| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| During a standoff in this battle, the mentally ill Elias Brown tried to sell hard cider to both groups of combatants. Following this battle, Francis Smith was wounded in what has been called “John Parker’s Revenge.” Hugh Percy’s brigade mockingly played “Yankee Doodle” after this battle as they tried to relieve troops retreating down Battle Road, who were shot at by militiamen as they pulled back to Boston. Fighting at the North Bridge in this battle is said to be where “the shot heard ‘round the world” was fired. For the point, name this April 19, 1775 battle, which is paired with Lexington as the first engagement in the Revolutionary War. | Battle of Concord [accept Battles of Lexington and Concord; do not accept “Battle of Lexington”] |
| This man wrote the majority opinion in a Supreme Court case declaring that it was unconstitutional to make U.S. Notes legal tender; that case was Hepburn v. Griswold. This lawyer, who was nicknamed the “Attorney General for Fugitive Slaves,” drafted the 1848 platform of the Free Soil Party. This first Republican governor of Ohio ordered the printing of the first federal currency, the Civil War-era “greenbacks,” while serving as Abraham Lincoln’s first Secretary of the Treasury. For the point, name this man who later presided over Andrew Johnson’s impeachment trial while serving as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. | Salmon Portland Chase |
| A follower of this man only known as the “Gentleman of Elvas” wrote an account of his explorations. This man’s forces killed thousands of natives at Mabila, where they were opposed by chief Tuskaloosa. At the time of his death, this man was claiming to be the “Son of the Sun” to fool natives. Following his demise, about 300 of his followers successfully arrived at modern-day Veracruz after creating makeshift pinnances to sail down a river. Inspired by the stories of Cabeza de Vaca, this man led a group from Florida through the American southeast. For the point, name this Spanish explorer, who led the first European expedition to cross the Mississippi River. | Hernando de Soto |
| A catch phrase was coined during this event by a man known as “Magnificent Montague.” Many historians believe a key factor in this event was the recent passing of Proposition 14, which repealed the Rumford Fair Housing Act. Participants in this event chanted “burn, baby, burn!” and were described as “monkeys in the zoo” by police chief William Parker. It began after Marquette Frye was pulled over for reckless driving. The McCone Commission investigated this event at the behest of Governor Pat Brown. Bayard Rustin wrote that this event was “the first major rebellion of Negroes.” For the point, name this August 1965 racially motivated riot in Los Angeles. | Watts riots US History Bee 2018-2019 Round 3 |
| A man in this Cabinet position was a former head football coach at Texas Southern, who was later praised for overseeing the “Houston Miracle.” That man in this Cabinet position was sitting next to George W. Bush when the latter was informed of the 9/11 attacks. The current holder of this position is related to the founder of the security group Blackwater, Erik Prince. Mike Pence had to cast a tie-breaking vote to confirm a person to this Cabinet position. During the Obama presidency, the man in this position promoted the Race to the Top competition. Betsy DeVos currently holds, for the point, what Cabinet position concerned with our nation’s schools? | Secretary of Education |
| This politician, who used the phrase “a man as low and mean as I can picture” when denouncing William Randolph Hearst, often used the catchphrase “Let’s look at the record” when campaigning. This man was called the “Happy Warrior” when being nominated for president. Because of this man’s opposition to the KKK, he and William McAdoo deadlocked the 1924 Democratic National Convention, which went 100 ballots before selecting John W. Davis. Prejudice played a role in this man’s loss in the 1928 election to Herbert Hoover. For the point, name this first Catholic nominee for president, a New York governor succeeded by one-time ally Franklin D. Roosevelt. | Alfred Emanuel Smith |
| The technical founder of this colony, Robert Heath, intended to allow Huguenots to settle there, but started no settlements whatsoever. Three-fifths of this colony’s land was intended to be retained for yeoman farmers, not aristocrats, according to its Grand Model. After eight English noblemen were granted a royal charter as a reward for their loyalty, the Earl of Shaftesbury and his secretary, John Locke, drafted this colony’s “Fundamental Constitution.” This colony’s Albemarle and Clarendon provinces eventually split into northern and southern colonies. For the point, what colony was named after King Charles I? | Province of Carolina [do not accept “North Carolina” or “South Carolina”] |
