American Folklore - Quiz
  • 1. What legendary frontiersman and folk hero is often associated with a coonskin cap?
A) Paul Bunyan
B) Johnny Appleseed
C) Davy Crockett
D) John Henry
  • 2. Which famous folklore figure is known for outwitting Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear in African American folklore?
A) Pecos Bill
B) Br'er Rabbit
C) Casey Jones
D) John Henry
  • 3. In American folklore, who is said to have led the African American slaves to freedom along the Underground Railroad?
A) Harriet Tubman
B) Betsy Ross
C) Anne Oakley
D) Calamity Jane
  • 4. Which supernatural being in American folklore is known for granting wishes to those who free it from a lamp or bottle?
A) Banshee
B) Leprechaun
C) Genie
D) Kraken
  • 5. What mythical creature is said to inhabit the forests of the Pacific Northwest in Native American folklore?
A) Wendigo
B) Mothman
C) Sasquatch
D) Chupacabra
  • 6. Which famous folk song tells the story of a steel-drivin' man who raced against a steam drill?
A) Home on the Range
B) John Henry
C) This Land Is Your Land
D) Oh, Susanna
  • 7. What mythical bird is said to burst into flames and be reborn from its ashes in American folklore?
A) Phoenix
B) Kraken
C) Griffin
D) Dragon
  • 8. In Native American folklore, what powerful figure is often depicted as a trickster and transformer?
A) Thunderbird
B) Coyote
C) Wendigo
D) Skin-walker
  • 9. What is a common theme found in Native American creation myths?
A) Describing the invention of agriculture
B) Explaining how the earth was formed and where humans came from
C) Detailing the discovery of fire
D) Outlining the development of writing systems
  • 10. Which figure is often used symbolically in Native American myths?
A) Bear
B) Phoenix
C) Dragon
D) Unicorn
  • 11. What do many Plains tribes' flood myths usually end with?
A) The disappearance of all humans
B) The beginning of a new era
C) The creation of new animals
D) The restoration of the submerged earth
  • 12. What role do stories play in Native American cultures according to Barre Toelken?
A) They serve as entertainment only
B) They replace religious practices
C) They embody behavioral and ethical values
D) They are used for historical records
  • 13. Which of the following is NOT a common element in Native American myths?
A) Animal tales
B) Creation myths
C) Hero stories
D) Myths about the invention of technology
  • 14. What do feathers, beadwork, and dance steps represent in Native American cultures?
A) Icons of cultural meaning
B) Items used in trade
C) Tools for hunting
D) Symbols of wealth
  • 15. Which animal is NOT frequently referred to as a supernatural being in Native American myths?
A) Unicorn
B) Bear
C) Snake
D) Eagle
  • 16. What do hero stories in Native American folklore typically feature?
A) Historical figures recounting their lives
B) Animals teaching moral lessons
C) Ordinary people solving everyday problems
D) Heroes with supernatural powers who defeat evils
  • 17. What is a common purpose of animal tales in Native American folklore?
A) Providing recipes for traditional dishes
B) Explaining how features of certain animals occurred
C) Describing the migration patterns of animals
D) Illustrating hunting techniques
  • 18. What role did Christopher Columbus play in American myth?
A) He is credited with discovering the United States.
B) His role was limited to being an explorer of the Atlantic.
C) He was primarily known for his writings on exploration.
D) He is seen as a heroic figure representing America's self-perception.
  • 19. Who popularized Columbus' life as a romantic figure?
A) Washington Irving
B) George Bancroft
C) Christopher Columbus himself
D) Jeremy Belknap
  • 20. Did Christopher Columbus ever set foot in what is now the United States?
A) He visited briefly during his second voyage.
B) No, he never did.
C) Yes, he founded several colonies.
D) Only after establishing settlements in the Caribbean.
  • 21. How was Columbus portrayed by early American historians like Irving and Bancroft?
A) As an ordinary navigator with no significant impact.
B) Primarily as a failed adventurer.
C) As someone who misunderstood his discoveries.
D) As a noble explorer guided by God to reach the New World.
  • 22. How did the view of Columbus as a genius dependent on monarchical goodwill affect his image?
A) He was seen as irrelevant to America's founding myths.
B) He became a lauded revolutionary figure.
C) His reputation was diminished among American settlers.
D) Columbus was viewed as a failed leader.
  • 23. What was Jamestown's first winter known as?
A) The 'Harsh Winter of 1609-1610'
B) The 'Famine Winter'
C) The 'Starving Time'
D) The 'Great Drought'
  • 24. In what year did William Bradford and the Mayflower Pilgrims found Plymouth Colony?
A) 1630
B) 1607
C) 1620
D) 1619
  • 25. How many years after the Pilgrims' landing was the first written reference to Plymouth Rock?
A) 50 years
B) 121 years
C) 200 years
D) 75 years
  • 26. Who helped the Pilgrims survive through their first winter in America?
A) Friendly Native Americans, including Squanto
B) The Powhatan tribe
C) Spanish explorers
D) Captain John Smith
  • 27. What is the holiday of Thanksgiving said to have begun with?
