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Who is buried in the Capitol Crypt?
https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/buildings-grounds/capitol-building/crypt
Who was supposed to be buried in the Capitol Crypt?
https://www.c-span.org/clip/public-affairs-event/the-capitol-crypt-and-lying-in-state/4986796
How many justices are on the United States Supreme Court?
https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/how-fdr-lost-his-brief-war-on-the-supreme-court-2
4 - There are lots of dogs on Capitol Hill. Name one job performed by these canines.
5 - What is the capital of the United States?
Washington, D.C.
The building where Congress works is called the Capitol. A capital refers to a city. The Capitol refers to a building.
Fun Fact: Three cities can claim the title of U.S. capital: New York, where the Congress met for the first time, Philadelphia, which became the temporary capital while the U.S. Capitol was being built, and finally in 1800, Washington, D.C.
https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/how-philadelphia-lost-the-nations-capital-to-washington
6 - Name the three branches of government.
The Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch, and the Judicial Branch. In other words, the president, Congress, and the courts.
The Founding Fathers worried that one branch might become too powerful, so they designed a government with three different parts to create a balance of power.
https://kids-clerk.house.gov/grade-school/lesson.html?intID=1
7 - Who is the Commander in Chief of the military?
The president of the United States
The Constitution reads: “The president shall be commander in chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the militia of the several states, when called into the actual service of the United States.” In other words, it’s the president’s job to protect the country.
https://www.clintonlibrary.gov/education/commander-chief
8 - Who signs bills to become laws?
The president of the United States
Fun Fact: The president has ten days (not counting Sundays) from the time a bill lands on his desk to decide whether he or she will sign it into law. If the resident doesn’t sign it, but also doesn’t veto it, it still becomes law.
9 - Name two Cabinet jobs.
Secretary of Agriculture
Secretary of Commerce
Secretary of Education
Secretary of Energy
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Secretary of Homeland Security
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Secretary of the Interior
Secretary of Labor
Secretary of State
Secretary of Transportation
Secretary of the Treasury
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Secretary of War (Defense)
Attorney General
Vice President
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
Administrator of the Small Business Administration
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
Director of the Office of Management and Budget
Director of National Intelligence
United States Trade Representative
Fun Fact: George Washington only had 4 cabinet members
https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/cabinet-members
10 - What does the judicial branch of government do?
Reviews laws
Explains laws
Resolves disagreements about laws
Decides if a law goes against the Constitution
https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/court-role-and-structure
11 - Why does the flag have 50 stars?
The flag has one star for each of our 50 states.
Fun Fact: The last time the flag was redesigned was in 1958 when Alaska and Hawaii became our 49th and 50th states.
https://www.eisenhowerlibrary.gov/research/online-documents/design-49-and-50-star-flags
12 - Why does the flag have 13 stripes?
The stripes honor the original 13 colonies, which became the first 13 states of the new United States.
https://americanhistory.si.edu/citizenship/learn/symbols-holidays/96/learn
13 - What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?
The flag
The United States
Fun Fact: the Pledge of Allegiance was written in two hours by a socialist preacher named Francis Bellamy.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/pledge-allegiance-pr-gimmick-patriotic-vow-180956332/
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-man-who-wrote-the-pledge-of-allegiance-93907224/?no-ist=
14 - What is the name of the National Anthem?
The Star Spangled Banner
Fun Fact: Francis Scott Key wrote the lyrics, putting them together with the melody of a song written for musical members of a popular London gentlemen's club. Key wrote the song while being detained on a British ship during an unsuccessful British attack on Baltimore in 1814.
https://www.loc.gov/collections/patriotic-melodies/articles-and-essays/star-spangled-banner/
15 - Name two U.S. national holidays.
New Year’s Day
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
President’s Day
Memorial Day
Juneteenth
Independence Day
Labor Day
Columbus Day
Veterans Day
Thanksgiving
Christmas
16 - When do we celebrate Independence Day?
