| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| The village of Black Rock lost a competition to be the western end of this landmark. While in debtor’s prison, flour salesman Jesse Hawley pushed for the creation of this route. This structure’s chief engineer was Benjamin Wright, and it used a “flight of five” at Lockport to cross the Niagara Escarpment. This structure was known as the “folly” or “ditch” of its main promoter, Governor DeWitt Clinton. For the point, name this artificial waterway that opened in 1825 to connect Albany and Buffalo. | Erie Canal |
| This President’s “nine businessmen and a plumber” Cabinet included George M. Humphrey, his Secretary of the Treasury. This man announced Operation Wetback, the deportation of over 1.5 million Mexican immigrants. The man’s New Look policy, developed with his Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles, involved a policy of “massive retaliation” with nuclear weapons in the event of an attack. His namesake Highway Act was inspired by the Autobahn during his time in Germany. For the point, name this Supreme Commander of Allied Forces during World War II and 34th U.S. President. | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| The southern end of the Tihamah lies in this country, which disputes the Hanish Islands with Eritrea. The Mahrah Sultanate governed in this modern day country, which includes the island of Socotra. In 2000 in this nation, a small explosives-laden boat detonated itself next to a refueling U.S. destroyer. This country’s current civil war involves a Shia-led Houthi insurgency. For the point, name this Arabian Peninsula country whose capital is Sana and whose port city of Aden was the site of the USS Cole bombing. | Yemen |
| Members of this group were inspired by the essay Theses on Hope and Hopelessness. The “rural” equivalent to this group launched a strike in the town of Bydgoszcz [BID-gosht]. The SB secret police targeted this group, which participated in the Round Table Talks with the government of Wojciech Jaruzelski [VOY-check yar-ooh-ZEL-skee]. This group was founded at the Lenin Shipyards in the city of Gdansk [g’DAH-nsk]. For the point, name this labor union led by Lech Walesa [LEK va-WEH-sah] that helped end communism in Poland. | Solidarity [or Solidarnosc] |
| Political prisoners in this country were executed in the Bodo League Massacre. One leader of this country was targeted in the Blue House Raid, which led to the training of Unit 684 in retaliation. In 1979, this country’s Fourth Republic was opposed by democratic protests in Busan and Masan. In 2007, Lee Myung-bak ended this country’s “Sunshine Policy” towards its northern neighbor. The Sewol ferry sank in 2014 while heading to Jeju Island from Incheon in, for the point, what country south of a de-militarized zone near the 38th parallel? | South Korea [or Republic of Korea] |
| This artist was inspired by the Belvedere Torso to create a print where a mutilated naked man sits on top of a tree stump. He created a series that included “emphatic caprices” and “fatal consequences” of a war with France. This artist depicted events from the Peninsular War in The Charge of the Mamelukes and a work in which a man in a white shirt stretches his arms upward in front of a firing squad. For the point, name this Spanish artist of the “Disasters of War” prints and The Third of May, 1808. | Francisco Goya |
| The rule of this family is the primary subject of the Chronicle of Fredegar. One ruler from this family was baptized by Saint Remigius; that ruler was also the first to implement Salic law. The Alemanni were defeated by the forces of this dynasty at the Battle of Tolbiac by King Clovis I. The last ruler of this dynasty was overthrown by Mayor of the Palace Pepin the Short. For the point, name this Frankish dynasty that was succeeded by the Carolingians. | Merovingian Dynasty |
| One of events ended with the caning of a man carrying two malfunctioning pistols. Another of these events took place at the Blair House and was carried out by Puerto Rican pro-independence activists. Within two weeks in September 1975, Lynette Fromme and Sara Jane Moore each carried out one of these events. The subject of another of these events quipped “I hope you’re all Republicans” to his operating team. Gerald Ford was twice targeted by, for the point, what type of event, which John Hinckley carried out in March 1981 against Ronald Reagan? | unsuccessful assassinations of (or assassination attempts on) U.S. Presidents (do not prompt on “assassinations of U.S. Presidents”) |
| One of these documents claims to lay the foundation of a government of “men for men”, rather than “angels” for men. Robert Yates opposed these documents in a similarly titled set of opposing documents written under the pseudonym of “Brutus.” William Duer wrote a series of essays defending these documents under the name of “Friend of Publius,” the pseudonymous author of these documents. The spread of factions in democracy is warned against in the tenth entry of, for the point, what set of 85 essays, written by Hamilton, Jay, and Madison, to promote the U.S. Constitution? | The Federalist Papers |
| Two answers required. A festival honoring these two figures required all wives of Greek citizens to attend, involved the sacrifice of pigs, and was known as the Thesmophoria. These two figures were the subject of a cult whose initiation rituals were the Eleusinian [ell-ooh-SIN-ian] Mysteries. The change of seasons in Ancient Greece was attributed to the annual separation of these figures, as the younger was forced to spend the winter with Hades. For the point, name this pair, consisting of the Greek goddess of agriculture and her daughter. | Demeter and Persephone (prompt if only one given) |
