence.
a. John Hancock
b. Ben Franklin
c. Thomas Jefferson
d. Patrick Henry
2. In which year was the Declaration of Independence signed?
a. 1812
b. 1776
c. 1492
d. 1889
3. From which country did America claim her freedom with the signing of the Declaration of Independence?
a. Great Britain
b. France
c. Spain
d. Russia
4. In which city was the Second Continental Congress convened, and later, the Declaration of Independence adopted by its delegates?
a. Baltimore
b. Lexington
c. New York City
d. Philadelphia
5. Which of the following states was NOT a member of the original 13 colonies?
a. South Carolina
b. Rhode Island
c. Pennsylvania
d. Georgia e. Alabama
6. What did patriots toss into the Boston Harbor as a form of protest against increasing taxes?
a. British soldiers
b. Tea
c. Tax bills
d. Coffee
7. This man was king of England on July 4, 1776.
a. King George III
b. King William IV
c. King Edward VII
d. King Louis XVI
8. How many stars and stripes were included in the original American flag?
a. 50 stars and 13 stripes
b. A single star and 12 stripes
c. 13 stars and 13 stripes
d. Six stars and six stripes
9. Who is widely credited for having sewn the first American flag?
a. Betsy Ross
b. Abigail Van Buren
c. Dolly Madison
d. Martha Washington
10. Who was the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence?
a. James Monroe
b. Benjamin Franklin
c. John Hancock
d. George Washington
11. Which of the following presidents did NOT die on July 4?
a. Thomas Jefferson
b. Abraham Lincoln
c. John Adams
d. James Monroe
12. In a eulogy delivered after his death, which man was described as “First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen”?
a. Benedict Arnold
b. George Washington
c. Alexander Hamilton
d. Thomas Jefferson
13. The Revolutionary War continued for several years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and did not end until the signing of the Treaty of Paris in what year?
a. 1812
b. 1792
c. 1783
d. 1778
14. When was Independence Day declared a national Holiday?
a. 1776
b. 1800
c. 1870
d. 1914
Congress established Independence Day as a holiday in 1870, and in 1938 Congress reaffirmed it as a paid holiday for federal employees. Today, communities across the nation mark this major midsummer holiday with parades, firework displays, picnics and performances of “The Star-Spangled Banner” and marches by John Philip Sousa.