The Fourth of July
On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence, announcing the colonies’ separation from Great Britain. But it wasn’t until after the War of 1812 that the Fourth of July became a big deal.
17 - Name two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy.
Vote
Join a political party
Help with a campaign
Join a civic group
Join a community group
Give an elected official your opinion on an issue
Contact your member of Congress
Support or oppose an issue or policy
Run for office
Write to a newspaper or post on social media
https://www.civiced.org/lessons/how-can-citizens-participate
18 - Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript
https://www.nps.gov/inde/learn/education/classrooms/resources-declarationoverview.htm
19 - What is the Constitution?
The supreme law of the land. It is a plan that organizes our government, defines its branches and powers, and defines and protects the basic rights of Americans.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqvLi7qZ_yU
20 - The first three words of the Constitution outline the idea of self-government. What are these words?
We the people.
In other words, people ruling a nation instead of a king or a dictator.
Here’s the entire preamble:
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfS-bZ69p0E
21 - What are the Federalist Papers?
A series of 85 essays published in New York newspapers to defend the new Constitution.
https://guides.loc.gov/federalist-papers/full-text
22 - Who wrote the Federalist Papers?
Published under the pen name Publius, they were written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay.
Fun Fact: Alexander Hamilton wrote 51 of the 85 essays.
https://guides.loc.gov/federalist-papers/full-text
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqRD8uScLx4
23 - What is the Bill of Rights?
The name of the first ten amendments to the Constitution. They cover many basic rights left out of the original document, such as freedom of speech, religion, and due process of law.
https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-the-bill-of-rights-2
24 - Who wrote the Bill of Rights?
James Madison.
Fun Fact: James Madison later became the fourth president of the United States.
https://billofrightsinstitute.org/essays/james-madison-and-the-bill-of-rights
25 - What’s an amendment?
A minor change or addition to a contract, piece of legislation, or the U.S. Constitution. Amendments are designed to improve the original document.
https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/constitution
26 - How many amendments are there to the Constitution?
Twenty-seven
Constitutional amendments are designed to be difficult to create. A proposed amendment must be approved by two-thirds of both houses of Congress, then ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of U.S. states.
Fun Fact: the last time the Constitution was amended was in 1992 and dealt with congressional pay raises.
27 - What does Congress do?
writes laws
makes decisions about taxes and spending
Declares war
Confirms or rejects presidential appointments
regulates interstate and foreign commerce
investigate issues of importance
28 - Where do ideas for bills come from?
Lawmakers
People with money or influence
You!
Got an idea for a new law? Call, email, or write a letter to your senator or member of Congress. Don’t know who that is? Check out congress.gov.
https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member
29 - How many voting members are there in the US House of Representatives?
435.
Fun Fact: There are also non-voting members, called Delegates, who represent their constituents in the House. They are from the District of Columbia, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. There is a non-voting Resident Commissioner representing Puerto Rico. These members can serve on committees, speak on the House floor, introduce bills, and offer amendments. However, they are not allowed to vote on final passage of legislation.
https://history.house.gov/Institution/Apportionment/Determining-Apportionment/
https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_congressional_non-voting_members
30 - Why do some states have more members of the House of Representatives than others?
The number of representatives is based on a state’s population. Every ten years, we count noses - otherwise known as the census. States can gain or lose a seat in Congress, mirroring the growth or shrinkage of state population.
31 - Every working day, members of Congress are allowed to make a one minute speech. How many words can be used in that speech?
It depends on how fast you talk. People speak an average of 140 words per minute, but Congressional rules say their limit is 300 words.
32 - What are the two parts of Congress?
The House of Representatives and the Senate
Article 1 of the Constitution created what’s called a bicameral Congress: two legislative bodies. It was a compromise between large and small states. States with larger populations have more Representatives, but every state gets two lawmakers in the Senate.
https://www.congress.gov/legislative-process
33 - How many U.S. Senators are there in Congress?