| In 1996, members of this group castrated Mohammad Najibullah and dragged him by a truck through the capital, and members of this group killed 10 Iranian diplomats in Mazar-i-Sharif in 1998. In 2015, after two years, this group announced the death of its leader. This group carried out the destruction of various Buddha statues at Bamiyan and was ousted from power after a NATO coalition force invaded in 2001. For the point, name this terrorist group whose insurgents seek to regain control of Afghanistan. | Taliban |
| This athlete postponed her retirement to pay court costs in a lawsuit filed by Marilyn Barnett, whose outing of their relationship made this athlete one of the first openly-lesbian athletes. Arthur Ashe Stadium is in a complex named for this athlete in Flushing Meadows. This winner of 12 Grand Slam singles titles earned $100,000 for winning a match in the Houston Astrodome in 1973 televised to over 50 million people. For the point, name this tennis player who defeated Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes.” | Billie Jean (Moffitt) King |
| This man’s “second voyaging” was a change in focus from science to virtue. This man served as leader of the Prytaneis [prih-tan-ay-is] on the day that six generals were put to death for failure to collect the dead at Arginusae. He had his own execution delayed until the Delias returned to Athens. This man, who only “knew” that he knew nothing, was sentenced to death for corrupting youth in 399 BC. For the point, name this Athenian philosopher, whose thought is recorded in a series of dialogues by his student, Plato. | Socrates |
| This country’s 1938 constitution made it a one party state under the National Resistance Front. During World War II, this country’s military allied itself with Horia Sima’s Iron Guard. The intelligence agency known as the Securitate [”secure”-ih-tah-tay] operated in this country, where communism was ended with demonstrations in Timisoara. One leader of this country was executed alongside his wife, Elena, on Christmas Day 1989. For the point, name this country once ruled by Nicolae Ceausescu [chow-shess-koo] from Bucharest. | Romania |
| One ruler of this empire was born Simhasena, but was legendarily renamed for a skin blemish caused by poison. The compiling of the Arthashastra began under this empire. Megasthenes served as ambassador to this empire, which was founded after it overthrew the Nanda Empire. After conquering the state of Kalinga, one ruler of this empire converted to Buddhism and had his edicts inscribed on various pillars. For the point, name this empire located in modern day India that was ruled by Chandragupta and Ashoka. | Mauryan Empire |
| This poet dramatized the Great Upheval in a poem that opens “this is the forest primeval” and centers on the title uprooted Acadian girl. This author was inspired by Ojibwe stories for an epic in which the title hero marries Minnehaha. In another of his poems, the Old North church uses the code “One if by land, two if by sea” to alert a silversmith of approaching British troops. For the point, name this poet of Evangeline, The Song of Hiawatha, and “Paul Revere’s Ride.” | Henry Wadsworth Longfellow |
| The Gomery Commission investigated a scandal within this party that ultimately led to a 2006 electoral defeat. This party’s worst result ever occurred in 2011 under the leadership of Michael Ignatieff. The current leader of this party replied “Because it’s 2015,” after being asked why his cabinet was half men and half women. Stephen Harper was defeated in 2015 elections by, for the point, what current ruling party of Canada, led by Justin Trudeau, that replaced the Conservative Party in power? | Liberal Party of Canada |
| Atlee Pomerene and Owen Roberts led a bipartisan investigation into this event. The Supreme Court affirmed the Congressional power to compel testimony in a response to Mally Daugherty, whose brother, Attorney General Harry Daugherty, refused to investigate this event. Edward Doheny was given access to Elk Hills after providing a no-interest loan to the Secretary of the Interior. Albert Fall received bribes in return for oil drilling leases on federal land in, for the point, what scandal that rocked the Warren G. Harding administration? | Teapot Dome scandal |
| This composer collected 150 late pieces in his Sins of Old Age, and depicted a legendary Babylonian queen in his opera Semiramide. One of his pieces, which Berlioz described as a “symphony in four parts”, contains the “rans des vaches” [rahn day VAHSH] and ends with a galop. That piece is derived from an opera by this composer in which Gessler forces the title Swiss patriot to shoot an apple off Jemmy’s head. For the point, name this composer who wrote an oft-quoted overture for his final opera, William Tell. | Gioachino Rossini |
| This man’s mausoleum is rumored to be buried near the “Lost City of the Giants” in Llanganates [yan-gan-ah-tays] National Park. This leader won a civil war at the Battle of Quipaipan, but 5,000 of his forces were ambushed and defeated at Cajamarca [ka-ha-mar-kah]. After the death of this man’s father, Huayna Capac, he defeated and imprisoned his brother Huascar. This man requested to be strangled instead of burned at the stake by Francisco Pizarro. For the point, name this last sovereign ruler of the Incas. | Atahualpa |
