| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| During one event, Michael Bowen attempted to levitate this building. Construction on this building started after Henry Stimson told Franklin Roosevelt that the War Department needed more space. American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the western side of this building during the 9/11 attacks. The United States Department of Defense is headquartered in, for the point, what five-sided o ce building? | The Pentagon |
| This man’s chancellor, Li Si, abolished feudalism in order to prevent political chaos. To preserve the legalist system, this man ordered the burning of the Hundred Schools of Thought and may have buried Confucian scholars alive. This leader believed he could achieve immortality by ingesting mercury. For the point, name this first Emperor of China whose tomb is guarded by thousands of terracotta soldiers. | Qin Shi Huangdi (accept Qin Shi Huangdi; accept Ying Zheng; accept Zhao Zheng) |
| This man banned the immigration of Chinese laborers into his country by signing the Chinese Exclusion Act into law. The spoils system was ended by this man who pushed for the passage of the Pendleton Civil Service Act. This man’s predecessor was assassinated by Charles Guiteau [GHEE-toe] in 1881. James Garfield was succeeded by, for the point, what man, the 21st President of the United States? | Chester Arthur |
| This poet wrote about “a golden age of poetry and power / of which this noonday’s the beginning hour.” This poet declared that “the deed of gift was many deeds of war” in a poem that begins “the land was ours before we were the land’s.” For the point, name this American poet who recited “The Gift Outright” instead of “For John F. Kennedy, His Inauguration,” and who wrote “The Road Not Taken.” | Robert Lee Frost |
| AJoanKellyessayholdsthatthisperiod’sfocuson“courtlylove”forcedfemininepassivity.Baldassare Castiglione examined court life during this period in his Book of the Courtier. Niccolo Machiavelli created a possibly satirical work in this period which examines nobles such as Cesare Borgia. The Prince was written during, for the point, what period, a “rebirth” of classical learning? | the Renaissance (accept the Italian Renaissance) |
| During this battle, British troops took heavy losses while attempting to capture Freeman’s Farm. John Burgoyne was defeated in this battle by a team of Horatio Gates and Benedict Arnold, although Gates received the majority of the credit. The American victory at this battle inspired the French to enter into a formal alliance with the United States. For the point, name this 1777 battle fought in New York. | Battle of Saratoga |
| One of these structures backs onto the Palazzo Poli and depicts hippocamps in front of an enormous shell. Another of these structures is built around a central obelisk, and includes figures representing the Ganges and Danube. These structures in Rome include one “of the Four Rivers” and the Trevi, into which tourists throw coins for luck. For the point, name these artworks that incorporate sculptures and moving water. | Roman fountains |
| The Simla convention set this region’s southern boundary at the MacMahon line. In 1904, Lord Curzon sent an expedition led by Francis Younghusband to invade this region. Delegates from this region signed the Seventeen-Point Agreement, which turned it into an “Autonomous Region.” This region was re-annexedintothePeople’sRepublicofChinaaftera1950invasion.Forthepoint,namethismountainous region headed by the Dalai Lama. | Tibet (accept Bod; accept Xizang Autonomous Region) |
| A cavalry charge at the Battle of Krojanty started a myth that forces from this country used horses against German tanks. As a result of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact this country was invaded, and then split between, the Soviet Union and Germany. A September 1st, 1939 invasion of this country started the European theater of World War II. For the point, name this country with capital Warsaw. | Poland |
| Thomas Je↵erson ordered the arrest of this man after James Wilkinson alleged that he was attempting to create his own country in land acquired in the Louisiana Purchase. This man had an a↵air with, and then married, Theodosia Provost. After a dispute with a former Secretary of the Treasury, this man engaged in an 1804 duel in Weehawken. For the point, name this Vice President who killed Alexander Hamilton. | Aaron Burr |
| Jean Lesage argued that this province should be considered a “distinct society” in the Meech Lake Accords. During one event in this province, Prime Minister Pierre Tredeau responded “just watch me” when asked how far he would go to stop the October Crisis. In 1994, this province held a sovereignty referendum that was defeated with 50.6% “no” votes. For the point, name this French-speaking Canadian province. | Quebec |