One hundred. Every state gets two Senators.
Fun Fact: The Senate is viewed as the more deliberative side of Congress. George Mason called it the “grand depository of the democratic principle of government.”
https://www.senate.gov/about/origins-foundations.htm
34 - We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years?
Six
Fun Fact: The Founding Fathers disagreed about term limits. Some thought seven years was an appropriate term; others suggested nine years; still others said we should throw out term limits entirely and allow senators to serve for life. They compromised on six year terms, with James Madison writing in the Federalist Papers that six-year terms would have a stabilizing effect on the new government.
https://www.senate.gov/about/origins-foundations/senate-and-constitution/term-lengths.htm
35 - We elect a member of the U.S. House of Representative for how many years?
Two years
Fun Fact: Some Founding Fathers believed one year terms made sense, saying any longer bordered on tyranny. Others argued that three year terms were better, because of travel time and how long it would take a new lawmaker to learn the job. Two years was the compromise solution.
36 - What does the Ethics Committee do?
The House Committee on Ethics investigates any alleged violations of the House rules by House Members, officers, or employees. It also answers any questions members may have about those rules.
https://ethics.house.gov/about-us/
37 - Most members of Congress have three phones. Why? And what are they used for?
Office phone - used for official business
Campaign phone - used to make fundraising calls or activities related to campaigning
Family phone - used for personal business
https://www.senate.gov/index.htm
38 - What were some of the reasons for the American Revolution?
Taxes
The lack of representation
Housing soldiers.
The British put taxes on tea, paper, sugar, paint, even playing cards shipped to America. Colonists were especially angry that they had no say in the matter - no vote. They also objected to turning their homes into military barracks.
https://history.state.gov/milestones/1750-1775/parliamentary-taxation
39 - What is the Declaration of Independence?
The Declaration of Independence is a document that states the principles on which our government, and our identity as Americans, are based. It states that all people are created equal, identifies our rights and individual freedoms as Americans, and declares that we are free from British control.
Fun Fact: There is only one signed original copy of the Declaration of Independence. You can see it at the National Archives.
https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration
40 - Name a Founding Father.
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, George Mason, Gouverneur Morris, Roger Wilson, James Sherman, Edmund Randolph, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Richard Henry Lee, Joseph Warren, Henry Laurens, Patrick Henry, Aaron Burr, James Monroe, John Marshall, Thomas Paine
https://www.whitehouse.gov/founding-fathers/#:~:text=Our%20Founding%20Fathers,Early%20Career
41 - Benjamin Franklin was famous for more than just fly a kite in a lightning storm. Name one other thing he did.
US diplomat
Postmaster general
Writer of Poor Richard’s Almanac
Started the first free libraries
Charted the Gulf Stream
Founder of the University of Pennsylvania
Founder of the American Philosophical Society
Founder of Pennsylvania Hospital
Started the first volunteer fire company in Philadelphia
Proved the connection between lightning and electricity in his famous kite experiment
https://guides.loc.gov/finding-benjamin-franklin
https://fi.edu/en/science-and-education/benjamin-franklin/faq
42 - Who gave the United States the Statue of Liberty?
France
A French political intellectual and anti-slavery activist named Edouard de Laboulaye proposed a monument to honor the hundredth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and America’s friendship with France. French sculptor Auguste Bartholdi created the statue of "Liberty Enlightening the World."
https://www.statueofliberty.org/statue-of-liberty/overview-history/
43 - Name two of the rights outlined in the First Amendment.
Free Speech
Freedom to practice the Religion of your choice
Freedom of Assembly - to gather together
Freedom of the Press
The Right to Petition the government about a gripe, asking that it be fixed through the courts or other action
https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/amendments/amendment-i
44 - What is the Second Amendment?
“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/amendments/amendment-ii
45 - Which Amendment gave women the right to vote?
