While enjoying the 4th of July Holiday with our picnics, BBQ's, Family Get-to-Gethers, Fireworks, etc......You might like to share with others this little quiz concerning the history of the holiday. With all the fun and activities it is also nice to remember what this holiday really means.
#01.... In what year was the Declaration of Independence signed?
#02.... Who was the main author of the Declaration of Independence?
#03....Who was the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence?
#04....Who is often credited with having sewn the first American flag?
#05....How many stars were on the first American flag?
#06....True or False, Benjamin Franklin advocated using the turkey, instead of the eagle, as the national emblem.
#07....Where was the first national capitol located?
#08....Who wrote the national anthem, the 'Star-Spangled Banner'?
#09....How did the Liberty Bell get its famous crack?
#10....Who was the King of England when America declared her Independence?
**Answers**
#01....1776
The Declaration was signed in 1776 and the first official celebration of Independence Day was in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776.
#02....Thomas Jefferson
Jefferson, with input from James Madison and Benjamin Franklin, wrote the first draft. The document was then presented to Congress on July 1st, 1776 and modified slightly before being signed.
#03....John Hancock
The name 'John Hancock' is often used as slang for someone's signature because he was the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence. So, next time you hear 'Put your John Hancock right here,' you'll know why.
#04....Betsy Ross
While this was once an accepted historical fact, recent research has shed some doubt on the identity of the woman who sewed the first flag.
#05....13
The original flag had one star for each of the thirteen original colonies. As the number of states increased, and the number of stars along with them, the number of stripes on the flag was standardized to 13 in order to pay tribute to the colonies.
#06....True
Franklin felt the turkey would make a good choice as our national emblem because it is native to North America and, in his opinion, useful and sophisticated. Additionally, in his opinion, the eagle was a bird of 'bad moral character.'
#07....Philadelphia
The capitol actually had several homes before the government set aside the land where Washington, D.C. now resides. The intent was to have the national capitol not reside in any one state.
#08....Francis Scott Key
Key witnessed the British attack on Fort McHenry in 1814 first-hand and was inspired to write a poem. The poem was later adapted to the tune of Anacreon in Heaven, a popular British drinking song!
#09....When first rung.
The bell cracked when it was first rung in March 1753. However, The Liberty Bell was recast and continued to ring after and was, in fact, rung to gather citizens for the first reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 8, 1776.
#10....George III
King George III is most remembered for having lost the American colonies. The fact is, he wasn't crowned until 1760 and the policies that helped lead to the war in 1765 were already in place.
