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Holy Cow! History: A quiz for America's 250th! After they signed the declaration
Most Americans know that the members of the Continental Congress pledged their 鈥渓ives, fortunes and sacred honor鈥� to America鈥檚 founding 250 years ago. But what happened to those 56 men after they signed the Declaration of Independence? Test your knowledge with this short, informative quiz.
1. Of the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence, how many died on the battlefield fighting the British in the Revolutionary War?
A: 20
B: 10
C: 5
D: 0
Answer: D. While simply signing the Declaration was an act of courage (the names of the signers were kept secret until January 1777), none of the signers died in combat.
2. One signer, Button Gwinnett of Georgia, did die violently less than a year later. What happened?
A: He was murdered by a British spy.
B: He was waylaid by a group of highwaymen.
C: He died in a duel with a political rival.
D: He was poisoned by a Tory sympathizer.
Answer: C. When his longtime political rival, Lachlan McIntosh, stood before the Georgia Assembly in May 1777 and called Gwinnett 鈥渁 scoundrel and a lying rascal,鈥� the signer鈥檚 fate was sealed. The two men fired pistols at 12 paces, and each was hit in the leg. McIntosh survived. Gwinnett did not. Interestingly, both have counties in Georgia named after them.
3. Benjamin Franklin is one of the most fondly remembered Founding Fathers. He was also the 鈥�
A: Richest
B: Fattest
C: Oldest
D: All the above
Answer: C. Franklin was prosperous but hardly as wealthy as Pennsylvania financier Robert Morris. And it was Benjamin Harrison V of Virginia who, as the saying goes, 鈥渃ut a figure鈥� as the largest signer. But at 70, Franklin was the most senior signer. South Carolina鈥檚 Edward Rutledge was the youngest at 26.
4. Signer Thomas Lynch Jr. is also remembered for what happened to him after he put his name on the founding document. What did he go on to do?
A: Became a minister
B: Disappeared at sea
C: Was an early promoter of horse racing
D: Credited with numerous scientific inventions
Answer: B. Plagued by ill health, Lynch was advised by doctors that a change of climate might help. In December 1779, he and his wife set sail for the South of France, routing first through the West Indies to avoid wartime British patrols. Their ship vanished and was never heard from again. At 30, he was the youngest signer to die.
5. Which of the following U.S. presidents signed the Declaration?
A: George Washington
B: John Adams
C: Thomas Jefferson
D: James Madison
Answer: B and C. Washington is often mistakenly believed to have signed, but he was on the battlefield bringing the new nation to life. And while Madison was a force behind the Constitution (which he did sign), he was in Virginia helping that state write a constitution in 1776.
6. John Rogers of Maryland voted to adopt the Declaration on July 4 but never signed it. Why?
A: He was illiterate and could only 鈥渕ake his mark.鈥�
B: He did not have Maryland鈥檚 permission to sign it.
C: He fell ill and was replaced as a delegate before the signing.
D: Because no one signed the Declaration on July 4.
Answer: C. Rogers voted on July 2 for independence and on July 4 to approve the Declaration, but the engrossed document wasn鈥檛 signed until Aug. 2. In the interim, he fell ill and was replaced by Charles Carroll of Carrollton 鈥� making Rogers the only delegate who voted for the Declaration but never signed it.
7. Both Adams and Jefferson served as vice president before getting the top job. There is one other Veep who signed the Declaration. Who is it?
A: Alexander Hamilton
B: Elbridge Gerry
C: Aaron Burr
D: Dick Cheney
Answer: B. Gerry would go on to serve as governor of Massachusetts 鈥� and oversee the political map-drawing shenanigans that gave us the word 鈥済errymander.鈥� He also served as Madison鈥檚 vice president.
J. Mark Powell is a former TV journalist. His nonfiction book 鈥淲itness to War: The Story of the Civil War Told by Those Who Lived It鈥� is available at . He wrote this for .