The 19th Amendment.
Fun Fact: Some states (Wyoming, New Jersey, and Utah) granted women the right to vote in local elections. It wasn’t until 1920 that the 19th Amendment was ratified and women were finally allowed to cast a ballot in a federal election.
https://www.crusadeforthevote.org/19-amendment
46 - How old do you have to be to vote in a federal election?
Eighteen
Fun Fact: Some organizations are pushing to lower the voting age to sixteen.
https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/voting-age-for-primary-elections
47 - Do we vote for members of the U.S. Supreme Court?
No. Justices are nominated by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. They serve for life, or until they voluntarily step down.
https://supreme.justia.com/justices/
48 - Name five presidents of the United States.
GEORGE WASHINGTON | 1789-1797
JOHN ADAMS | 1797-1801
THOMAS JEFFERSON | 1801-1809
JAMES MADISON | 1809-1817
JAMES MONROE | 1817-1825
JOHN QUINCY ADAMS | 1825-1829
ANDREW JACKSON | 1829-1837
MARTIN VAN BUREN | 1837-1841
WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON | 1841
JOHN TYLER | 1841-1845
JAMES K. POLK | 1845-1849
ZACHARY TAYLOR | 1849-1850
MILLARD FILLMORE | 1850-1853
FRANKLIN PIERCE | 1853-1857
JAMES BUCHANAN | 1857-1861
ABRAHAM LINCOLN | 1861-1865
ANDREW JOHNSON | 1865-1869
ULYSSES S. GRANT | 1869-1877
RUTHERFORD B. HAYES | 1877-1881
JAMES A. GARFIELD | 1881
CHESTER A. ARTHUR | 1881-1885
GROVER CLEVELAND | 1885-1889 / 1893-1897
BENJAMIN HARRISON | 1889-1893
WILLIAM MCKINLEY | 1897-1901
THEODORE ROOSEVELT | 1901-1909
WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT | 1909-1913
WOODROW WILSON | 1913-1921
WARREN G. HARDING | 1921-1923
CALVIN COOLIDGE | 1923-1929
HERBERT HOOVER | 1929-1933
FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT | 1933-1945
HARRY S. TRUMAN | 1945-1953
DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER | 1953-1961
JOHN F. KENNEDY | 1961-1963
LYNDON B. JOHNSON | 1963-1969
RICHARD M. NIXON | 1969-1974
GERALD R. FORD | 1974-1977
JIMMY CARTER | 1977-1981
RONALD REAGAN | 1981-1989
GEORGE BUSH | 1989-1993
WILLIAM J. CLINTON | 1993-2001
GEORGE W. BUSH | 2001-2009
BARACK OBAMA | 2009-2017
DONALD J. TRUMP | 2017-2021 / 2025-
JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR. | 2021-2025
DONALD J. TRUMP
https://www.whitehousehistory.org/collections/president-biographies
49 - Name two responsibilities of the federal government.
Under our Constitution, the federal government has the power to:
Print paper money and mint coins
Declare war
Create an army
Make treaties
Set foreign policy
https://www.pbs.org/tpt/constitution-usa-peter-sagal/federalism/enumerated-powers/
50 - Name three responsibilities of local and state governments.
Our Constitution says it’s up to state and local governments to provide:
education
police protection
fire departments
Drivers licenses
Zoning and land use rules
https://billofrightsinstitute.org/essays/state-and-local-government
51 - What’s the deadline for filing your income taxes?
April 15th.
Fun Fact: Income taxes for individuals started in 1913 and were due on March 1st. As tax returns became more complex, the deadline was pushed back to March 1st, then to March 15th, and finally in 1954, to April 15th.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/why-is-tax-day-in-april-180981991/
52 - What do you call the economic system of the United States?