| A 2014 report claimed that John McCone’s agency’s failure to give information to this group was part of a “benign cover-up.” Robert Ludlum and other authors have speculated that a former member of this group’s 1972 death in an Alaska plane crash was no accident. This seven-member group included congressman Hale Boggs and future president Gerald Ford. In explaining, among other things, the wounds of Governor John Connally, this group proposed the controversial “single-bullet,” or “magic bullet,” theory. For the point, name this group headed by the chief justice which concluded Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in assassinating John F. Kennedy. | Warren Commission [or the President’s Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy] US History Bee 2018-2019 Round 3 |
| This president eliminated the two-cent piece and half dime coin through a Coinage Act referred to as a “crime” by its opponents. This president’s treasury secretary, George Boutwell, was influenced by businessman Daniel Butterfield. The bank Jay Cooke & Company declared bankruptcy during this man’s presidency. The worldwide “Long Depression” began during the presidency of this man, whose brother-in-law, Abel Corbin, introduced him to two speculators who sought to use inside information. For the point, what president was in office when Jay Gould and James Fisk tried to corner the gold market on Black Friday, and when the Panic of 1873 started? | Ulysses S. Grant [or Hiram Ulysses Grant] |
| This movie inspired a film with an extremely different tone, Oscar Micheaux’s Within Our Gates. After a would-be criminal named Gus is brutally slain in this film, the villainous Silas Lynch cracks down on the protagonists. This film is based on two novels by Thomas Dixon, including The Leopard’s Spots. The mass protests over this film inspired its director’s next project, Intolerance. Legendarily, the line “it is like writing history with lightning” was said about this film by President Woodrow Wilson. For the point, name this 1919 D.W. Griffith film which romanticized the Ku Klux Klan. | The Birth of a Nation [prompt on The Clansman] |
| The resolution of this dispute so angered Senator William Allen that he resigned as head of the Foreign Relations Committee. This dispute was the prime focus of Edward Everett’s final days as a diplomat. Ambiguous wording in the treaty resolving this dispute led to the Pig War more than a decade later. Richard Pakenham and James Buchanan signed a treaty resolving this dispute in 1846, which gave British citizens in a certain area navigation rights on the Columbia River. The slogan “54-40 or Fight” advocated a resolution favorable to the U.S. in, for the point, what dispute involving territory in the Pacific Northwest? | Oregon boundary dispute |
| One of these people from Belgium named Pieter-Jan De Smet advised his friend Sitting Bull to sign theTreatyofFortLaramie.AnotherofthesepeoplecompiledoneofthefirstandmostextensiveKaskaskia dictionaries in Illinois. A third of these people founded the first European settlement in Michigan. Eight of these people, the North American Martyrs, were killed by the Iroquois. One of these people explored the Mississippi River with Louis Jolliet and was named Jacques Marquette. Natives referred to these people as “black robes.” For the point, name these French priests who frequently served as missionaries to native tribes. | Jesuits [prompt on “priests”; prompt on “missionaries”] |
| People who ran these institutions, such as Charles Mitchell, were questioned by the Pecora Commission. A law affecting these institutions had an amendment added by Arthur Vandenberg supported by Vice-President John Garner over the president’s wishes. Many reforms of these institutions were created through a law passed in the Hundred Days in 1933 but which only had lukewarm support from FDR; that law was the Glass-Steagall Act. “Runs” in these institutions were common during the Great Depression. The FDIC or “Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation” was created to restore public confidence in, for the point, what financial institutions? | banks US History Bee 2018-2019 Round 3 |
| A commission headed by Maxwell Taylor analyzed this event’s failures, but was criticized for seemingly deflecting blame from the White House. Hundreds of executions took place at locations like Morro Castle after this event. Participants in this event were recruited by men like E. Howard Hunt and taken to Useppa Island for training. After this event, the president received a note saying that now the revolution was “stronger than ever.” John F. Kennedy reportedly wanted to “splinter” the CIA after the failure of this event, which was carried out by Brigade 2506. For the point, name this failed, U.S.-planned 1961 invasion of Communist Cuba. | Bay of Pigs invasion [or Invasi´on de Playa Gir´on or Invasi´on de Bahia de Cochinos or Batalla de Gir´on) |