A) British settlers in Jamestown
B) The Pilgrims in 1621
C) Colonial governors' celebrations
D) Native American harvest festivals
  • 28. What is George Washington often referred to as in American folklore?
A) "The First Patriot"
B) "The Father of Democracy"
C) "Pater Patriae"
D) "The Great Liberator"
  • 29. Who is credited with spreading the cherry tree story in a personalized form?
A) Mark Twain
B) Benjamin Franklin
C) Thomas Jefferson
D) Abraham Lincoln
  • 30. What famous phrase did Patrick Henry end his speech with?
A) "Ask not what your country can do for you."
B) "I have a dream."
C) "We shall fight on the beaches."
D) "Give me Liberty, or give me Death!"
  • 31. Who was responsible for reconstructing Patrick Henry's speech using oral histories?
A) Thomas Jefferson
B) William Wirt
C) James Madison
D) John Adams
  • 32. Which other Revolutionary War figure is known for a famous ride to warn of British troops?
A) Nathan Hale
B) Paul Revere
C) Benjamin Franklin
D) John Hancock
  • 33. Which setting is commonly associated with American tall tales?
A) The Industrial Revolution
B) The American Old West
C) Ancient Greece
D) Medieval Europe
  • 34. Which U.S. House did Davy Crockett represent?
A) Tennessee
B) Mississippi
C) Texas
D) Kentucky
  • 35. Who did Calamity Jane claim to be an acquaintance of?
A) Davy Crockett
B) Daniel Boone
C) Buffalo Bill Cody
D) Wild Bill Hickok
  • 36. Who was the first child born in the Americas to English parents?
A) Virginia Dare
B) Ananias White Dare
C) Eleanor White Dare
D) Ann Lee
  • 37. In which film does King Kong climb to the top of the Empire State Building?
A) Appalachian Spring
B) Sleepless in Seattle
C) An Affair to Remember
D) King Kong (1933)
  • 38. What is the name of the area in Vermont where a number of people went missing between 1945 and 1950?
A) Bridgewater Triangle
B) Monument Valley
C) Bennington Triangle
D) Hoover Dam
  • 39. What was Calamity Jane's real name?
A) Sarah Johnson
B) Martha Jane Canary
C) Mary Ellen Smith
D) Elizabeth Brown
  • 40. What is the name of Paul Bunyan's younger brother?
A) Johnny Kaw
B) Pecos Bill
C) Babe the Blue Ox
D) Cordwood Pete
  • 41. What nickname was given to women who carried water to men on the battlefield?
A) Water Wagon Woman
B) Molly Pitcher
C) Battle Belle
D) Frontline Florence
  • 42. Who founded the Shaker religious sect?
A) John White
B) Loren Coleman
C) Joseph Brackett
D) Ann Lee
  • 43. What is the Nain Rouge associated with?
A) The Great Lakes region.
B) Northern Wisconsin.
C) Southern New Jersey.
D) Detroit, Michigan folklore.
  • 44. Which creature is described as having glowing red eyes and bird-like wings?
A) The Jersey Devil
B) Bigfoot
C) Champ
D) Mothman
  • 45. What did slaves develop from the hymns they learned?
A) Negro spirituals
B) Recreational songs
C) Blues and jazz
D) Work songs
  • 46. What is unique about the authors of 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game'?
A) The song was originally for a football match
B) Neither had attended a baseball game before writing it
C) It was written during a World Series
D) Both were professional baseball players
  • 47. Which creature is said to inhabit the forests of Northern Wisconsin?
A) Champ
B) Bigfoot
C) The Hodag
D) Mothman
  • 48. What did John Henry race against according to legend?
A) A horse-drawn carriage
B) Another steel-driver
C) A steam-powered hammer
D) A locomotive
  • 49. Which cultural icon is associated with the American workforce during World War II?
A) Columbia
B) Uncle Sam
C) The Statue of Liberty
D) Rosie the Riveter
  • 50. What is the name of the main character in 'Rip Van Winkle'?
A) Katrina Van Tassel
B) Brom Bones
C) Ichabod Crane
D) Rip Van Winkle
  • 51. What is a popular song that was often sung as a sea chanty?
A) "Poor Paddy Works on the Railway"
B) "Row, Row, Row Your Boat"
C) "The Star-Spangled Banner"
D) "Amazing Grace"
  • 52. When did the New York Times move to its new headquarters, prompting the renaming of Longacre Square?
A) 1993
B) 1957
C) April 1904
D) 1933
  • 53. Which legendary figure is known for predicting the arrival of spring?
A) Johnny Kaw
B) Captain Stormalong
C) Punxsutawney Phil
D) Paul Bunyan
  • 54. Which century did immigrants from the UK, Ireland, Spain, Germany, and France begin arriving in large numbers?
A) 17th century
B) 16th century
C) 18th century
D) 19th century
  • 55. What was John Henry's job as a railroad worker?