| The planners of this event were eventually defeated at Philippi as part of the Liberators’ civil war. Servilius Casca exposed this event but was unable to save its central figure. According to legend, Calpurnia foresaw the death of her husband in this event. The Ides of March was the date of, for the point, what event in which Brutus and Cassius stabbed the leader of Rome in front of the Senate? | assassination of Julius Caesar (prompt on the Ides of March before it is read) |
| An X-ray di↵raction image of this molecule, called Photo 51 was taken by Raymong Gosling and Rosalind Franklin and was critical to the modern understanding of its shape. This molecule contains pyrimidines and purines that are labeled in diagrams of this molecule’s double helix structure with the letters A, T, C, and G. For the point, name this molecule that carries genetic material. | DNA (or deoxyribonucleic acid) |
| The leader of this event used the name Isaac Brock to rent the Kennedy Farmhouse. A group of marines led by Robert E. Lee arrested the leader of this event who claimed that the “crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with Blood!” The leader of this event hoped to arm a mass slave revolt by capturing the central location. For the point, name this attempt to seize a federal arsenal led by John Brown. | John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry (accept synonyms for “raid”) |
| During this conflict the “Lost Battalion” was rescued after an o↵ensive in the Argonne Forest. The United States joined this war due to the sinking of the Lusitania and the unrestricted submarine warfare carried out by Germany. At the peace negotiations for this war, Woodrow Wilson presented his 14 points. For the point, name this war that was ended by the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. | World War I (accept The First World War; accept The Great War) |
| Members of this class were given land via the new pauper’s allotment. Mir, or obshchina, communities were formed by members of this class. Nikolai Milyutin advocated for the rights of this class. The Emancipation Edict of 1861 freed these people during the reign of Tsar Alexander II. For the point, name these Russian peasants who were forced to work the land. | serfs (accept peasants until it is read) |
| Living members of this family include fashion designer Gloria and her son, TV reporter Anderson Cooper. The patriarch of this family was nicknamed “the Commodore” for his work on a ferry service as a teenager and later owned steamship lines and railroads. For the point, name this family that included the tycoon Cornelius, who used his vast wealth to sponsor a private university in Nashville, Tennessee named for them. | Vanderbilt family |
| In 1945 in this sea, 9,000 people died in the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustlo↵. A northern edge of this sea is marked by the demilitarized Aland Islands, which separate it from the Gulf of Bothnia. This sea lends its name to a set of three countries - Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania - that are former Soviet states. For the point, name this northern European sea between Sweden and Poland. | Baltic Sea |
| In the aftermath of one event, one side agreed to remove weapons from this country in exchange for Jupiter missiles being removed from Turkey. Fulgenico Batista was removed from power in this country by Communist forces aided by Che Guevara. John F. Kennedy ordered the unsuccessful invasion of this country’s Bay of Pigs. For the point, name this country that was led by Fidel Castro from Havana. | Cuba |
| This man’s illegitimate son William was the last Royalist governor of New Jersey. At the Albany Congress, this man proposed a plan to unite the Thirteen colonies for mutual defense in the midst of the French and Indian War. This man published Poor Richard’s Almanac in his native Philadelphia. For the point, name this Founding Father who may have flown a key attached to a kite during a lightning storm. | Benjamin Franklin |
| Despite defeating King Porus at the Battle of the Hydaspes River, this main failed to conquer India after his troops refused to march any further. This man decisively defeated Darius III at Gaugamela and Issus en-route to conquering the Persian Empire. While in Babylon, this man endured a 12-day fever, possibly due to poison, before dying at only 32. For the point, name this “Great” Greek conqueror. | Alexander the Great (accept Alexander III of Macedon; prompt on Alexander) |