| After the creation of this institution, its first head was an ally of Thomas Jefferson considered one of the first American campaign managers. During the years Patrick Magruder and John J. Beckley led this institution, they concurrently served as the clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1815, Daniel Webster objected to this institution taking a man’s “atheistical” and “irreligious” donations. After the War of 1812, this institution was rebuilt with the help of a former president’s personal collection. Thomas Jefferson provided 6,487 books to help rebuild, for the point, what research institution serving the U.S. legislature? | Library of Congress |
| This politician wrote a “Vindication” of himself claiming that Timothy Pickering stole evidence from his files. He resigned one post after revelations that he sent embarrassing letters to French minister Joseph Fauchet. Upon being elected to a state post, this man turned over his law firm to his young partner, John Marshall. Despite being in attendance, this man and a fellow delegate from his state, George Mason, refused to sign the Constitution, and he earlier introduced a plan favoring large states at the convention. This former Virginia governor replaced Thomas Jefferson to become the second Secretary of State. For the point, name this first U.S. Attorney General. | Edmund Randolph |
| This location was once home to a since-destroyed building, the Elephantine Colossus, which was a hotel designed to resemble an elephant. The sign “Admission to the burning ruins–ten cents” was posted after George Tilyou’s “Steeplechase Park” burned down in this location. In 1903, Topsy the elephant was electrocuted to death at this location, whose “Funny Face” logo depicts a broadly grinning man. For years, Dreamland and Luna Park were the major attraction centers at this location, which featured rides like the “Shoot the Chutes.” For the point, name this seaside neighborhood in Brooklyn, the home to iconic turn of the century amusement parks. | Coney Island [accept Luna Park or Dreamland or Steeplechase Park before they are mentioned; prompt on “Long Island” or “Brooklyn” or “New York City”] US History Bee 2018-2019 Round 3 |
| An early company that used this technology had Red and Blue institutions, but was forced to give up the Blue one after a 1943 Supreme Court decision. Company president Frank Stanton consulted with sociologist Paul Lazarsfeld about how to use this technology. The government further regulated this technology with a 1912 law passed after the Titanic sinking meant to stop interference caused by amateurs. One of the pioneering institutions to use this technology was Pittsburgh’s KDKA. Amateurs who used this technology were mockingly referred to as “hams.” For the point, name this technology used by Franklin D. Roosevelt for his fireside chats. | radio [prompt on “broadcasting”] |
| This agreement was supported by a platform written by Charles J. Jenkins in Milledgeville, which fought back against the radicalism of William Lowndes Yancey. A senator gave the Seventh of March speech in support of this agreement, resulting in him being mocked in the poem “Ichabod.” The “Higher Law” speech was an attack on this agreement given by William Seward. This agreement banned the slave trade in the District of Columbia, and it was pushed through Congress by Stephen Douglas after the death of President Zachary Taylor. For the point, name this agreement which allowed California to become a free state but established a stronger Fugitive Slave Law. | Compromise of 1850 |
| A leader of these people known as Sam Jones won the Battle of Pine Island Ridge over American troops. Quartermaster General Thomas Jesup was accused of using a false flag of truce to capture leaders of this people. Zachary Taylor earned his nickname of “Old Rough and Ready” when fighting against this people, who signed the Treaty of Payne’s Landing years after fighting Andrew Jackson when he invaded foreign territory in 1818. During the U.S.’ second war against these people, their leader, Osceola, was captured, and the Battle of Lake Okeechobee was fought. For the point, name this Florida based tribe which fought several wars with the U.S. Army. | Seminoles |
| This event was originally going to be held at the Mills Industrial Park in Wallkill, until it was banned by the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals. Michael Wadleigh directed a documentary of this event that featured editing work done by a young Martin Scorsese. Organizer John Roberts persuaded Nelson Rockefeller not to send in the National Guard to this event, which was held at Max Yasgur’s dairy farm near White Lake. Billed as “an Aquarian Exposition,” this event ended with a psychedelic performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” part of a two-hour performance by Jimi Hendrix. For the point, name this iconic music festival held in August 1969 in upstate New York. | Woodstock US History Bee 2018-2019 Round 3 |
