American History Trivia II | Dorky Geeky Nerdy Trivia Podcast #337

Summer school is in session. It’s time for a repeat topic. This is the first time I’ve repeated a topic, but it is the most downloaded episode of the show, ever. So, for July, it’s American History Trivia II.

When you’re done with American History Trivia II, check out the first episode or any of our History Trivia episodes.

Book of the Week

In The Lavender Scare, David K. Johnson tells the frightening story of how, during the Cold War, homosexuals were considered as dangerous a threat to national security as Communists. Charges that the Roosevelt and Truman administrations were havens for homosexuals proved a potent political weapon, sparking a “Lavender Scare” more vehement and long-lasting than Joseph McCarthy’s Red Scare.

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Episode Transcript/Quiz

Episode Intro

Three rounds of ten questions each about American History. The good, the bad, and the not mentioned in your high school textbook.

If you’re looking for more information about the show, visit DorkyGeekyNerdy.com. While you’re there, drop me note if there are other topics I should revisit.

I’m your way-too-old TA, Brian Rollins and this is episode 337 of the Dorky Geeky Nerdy Trivia Podcast.

Let’s begin.

The Dorky Round

What U.S. Vice President killed a man while in office?
a. Aaron Burr. He killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel.
What U.S. president got his start in politics as the president of the Screen Actors’ Guild?
a. Ronald Reagan
What demonstrations, beginning in June 1969 marked a major push forward in the fight for gay rights?
a. The Stonewall Riots
Ratified in 1920, what did the 19th Amendment to the Constitution allow?
a. Women’s Voting.
What was the name of the government-sponsored expedition that mapped the Louisiana Purchase?
a. The Lewis and Clark Expedition
During which war did the British sack and burn the White House?
a. The War of 1812
The Siege of what city effectively ended the American Revolution?
a. Yorktown
What Native American woman was an essential interpreter and guide for the Lewis and Clark expedition?
a. Sacagawea
Of the US states along the Atlantic coast, which is the only one that’s not one of the original 13 colonies?
a. Florida
Who was the openly gay man elected to public office in California before being assassinated in 1978?
a. Harvey Milk

The Geeky Round

Who is the only US President to die before his parents?
a. John F. Kennedy
What is the only U.S. state to have been a sovereign nation before joining the Union?
a. Texas. The Republic of Texas was founded in 1836 and lasted about ten years
Which U.S. territory was once owned by Russia before being purchased in 1867?
a. Alaska
The Temperance Movement in the early 20th century aimed at ending the sale of what?
a. Alcohol
What Native American language was used as a secret code during WWII?
a. Navajo
What was the first permanent English settlement in North America?
a. Jamestown, Virginia. Founded in 1607.
Which was the last state to join the US as part of the contiguous 48 states?
a. Arizona. It became a state in 1912
What ship has the nickname, “Old Ironsides”?
a. The USS Constitution. Launched in 1797, it’s the oldest commissioned warship in the world.
What president signed the Indian Removal Act into law?
a. Andrew Jackson. This would lead to the infamous “trail of tears”
Who founded the first birth control clinic in the U.S. and later Planned Parenthood?
a. Margaret Sanger

The Nerdy Round

What U.S. president was also the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?
a. William Howard Taft
Who was the first African American woman elected to the U.S. Congress?
a. Shirley Chisholm.
What clause in the US Constitution prohibits federals officeholders, including the president, from receiving gifts or payments from foreign states?
a. The Emoluments Clause. It’s in Article 1, Section 9.
What 1857 Supreme Court case ruled that enslaved people were not U.S. citizens?
a. Dred Scott v. Sandford most commonly called the Dred Scott ruling
Which U.S. president owned a professional wrestling license and was inducted into the Wrestling Hall of Fame?
a. Abraham Lincoln
Who was the first incumbent US president to be defeated in an election?
a. John Adams. He lost in 1800 to Thomas Jefferson. Despite the bitterly contested election, Adams accepted the results, setting the stage for peaceful transfers of power.
What Union general’s “march to the sea” began in Atlanta and ended in Savannah following a path of scorched earth to disrupt the Confederacy?
a. General William Tecumseh Sherman
Mary Surratt holds the distinction as the first woman to do what?
a. Be executed by the US government. She was convicted as part of the Lincoln Assassination.
For how many years did the Confederacy last?
a. Four years from 1861 to 1895
The first woman in the US Cabinet, Frances Perkins, became the Secretary of what in 1933?
a. Labor. She was appointed by Franklin Roosevelt.

Episode Conclusion

And that’s the bell. How did you do this week? Any other topics I should revisit? Let me know on social media or our Discord server.

I’ll have a fresh episode next week with a new topic. Here’s a clue:

What band was formed in Sayreville, New Jersey in 1983?

Music trivia! See you back here on Wednesday.

This was episode 337 of the Dorky Geeky Nerdy Trivia Podcast. If you’d like to help support the show and get extra stuff, consider becoming a patron at Patreon.com/dorkygeekynerdy.

This podcast is written, produced, and hosted by Brian Rollins. If you love audiobooks or are looking to have a book turned into an audiobook, contact me at TheVoicesInMyHead.com.

The theme music is Punchfunk by the band, Punchfunk. Listen to all their music on Spotify.

Thanks for listening.