In My Life...: 4th Of July

A celebration of the independence of the US, a sign that summer is here, and for most a barbecue of some sort with mass consumption of hot dogs, potato salad, and watermelon.

When we took the kids on a cross country vacation a few years ago, my oldest told one of his friends he would be visiting Yellowstone National Park, and his friend had no idea what that was. You mention Disney World to anyone over the age of 1 and they instantly know what you are talking about, it's really sad that we do not know more about this great country we live in, from Yellowstone National Park, to Wall Drug, to Acadia. So rather than talking about what I will be eating this July 4th, I thought a quiz would be in order.....how well do you think you'll do?

Question 1: What was the main reason the U.S. declared independence?
Answer: We declared independence because we were taxed without representation.

Question 2: How many people signed the Declaration of Independence?
Answer: 56 people signed the Declaration of Independence.

Question 3: In what city was the Declaration of Independence signed?
Answer: The Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Question 4: What are the first seven words of the Declaration of Independence?
Answer: The first seven words of the Declaration of Independence are “When in the course of human events."

Question 5: Who approved the Declaration of Independence?
Answer: The Second Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence.

Question 6: Whose signature is the largest on the Declaration of Independence?
Answer: The largest signature on the Declaration of Independence is John Hancock’s.

Question 7: Who proposed “Lee’s Resolution” on June 1, 1776, declaring that we were independent of Great Britain?
Answer: This is one of the hardest Fourth of July Trivia Questions. Richard Henry Lee of Virginia proposed Lee’s resolution.

Question 8: Who was the king of England when the colonies declared their independence?
Answer: George III was king of England when the colonies declared their independence.

Question 9: How many people were living in the U. S. in 1776?
Answer: There were 2.5 million people living in the U. S. in 1776.

Question 10: Where does the word “patriotism” come from?
Answer: The word “patriotism” comes from the Latin “patria” meaning “fatherland” or “homeland”.
Celebrations

Question 11: How many hot dogs are consumed on July 4th each year?
Answer: Americans consume 150 million hot dogs on July 4th each year.

Question 12: How much money is spent on fireworks every year?
Answer: Americans spend around 211 million dollars every year on fireworks.

Question 13: Who invented fireworks?
Answer: The Chinese invented fireworks.

Question 14: How many people have cook outs on July 4th?
Answer: Over 74 million people have cookouts on July 4th.

Question 15: When did the Liberty Bell crack?
Answer: The first Liberty Bell cracked when it was being tested. It and the second bell were re-melted and forged again. The third Liberty Bell cracked in 1835.

Question 16: When did the Fourth of July become a national holiday?
Answer: This is the only three-part answer to the Fourth of July Trivia Questions. The Fourth of July became an unpaid holiday for federal workers in 1870. In 1938 it became a paid holiday, and in 1941, it was declared a federal holiday.
American Symbols

Question 17: What is our national bird?
Answer: Our national bird is the bald eagle.

Question 18: Where is the Liberty Bell located?
Answer: The Liberty Bell is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the tower of Independence Hall.

Question 19: Does the Liberty Bell still ring today?
Answer: The Liberty Bell no longer rings. It rang from 1778 to 1835, when it cracked.

Question 20: How did the name “Uncle Sam” originate?
Answer: The name: Uncle Sam” originated in 1812, when a meat packer by the name of Sam Wilson provided meat to the U. S. Army. Someone saw the meat shipments that were stamped with U. S. and joked that the initials stood for “Uncle Sam” and the name stuck.

Question 21: What is the name of the National Anthem?
Answer: The name of the National Anthem is the “Star Spangled Banner.”

Question 22: Who wrote the words to the National Anthem?
Answer: Francis Scott Key wrote the words to the National Anthem.

Question 23: Who wrote the music for the National Anthem?
Answer: The music for the National Anthem comes from an old English drinking song named, “Anacreon in Heaven.”

I hope you did well, and if you didn't, I hope you learned something about this great country.

So as you put mustard on your hot dog, or take a refreshing bite of watermelon, or chomp into your ear of corn, take a minute and reflect on why we celebrate this Holiday, and then think of maybe visiting a historical site and appreciate what we have here and what others have given up for us.