| When reciting a portion of this text, one man is said to have been tricked into allowing the worship of pagan goddesses; that incident is known as the Satanic Verses. This text describes the Night Journey to Jerusalem and is divided into 114 chapters called suras. This text was revealed by the angel Jibreel outside the city of Mecca. For the point, name this text revealed to Muhammad, the holy book of Islam. | Quran (or Koran) |
| When this man secured the Democratic nomination, Ted Kennedy conceded with the “Dream Shall Never Die” speech, ending a rare primary challenge against an incumbent President. This man was celebrated for his work with Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat, who agreed to peace accords between Egypt and Israel at Camp David. Draft dodgers were pardoned in 1977 by, for the point, what US president who succeeded Gerald Ford in o ce? | James Earl “Jimmy” Carter |
| This country was the site of Operation House of Cards after a missile strike was launched against the Iron Dome. A civil war in this country began after a 13 year-old boy was murdered for creating gra ti in Daara. Barrel bombs were allegedly used to quell unrest in this country by Bashar al-Assad. For the point, name this country with capital at Damascus. | Syria |
| During this battle, Daniel Sickles’ III Corps was mostly destroyed after advancing into the exposed Peach Orchard. On the third day of this battle, Union forces on Cemetery Ridge were assaulted by George Pickett.. In the aftermath of this battle, Abraham Lincoln gave a speech opening with “Four score and seven years ago.” For the point, name this 1863 battle, the turning point of the Civil War. | Battle of Gettysburg |
| This man may have been shot in the jaw by Charles-Andre Merda which prevented him from defending himself in his trial. The Cult of the Supreme Being was founded by this man who was captured at the Hotel de Ville during the Thermidorian Reaction. For the point, name this leader of the Committee of Public Safety who often ordered people killed by guillotine during France’s Reign of Terror. | Maximilien Robespierre |
| Archibald Gracie and Jack Thayer gave famous accounts of their time on this ship. J.P. Morgan owned this ship, but canceled his appearance on its maiden voyage. Isidor Straus and John Jacob Astor IV were among the business moguls in First Class on this ship. Molly Brown became known as “unsinkable” after surviving the sinking of, for the point, what British passenger ship that struck an iceberg in 1912? | RMS Titanic |
| In 2018, this man’s country participated in the Winter Olympics for the first time in 8 years after a meeting that resulted in the Panmunjom Declaration. This man often entertains Dennis Rodman who, in 2013, accidentally revealed the name of his daughter. This man recently participated in a series of meetings with Moon Jae-In to thaw relations with a neighboring country. For the point, name this leader of North Korea. | Kim Jong-Un (prompt on Kim) |
| This document, similar to the earlier Olive Branch Petition, contains a list of indictments against King George III. Thomas Je↵erson wrote the Preamble of this document which asserts inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The American Revolution was o cially started by, for the point, what document signed on July 4th, 1776 in Philadelphia? | United States Declaration of Independence |
| This university’s Philosophical Club included Robert Boyle and Robert Hook, who would go on to found the Royal Society. Membership at this school grew after Henry II placed a ban on attending the University of Paris. Cambridge University was formed after disgruntled students left this university. For the point, name this oldest university in England. | University of Oxford Extra Tossups |
| This city named John D. Rockefeller’s 1872 “massacre” of nearly two dozen rival oil companies. A surveyor named Moses founded this city, whose name dropped an “A” from Moses’ surname. This city lies on the Cuyahoga River, which caught fire in 1969. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was built in, for the point, what city on Lake Erie, the second-largest city in Ohio? | Cleveland |
| This leader rested at Fleurus the night after his last military victory. This leader’s left wing, under Michel Ney, was able to delay the Duke of Wellington from helping the Prussians at Ligny; regardless, this man’s military career ended two days later, and he was exiled to Saint Helena. For the point, name this emperor of France who was defeated at Waterloo. | Napoleon Bonaparte (accept either underlined name; accept Napoleon I) |