| A man severely wounded during this event later murdered his wife, Clara Harris, in a fit of madness. Policeman John Frederick Parker was blamed for allowing this event to happen, since he was in a tavern for at least part of the evening. The perpetrator of this event’s riding spur became tangled in a Treasury flag, leading to him injuring his leg. It was timed to happen just as Harry Hawk called a woman a “sockdologizing old man-trap.” This event was meant to coincide with crimes perpetrated by George Atzerodt and Lewis Powell, who did stab William Seward. For the point, name this 1865 incident at Ford’s Theatre when John Wilkes Booth killed the president. | assassination of Abraham Lincoln [accept synonyms for assassination] |
| When this person sued The Daily Mail, the lawsuit stated an article ruined this person’s “once-in- a-lifetime opportunity” to establish “multimillion dollar business relationships.” A school librarian once told this person that “Dr. Seuss is a bit of a cliche.” This person’s spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, called for the removal of Mira Ricardel as deputy National Security Adviser. This person, who advocates an anti-bullying campaign called “Be Best,” was accused of plagiarizing from Michelle Obama during a 2016 convention speech. For the point, name this Slovenian-American model, the current First Lady. | Melania Trump [or Melanija Knavs; or Melania Knauss; prompt on “Trump”] |
| To make a political point, this man brought unwanted media attention to acquaintance Oliver Sipple, who saved Gerald Ford during an assassination attempt. He gave the “Hope speech” in rallying the public against the failed Briggs Initiative in 1978, a proposal inspired by Florida activist Anita Bryant. Crowds chanting “avenge [this man]” marched on City Hall during the White Night Riots. Dan White killed Mayor George Moscone and this man, but received a light sentence after making the so-called “Twinkie defense.” For the point, name this “Mayor of Castro Street,” the first openly gay elected official in California history. | Harvey Bernard Milk |
| An article about an event in this state led to a 2017 defamation lawsuit against The New York Times by Sarah Palin. Astronaut Mark Kelly is married to a former politician from this state. The use of crosshairs on a national election map on Palin’s website was stopped after a January 2011 incident when Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot in this state. An official in this state required people to live in Tent City and wear pink underwear. The Department of Justice concluded that a sheriff in this state oversaw the worst pattern of racial profiling in U.S. history. For the point, name this state where Joe Arpaio served as a controversial sheriff. | Arizona |
| This party’s presidential nominee despairingly called his supporters a “motley crew” and its leadership refused to let him drop out of the race months before the election. State lottery organizer Solomon Southwick was a leader of this party, the original one backed by the Enquirer newspaper of Thurlow Weed. While serving in the New York State Assembly and Senate, both Millard Fillmore and William Seward were members of this party, which nominated William Wirt for the presidency. This party was formed after William Morgan was supposedly murdered by a group he was trying to expose. For the point, name this third party formed to combat a secret society. | Anti-Masonic Party [or Anti-Masons] US History Bee 2018-2019 Round 3 |
| Lila Rose filmed her encounters with this organization for the group Live Action. It’s not ACORN, but in 2011, a man claiming to be a pimp was filmed receiving advice from representatives of this organization. Videos produced by the CMP showed employees of the fake company Biomax offering to purchase material from this organization. In 2015, a gunman attacked one of this organization’s facilities in Colorado, afterwards claiming “no more baby parts,” a reference to videos supposedly showing the sale of fetal tissue. Republicans have frequently threatened to defund, for the point, what organization that provides reproductive health services? | Planned Parenthood Federation of America [or PPFA] |
| Many modifications to help people perform this action were made to the Levi Coffin House in Indiana. Anna Murray helped a man perform this action by giving him a sailor’s uniform to wear while traveling on the Susquehanna River. Henry Brown performed this action by using a box to make a 27 hour trip. People who performed this action and went to live with natives were called “Maroons.” An organization that helped people perform this action told them to follow the “drinkin’ gourd” or the Big Dipper and had agents known as “conductors.” For the point, name this action, which the Underground Railroad helped certain people perform. | escaping slavery [accept obvious equivalents] |
| After this event, Dewey Beard formed a group that requested compensation from the U.S. government. A 1970 book by Dee Brown has a title quoting a line in Stephen Vincent Benet’s poem “American Names” that references this event. A court of inquiry convened by Nelson Miles criticized Colonel James Forsyth’s role in this event. The triggering cause of this event was likely the deaf Black Coyote refusing to give up his rifle. This event began as Yellow Bird was performing the Ghost Dance, saying his people’s shirts were bulletproof. For the point, name this 1890 incident in South Dakota in which hundreds of Lakota were killed by U.S. troops. | Wounded Knee massacre |