Capitalism or free market economy
A capitalist economy allows people to own and make decisions about their own personal property. Prices go up or down based on supply and demand.
https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/102914/main-characteristics-capitalist-economies.asp
https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/fandd/issues/Series/Back-to-Basics/Capitalism
53 - What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
Freed enslaved Black people in Confederate states. However, slavery didn’t end legally until passage of the 13th Amendment, ratified after the Civil War in December 1865.
https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/emancipation-proclamation-striking-mighty-blow-slavery
54 - What animal represents the Republican party?
Elephant
A political cartoonist named Thomas Nash is usually the person credited with depicting the Republican Party as an elephant for the first time in 1874.
https://elections.harpweek.com/1864/cartoon-1864-Medium.asp?UniqueID=4&Year
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C39efddpdJw
55 - What animal represents the Democratic party?
Donkey.
The Democratic donkey is older than the Republican elephant. In 1828, a jackass was associated with Andrew Jackson’s presidential campaign. Political cartoonist Thomas Nast, who is also credited with inventing the GOP elephant, frequently used the donkey to depict Democrats.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d60G8UMX7Hk
56 - What’s the difference between a presidential primary and a presidential caucus?
Both are methods used by states to pick the candidate they want to see on the presidential ballot in November. Primaries are conducted like regular elections with voters casting secret ballots. Caucuses are meetings held by political parties - sometimes using secret ballots, sometimes gathering in groups - to choose their favorite.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yn5cama_0lk
https://www.usa.gov/primaries-caucuses
57 - What’s the purpose of a national political convention?
To pick each party’s candidates for president and vice president in the November election.
58 - Why is the electoral college important?
It decides who is elected president.
A group of citizens called electors who cast your state’s electoral votes for president and vice president. They send their vote to Congress where it is counted and certified on January 6th.
https://www.archives.gov/electoral-college/about
59 - When is Inauguration Day?
January 20th. If the 20th falls on a Sunday, the inauguration is moved to January 21st.
Fun Fact: Inauguration Day used to be March 4th. But that was three long months between Election Day and the Inauguration. Both the Civil War and the Great Depression were going on during those months. The 20th Amendment was adopted in 1933 and pushed up Inauguration Day to January 20th.
https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/constitutional-amendments-amendment-20-date-changes-presidency-congress-and-succession#:~:text=Congress%2C%20and%20Succession%E2%80%9D-,Constitutional%20Amendments%20%E2%80%93%20Amendment%2020%20%E2%80%93%20%E2%80%9CDate%20Changes%20for,Presidency%2C%20Congress%2C%20and%20Succession%E2%80%9D&text=Amendment%20Twenty%20to%20the%20Constitution,March%204%20to%20January%2020.
60 - What is lobbying?
Lobbying is any attempt to influence government decision-making.
https://ballotpedia.org/Lobbying
61 - What is a passport?
A passport is an official government document that verifies your identity and nationality. It’s used for international travel.
https://www.passportindex.org/passport.php
62 - What is a visa?
A visa is an official government document that temporarily allows you to visit a particular country.
https://www.diversitytravel.com/resources/blog/what-is-travel-visa/
63 - What is the State of the Union address?
The Constitution of the United States requires that the president give Congress a State of the Union message from time to time on the condition of the country.
https://www.chesapeakepress.org/facts-behind-the-fiction/the-state-of-the-union-address
64 - What’s the rebuttal speech?
A speech given after the president delivers the State of the Union address, delivered by a member of the other political party. The speech gives the opposition party the opportunity to present ideas from their party’s point of view. Some rebuttal speeches are delivered in Spanish.
Fun Fact: The first rebuttal speech was in 1965, when Republican Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen pushed TV networks for equal time after they covered Democratic President Lyndon Johnson’s televised speech.
https://www.chesapeakepress.org/facts-behind-the-fiction/blog-post-title-four-7lspc-24t3h
65 - Where is the National Christmas Tree?
Behind the White House, on the Ellipse.
https://www.thenationaltree.org/
66 - Where is the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree?
