Happy (almost) Fourth of July! In honor of the 246th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, here’s a quiz about it and other historical bits from the early days of the country.

No cheating!

1. July 4, 1776, is the date the Declaration was adopted by the Continental Congress. But the date John Adams thought should be celebrated, the one on which Congress voted for independence, was:

a. July 1

b. July 2

c. June 28

d. May 15

2. The Declaration ultimately got the signatures of 56 men, many of whom you might never have heard of. Which of the following men (whom you definitely have heard of) didn’t sign it?

a. Alexander Hamilton

b. George Washington

c. Andrew Jackson

d. Paul Revere

3. Three presidents died on a July 4, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams in 1826 and James Monroe in 1831. But what president was born on a July 4?

a. Bill Clinton

b. Benjamin Harrison

c. Calvin Coolidge

d. Millard Fillmore

4. July 4 became a national holiday by act of Congress in:

a. 1870

b. 1817

c. 1796

d. 1916

5. The semi-official food for July 4 celebrations is the hot dog, with hamburger perhaps in second place. But in New England, another menu item is a preferred comestible:

a. Clam chowder

b. Lobster rolls

c. Fenway franks

d. Salmon

6. The first president to occupy the White House was:

a. Thomas Jefferson

b. James Monroe

c. John Adams

d. James Madison

7. The White House was not originally known by that name. It used to be called the:

a. President’s House

b. President’s Palace

c. Executive Mansion

d. People’s House

8. One of the first commemorations of July 4 was in 1778, when Gen. George Washington of the Continental Army ordered a double ration of this for his troops:

a. Ale

b. Rum

c. Hardtack

d. Lucky Strike cigarettes

9. The Bill of Rights famously contains the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. But 12 amendments were passed by Congress and put to the states. Which two of the following were on the list, but failed?

a. A limit of one representative for every 50,000 people.

b. Restricting presidents to one term of six years.

c. Members of Congress could not vote to change their compensation.

d. Prohibiting ministers of religion from serving in Congress.

10. Before Washington, D.C., became the nation’s capital, a number of cities served in that capacity. Which of the following was not among those?

a. Annapolis, Maryland

b. Richmond, Virginia

c. Lancaster, Pennsylvania

d. Princeton, New Jersey

11. The first shots in the Revolutionary War were fired at:

a. Golden Hill, New York

b. Boston

c. Concord, Massachusetts

d. Philadelphia

12. The final battle of the Revolutionary War was fought at:

a. Charleston, South Carolina

b. Yorktown, Virginia

c. Blue Licks, Kentucky

d. Chillicothe, Ohio

13. The number of people living in the 13 colonies at the time of the declaration is estimated at:

a. 2.5 million

b. 5 million

c. 7.5 million

d. 20 million

14. The Stars and Stripes flag for the new country was adopted by Congress on:

a. June 28, 1777

b. Oct. 12, 1783

c. June 14, 1777

d. May 31, 1787

15. The first state to recognize July 4 as a holiday was:

a. Tennessee, 1792

b. New York, 1804

c. Massachusetts, 1781

d. Virginia, 1785

ANSWERS: 1. C. (June 28 is my birthday. May 15 is my anniversary.) 2. None of those men signed it. 3. C, in 1872. 4. A, but it didn’t become a paid holiday for federal workers until 1941. 5. D. Salmon and peas, actually, because both are in season at the right time. Sounds terrible to me. 6. C. 7. All of the above. President Teddy Roosevelt is credited with the official change in 1901. 8. B. 9. A. and C., though the one barring votes on changing compensation became the 27th amendment in 1992. 10. B. 11. C. 12. C. 13. A 14. C That’s why June 14 is Flag Day 15. C. (You knew that Tennessee didn’t become a state until 1796, right?)