| This city’s police department was once led by Daryl Gates. The killing of three-year-old Stephanie Kuhen in this city led to three convictions in the “Wrong Way” murder trial. In 1992, Curtis Yarbrough rescued Reginald Denny at the intersection of Florence and Normandie Avenues in this city; that attack occurred during a riot triggered by a not guilty verdict for excessive force by police against Rodney King. The Watts Riots occurred in, for the point, what most populous city in southern California? | Los Angeles, California |
| The Society of Cincinnati was formed in honor of this President, who sent Charles Pinckney to sign a treaty that allowed for navigation rights on the Mississippi River. This man issued the Proclamation of Neutrality in response to Citizen Genet’s actions to recruit supporters for foreign wars, and he warned of the formation of political parties and “entangling alliances” in his farewell address. For the point, name this president who led the Continental Army during the American Revolution. | George Washington |
| Alfonso X of Castille described variants of this activity “of the four seasons” and an “astronomical” variant in the first section of his Book of Games. Soviet domination at this activity during the Cold War began with the success of Mikhail Botvinnik, while the only American World Champion at this activity before the fall of the USSR later got his citizenship revoked due to anti-Semitic comments and lived as a recluse in Iceland. For the point, name this board game whose famous players include Deep Blue, Garry Kasparov, and Bobby Fischer. | chess |
| Louis Bl´eriot was the first man to fly across this body of water. A World War I mine & net blockade of this body of water, named the “Barrage” of one city on its shores, was briefly rendered ineffective when German submarines simply crossed on the surface at night. The port cities of Dieppe and Calais [ca-LAY] lie on this body of water, which was crossed by over one hundred thousand soldiers on June 6, 1944. The Cliffs of Dover overlook, for the point, what body of water between France and England? | English Channel |
| This man asked “Why, then, are we not simply Marxists?” in his work Search for a Method. This man wrote that to shoot down a European is “to kill two birds with one stone” in his introduction to Frantz Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth. This man stated that “existence precedes essence” in a lecture about how the title concept “is a humanism.” This man uses the example of a caf´e waiter’s duties as a form of “bad faith” in his work Being and Nothingness. For the point, name this French existentialist philosopher. | Jean-Paul Sartre |
| This city removed its Embarcadero Freeway after a disaster near Loma Prieta. This city’s artificial Treasure Island is connected via causeway to Yerba Buena Island. A former military base in this city, the Presidio, contains the southern approach for an iconic orange suspension bridge. For the point, name this city on the northern San Andreas Fault, which suffered a 1906 earthquake and contains the Golden Gate Bridge. | San Francisco, California |
| David Turnbull allegedly planned the Ladder Conspiracy in this modern day country, which was suppressed by authorities in the Year of the Lash. The Virginius was intercepted on the way to help rebels in this modern day country during the Ten Years War. Hundreds of thousands died in this country due to the Reconcentration policy of Governor Valeriano “Butcher” Weyler. For the point, name this former Spanish colony where the USS Maine sank in Havana harbor. | Cuba |
| The Phillips Report investigated several shortcomings of this program. The “Fate has ordained” speech was a written in case part of this program had failed. The explosion of an oxygen tank during one of this program’s missions almost led to the deaths of Jack Swigert, Fred Haise, and Jim Lovell. The Sea of Tranquility was the landing site of one of this program’s missions. For the point, name this space program that sent 12 astronauts, including Neil Armstrong, to the moon. | Apollo space program (prompt on NASA) |
| The Redoutable was launched under this leader, who made his country the fourth nuclear power. Raoul Salan and Maurice Challe conspired to overthrow this leader in the Algiers putsch. This leader negotiated with the FLN to produce the Evian Accords, granting Algeria independence. This leader controversially declared “vive le Quebec libre!” while visiting Canada. Georges Pompidou succeeded, for the point, what first President of the French Fifth Republic, who led the Free French during World War II? | Charles de Gaulle |
| The dampened, corned type of this substance was a 14th century improvement on the dry, ground serpentine type. Taoist alchemists accidentally invented this substance when trying to come up with an elixir of immortality. This substance’s original form was a mixture of saltpeter, sulfur, and carbon. Due to the production of different solid by-products, this substance was gradually replaced by smokeless varieties. For the point, name this substance used to shoot bullets out of firearms. | gunpowder or black powder (prompt on “explosive”) |
| This president signed the Mongrel Tariff, and Congress overrode his veto of the Rivers and Harbors Act. This president signed another act which initially mandated that ten percent of federal jobs be filled by examination, despite his history as a Stalwart in Roscoe Conkling’s patronage system. The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act was signed by, for the point, what man who became President after the assassination of James Garfield? | Chester Alan Arthur |