On the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol.
https://www.uscapitolchristmastree.com/
67 - What is a congressional subpoena?
A request from Congress for documents or testimony from a witness to help in an investigation.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/how-do-congressional-subpoenas-work
68 - Can high schoolers get their art hung in the U.S. Capitol?
Yes!
Since 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have had their work displayed in the U.S. Capitol.
Fun Fact: Few tourists get to see it, but lawmakers walk past these paintings all the time as they walk through the tunnel that connects the U.S. Capitol with their offices across the street.
https://www.house.gov/educators-and-students/congressional-art-competition
https://www.chesapeakepress.org/facts-behind-the-fiction/episode-11-chickcharney
69 - What’s the separation of church and state?
The Constitutional guarantee that allows us to worship however we choose without government interference
In the 1600’s, Roger Williams, a minister, lawyer, and merchant in Rhode Island, said there should be ‘a high wall’ between church and state to keep the ‘wilderness’ of the human institutions out of the affairs of religion.
Fun Fact: The First Amendment of the Constitution also forbids Congress from establishing a religion.
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/church_state_historical.htm
70 - What do you call the person who says a prayer before work begins in the House of Representatives?
The House Chaplain.
Fun Fact: The tradition began even before there was a Congress. A Philadelphia clergyman was invited to say an opening prayer at the First Continental Congress.
Fun Fact 2: In 1983, it was challenged in the U.S. Supreme Court on the grounds that prayer on the House floor violated the Constitutional guarantee of a strict separation of church and state. The high court called it a historical custom, rather than a religious ceremony.
https://www.chesapeakepress.org/facts-behind-the-fiction/episode-9-the-house-chaplain
71 - What’s the national bird?
The Bald Eagle.
Fun Fact: While the 1782 Great Seal of the United States featured a Bald Eagle, it didn’t become official until 2024 when Congress passed a bill officially designating the Bald Eagle as our national bird.
https://www.nationaleaglecenter.org/national-bird-initiative/
72 - Ben Franklin had another suggestion for the national bird. What was it?
The turkey
Franklin thought the bird on the Great Seal looked more like a turkey than an eagle. In a letter to his daughter, he called the Bald Eagle “a bird of bad moral character” that was “too lazy to fish for himself.” The turkey, he argued, was “a much more respectable bird…a true original Native of America...a Bird of Courage.” Gobble gobble.
https://www.nationaleaglecenter.org/national-bird-initiative/
73 - Name three First Ladies.
Martha Washington
Abigail Adams
Martha Jefferson
Dolley Madison
Elizabeth Monroe
Louisa Adams
Rachel Jackson
Hannah Van Buren
Anna Harrison
Letitia Tyler
Julia Tyler
Sarah Polk
Margaret Taylor
Abigail Fillmore
Jane Pierce
Harriet Lane
Mary Lincoln
Eliza Johnson
Julia Grant
Lucy Hayes
Lucretia Garfield
Ellen Arthur
Frances Cleveland
Caroline Harrison
Frances Cleveland
Ida McKinley
Edith Roosevelt
Helen Taft
Ellen Wilson
Edith Wilson
Florence Harding
Grace Coolidge
Lou Hoover
Eleanor Roosevelt
Elizabeth Truman
Mamie Eisenhower
Jacqueline Kennedy
Lady Bird Johnson
Patricia Nixon
Elizabeth Ford
Rosalynn Carter
Nancy Reagan
Barbara Bush
Hillary Clinton
Laura Bush
Michelle Obama
Melania Trump
Jill Biden
as
74 - Name a presidential pet.
