JULY 4TH QUIZ: Declaration of Independence

Past the time with family this weekend quizzing them with these gems:

1. On July 1st, a vote was taken by the Continental Congress, and all but two states approved the Declaration of Independence. Which two voted no?

Answer: Pennsylvania and South Carolina.

2. Only two people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th. Who were they

Answer: John Hancock and Charles Thomson. Most of the rest signed on August 2nd, but the last signature wasn’t added until 5 years later. 

3. How many people signed the Declaration of Independence?

Answer: 56 

4. Who said, “There! I guess King George will be able to read that” when he signed the Declaration of Independence?

Answer: John Hancock 

5. Why was Thomas Jefferson chosen to draft the Declaration Of Independence?

Answer: Because he was from Virginia. Although Jefferson was obviously a gifted and talented writer, the main reason he was chosen to draft the Declaration was his status as a Virginian. The New England Colonies had already been branded as rebellious and unpopular, and it was thought that something written by a Southerner might be taken more seriously. Adams was not chosen because he was from Massachusetts; Franklin wasn’t chosen because his son was a staunch loyalist; Livingston because he didn’t like the idea of a Declaration; and Sherman wasn’t picked because he simple could not write.

6. Of all the colonies, which state had the most signatures?

Answer: Pennsylvania. There were nine delegates from the states. 

7. Where is the Declaration of Independence housed today?

Answer: The National Archives. The Declaration is housed in a special section of the rotunda of the National Archives in Washington, D.C., along with the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. They are stored in a vault at night and closely monitored by a state-of-the-art computer and $3 million camera. 

Check out the movie National Treasure — starring Nicolas Cage. It’s about a treasure seeker who discovers there’s a secret map located on the back of the Declaration of Independence. You’ll see the security surrounding the document — of course, it’s a movie, so Cage is able to steal it.