| This word is paired with the word “black” in the title of a revisionist 1935 book by W.E.B. Du Bois. This word names a 1988 book whose subtitle describes “America’s Unfinished Revolution,” which like the similar book Forever Free, is by historian Eric Foner. This word is what is being referred to by Claude Bowers in his book The Tragic Era. This word names a time period disparaged by the Dunning School of historians, who labeled it a failure and popularized the terms “scalawag” and “carpetbagger.” For the point, give this term for the historical period in which the South was rebuilt after the Civil War. | Reconstruction |
| This politician was convinced by his assistant to sponsor a society whose projects included the creation of what became Paterson, New Jersey. While he later switched parties, Tench Coxe helped this man write some of his important reports. This man proposed the creation of the Revenue Cutter Service andinsistedonthefullrepaymentofdebtsowedtospeculators,likehisfather-in-law,PhilipSchuyler.This author of the “First Report on Public Credit” and the “Report on Manufactures” proposed and convinced George Washington to authorize creating a national bank. For the point, name this first Secretary of the Treasury. | Alexander Hamilton US History Bee 2018-2019 Round 3 |
| The official historian of this project was the New York Times’ William L. Laurence. The Alsos Mission in Europe fulfilled this project’s secondary goal of coordinating foreign intelligence. A participant in this project who was actually a foreign spy was a member of the British Mission, Klaus Fuchs. The head of this project, Leslie Groves, had just presided over the construction of what became the Pentagon. The results of this project were tested at an event code-named “Trinity.” This project produced the items “Little Boy” and “Fat Man.” For the point, name this project in which scientists at Los Alamos produced nuclear weapons during World War II. | Manhattan Project [or Development of Substitute Materials] |
| This case’s plaintiff was originally going to be musician Dan Desdunes [day-doon], but the state law in consideration did not apply to him. The dissent in this Supreme Court case used a term from the brief filed by the bestselling author of books like Bricks Without Straw. The group that sought to use this case to challenge a state law was advised by lawyer Albion Tourgee. “There is no caste here” wrote John Marshall Harlan in his dissent in this case, which started when a man in New Orleans boarded a forbidden car of the East Louisiana Railroad. For the point, name this 1896 Supreme Court case which established a “separate but equal” doctrine, reinforcing segregation. | Plessy v. Ferguson |
| This politician promised a “100-Hour Plan,” saying that a legislative agenda would be pushed through in the first 100 hours of the Congress’ term. Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan moved into this politician’s home district to mount an unsuccessful congressional bid. In 2017, Kathleen Rice compared this person to the coach of a losing sports team. In 2007, this politician declared “for our daughters and granddaughters...we have broken the marble ceiling.” This California politician achieved her highest position by succeeding Ohio’s John Boehner [bay-ner]. For the point, name this Democratic leader, the only woman to serve as Speaker of the House. | Nancy Pelosi [or Nancy Patricia D’Alesandro] |
| John Randolph rhetorically asked about this agreement if the president realized “that no treaty is binding” until Senate approval. An argument that this agreement was invalid claimed one side had never fulfilled the terms of the Third Treaty of San Ildefonso. After completing this deal, an American said “the United States take their place among the powers of the first rank.” Robert Livingston and James Monroe negotiated this agreement, which was opposed by Spain. The revolt in Saint-Domingue compelled Napoleon to agree to this deal to fund his military. For the point, name this 1803 agreement in which the U.S. acquired about 530 million acres of land from France. | Louisiana Purchase US History Bee 2018-2019 Round 3 |
| Duringadebateinthiselectionyear,thelosingcandidatementionedthe“Dingell-NorwoodBill”while seeming to loom over his opponent’s personal space. At the Democratic convention during this election year, the nominee passionately kissed his wife, possibly to indicate the strength of his marriage. The losing candidate in this year promised to put the budget surplus in a “lockbox.” This year featured voting controversies involving “butterfly ballots” and “hanging chads.” For the point, name this presidential election year in which disputed vote recounts in Florida proved crucial in George W. Bush’s defeat of Al Gore. | Election of 2000 |