A) Steel-driving man
B) Railroad engineer
C) Train conductor
D) Station master
  • 56. What is the Bridgewater Triangle known for?
A) Folk dances
B) Alleged paranormal phenomena
C) Cultural festivals
D) Historical landmarks
  • 57. What did African slaves bring with them to the United States?
A) European instruments
B) Religious texts
C) Native American artifacts
D) Musical traditions
  • 58. What are some of the names Santa Claus is known by?
A) Krampus, Père Noël
B) Babbo Natale, Joulupukki
C) Ded Moroz, Grandfather Frost
D) Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas
  • 59. Where is the Liberty Bell located?
A) New York City, New York
B) Washington D.C.
C) Boston, Massachusetts
D) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • 60. Where was Washington Irving living when he wrote 'Rip Van Winkle'?
A) Birmingham, England
B) Philadelphia
C) Boston
D) New York City
  • 61. 'Oh My Darling, Clementine' is about a tragedy during which historical event?
A) World War II
B) Civil War
C) American Revolutionary War
D) 1849 California Gold Rush
  • 62. Who was Casey Jones?
A) A gold miner
B) An engineer for the Illinois Central Railroad
C) A Civil War general
D) A famous inventor
  • 63. Which of these is not a subject matter classification for American folk songs?
A) War songs
B) Train songs
C) Classical compositions
D) Drinking songs
  • 64. Which group of workers was prominently involved in the construction of the Empire State Building?
A) Roanoke colonists
B) Shakers
C) Mohawk ironworkers
D) Bridgewater Triangle residents
  • 65. What is the name of the fictional character in 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'?
A) The Headless Horseman
B) Katrina Van Tassel
C) Ichabod Crane
D) Brom Bones
  • 66. What type of dance is the square dance descended from?
A) Tango
B) Foxtrot
C) Quadrille
D) Waltz
  • 67. What is the most famous account of Bigfoot known as?
A) The Silver Bridge Incident.
B) The Rhinelander Report.
C) The Champlain Chronicle.
D) The Patterson-Gimlin film.
  • 68. Who is generally believed to have been Molly Pitcher?
A) Sybil Ludington
B) Phyllis Wheatley
C) Margaret Corbin
D) Mary Hays
  • 69. Which song shares melodic material with the Irish anti-war song 'Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye'?
A) 'Oh My Darling, Clementine'
B) 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game'
C) 'The Star-Spangled Banner'
D) 'When Johnny Comes Marching Home'
  • 70. Which ballet score features the Shaker tune 'Simple Gifts' in its finale?
A) An Affair to Remember
B) Appalachian Spring
C) Sleepless in Seattle
D) King Kong
  • 71. What did masters disapprove of in industrious slaves?
A) Attending church services
B) Learning European music
C) Singing and dancing
D) Crafting items
  • 72. Which mythical creature is said to inhabit Lake Champlain and has over 300 reported sightings?
A) Bigfoot
B) Mothman
C) Champ
D) The Jersey Devil
  • 73. Which type of hymns became a feature at camp meetings in the South?
A) Recreational songs
B) Protestant hymns
C) Negro spirituals
D) Work songs
  • 74. How many stories does the Empire State Building have?
A) 34
B) 102
C) 40
D) 200
  • 75. What kind of creature is Old Black Eyes according to legend?
A) A spectral hound that frequents the Baker Rocks.
B) A mischievous forest sprite.
C) A water spirit haunting lakes and rivers.
D) A giant bird with fiery eyes.
  • 76. What did Negro spirituals primarily express?
A) Religious faith
B) Work coordination
C) European music styles
D) Joyful celebrations
  • 77. Which original Thirteen Colony's culture heavily influenced American folk music?
A) French
B) Spanish
C) Dutch
D) English
  • 78. In which year was 'Simple Gifts' composed by Elder Joseph Brackett?
A) 1933
B) 1587
C) 1944
D) 1848
  • 79. What is the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress known for?
A) An experimental spacecraft
B) A fighter aircraft used in World War II
C) A passenger airliner developed in the 1950s
D) Being a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber
  • 80. Who was the first prominent scholar to study distinctly American folk music?
A) Woody Guthrie
B) Alan Lomax
C) Robert Winslow Gordon
D) Burl Ives
  • 81. When did the American folk music revival begin?
A) 1940s
B) 1950s
C) 1960s
D) 1930s
  • 82. What is the Colt Single Action Army known as?
A) The 'Smokey Bear'
B) The 'Liberty Bell'
C) The 'Peacemaker'
D) The 'Flying Tiger'
  • 83. Which event is associated with the Boston Tea Party?
A) The Battle of Bunker Hill
B) Paul Revere's Ride
C) The signing of the Declaration of Independence
D) A protest against British taxation without representation
  • 84. What was Times Square formerly known as?
A) Empire State Building
B) Hoover Dam
C) Longacre Square
D) Pearl Harbor
  • 85. Who is generally attributed with writing "A Visit from St. Nicholas"?
A) Charles Dickens
B) Mark Twain
C) Clement Clarke Moore
D) Washington Irving
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