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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Start the celebration with a history refresher

Test your Yankee Doodle IQ with our Fourth of July quiz.

1. What year did the American colonies declare independence from Great Britain?

2. Which of the following was not one of the original 13 Colonies?

A. New Hampshire

B. Pennsylvania

C. Kentucky

D. Maryland

3. Without looking at the flag you put up today, how many stars are in the top row of the current 50-star flag?

4. How many presidents had a last name that ended in “-son”?

5. Who uttered the phrase “I have not yet begun to fight”?

A. George Washington

B. Patrick Henry

C. Nathan Hale

D. John Paul Jones

6. Paul Revere was immortalized in a poem for alerting colonists of approaching troops. But what was his regular job?

A. Silversmith

B. Doctor

C. Lawyer

D. Tavern owner

7. Which of the Founding Fathers was America’s shortest president?

A. George Washington

B. John Adams

C. Thomas Jefferson

D. James Madison

8. Who wrote “Stars and Stripes Forever”?

A. Francis Scott Key

B. John Philip Sousa

C. George M. Cohan

D. Julia Ward Howe

9. Who was president for the nation’s bicentennial?

A. Richard Nixon

B. Gerald Ford

C. Jimmy Carter

D. Ronald Reagan

10. The Continental Army spent the winter of 1777-’78 in Valley Forge, which is in what state?

Answers:

1. 1776

2. C. Kentucky

3. Six (A 50-star flag has five rows of six and four rows of five)

4. There are 8, although two of the names, Harrison and Johnson, were shared by two presidents.

5. D. John Paul Jones

6. A. Silversmith

7. D. Washington and Jefferson were both about 6-foot-2. Adams was 5-foot-7, and Madison was the smallest of any president at 5-foot-4.

8. B. Francis Scott Key wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner,” but “Stars and Stripes Forever” is a Sousa march. Cohan wrote “Yankee Doodle Dandy” and Howe the words to “Battle Hymn of the Republic.”

9. B. Gerald Ford was president on July 4, 1976; Carter was elected that November but didn’t take office until January.

10. Pennsylvania

Scoring:

0-3 correct: You could be channeling George III.

4-6 correct: You could be channeling George Will.

7-10 correct: You could be channeling George Washington.