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