Joseph Biden - dogs: Champ and Major - German Shepherds
Cat: Willow - gray tabby
Barack Obama - dogs: Bo and Sunny, Portuguese water dogs
George W. Bush - dogs: Miss Beazley, Scottish terrier, Spot, English springer spaniel,
Barney, Scottish terrier
Cat: India “Willie”
Cow: Ofelia, longhorn cow at Texas ranch
Bill Clinton - cat: Socks - tuxedo cat, dog: Buddy, Labrador retriever
George H.W. Bush - dogs: Millie and Ranger, English springer spaniel
Ronald Reagan - dogs: Lucky, Bouvier des Flandres, Rex, Cavalier King Charles spaniel, Victory, golden retriever, Peggy, Irish setter, Taca, Siberian husky, Fuzzy, Belgian sheepdog
Horses at ranch
Jimmy Carter - dogs: Grits, border collie, Lewis Brown, Afghan hound
Cat: Misty Malarky Ying Yang, Siamese cat
Gerald Ford - dogs: Liberty and Misty, golden retrievers, Lucky
Cat: Shan, Siamese cat
Richard Nixon - dogs: Checkers (when he was vice president), Vicky, poodle, Pasha, terrier, King Timahoe, Irish setter
Lyndon B. Johnson - dogs: Him and Her and Edgar and Freckles, beagles, Blanco, collie, Yuki, mixed-breed dog
Hamsters
Lovebirds
John F. Kennedy - dogs: Charlie, Welsh terrier, Gaullie, French poodle, Pushinka, (gift from Soviet Premier Nikita Khruschev) Butterfly, White Tips, Blackie, Streaker, mixed-breed dogs, Shannon, cocker spaniel, Wolf, Irish wolfhound, Clipper, German shepherd
Cat: Tom Kitten
Birds: Robin, canary, Bluebell and Marybelle, parakeets
Ponies and horses: Macaroni, Tex and Leprechaun, Sardar, Rufus
Hamsters: Debbie and Billie
Rabbit: Zsa Zsa
Dwight D. Eisenhower - dogs Heidi, Weimaraner
Birds: Gabby, parakeet
Theodore Roosevelt - dogs: Sailor Boy, Chesapeake retriever, Jack,terrier, Skip, mongrel, Pete, a bull terrier
bear: Jonathan Edwards
Lizard: Bill
Guinea pigs: Admiral Dewey, Dr. Johnson, Bishop Doane, Fighting Bob Evans, and Father O'Grady
Pig: Maude
Badger: Josiah
Blue macaw: Eli Yale
Chicken: Baron Spreckle
Rabbit: Peter
Pony Algonquin
(also a barn owl and a hyena)
Woodrow Wilson - sheep
Herbert Hoover - opossum
John Quincy Adams - his wife had silkworms
Martin Van Buren - tiger cubs (a gift from the Sultan of Oman)
James Buchanan - a herd of elephants (a gift from the King of Siam, now Thailand)
Calvin Coolidge - racoon: Rebecca
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/presidential-pets
https://www.nps.gov/thrb/learn/historyculture/the-roosevelt-pets.htm
75 - What is the rule of law?
People must follow the law
Government must follow the law
Leaders must obey the law
No one is above the law
76 - What is the National Mall?
More than a thousand acres of lawn that stretches from the U.S. Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial.
Fun Fact: People call it America’s backyard.
https://www.nps.gov/nama/learn/historyculture/index.htm
77 - What is Statuary Hall?
A room on the second floor of the U.S. Capitol, shaped in a semi-circle to resemble an ancient Greek amphitheatre. Statues from various states surround the interior of the room.
Fun Fact: There are 35 statues in Statuary Hall.
Fun Fact 2: Statuary Hall was the place where the House of Representatives used to meet.
Fun Fact 3: Because of its shape, you can whisper on one side and be heard clearly on the other side of the room.
78 - Who painted the fresco ceiling in the Capitol Rotunda?
Constantino Brumidi.
The painting is called The Apotheosis of Washington. It depicted George Washington rising to the heavens in glory, flanked by female figures representing Liberty and Victory/Fame.
Fun Fact: Brumidi’s work also can be seen in the Vatican and on walls on the Senate side of the Capitol!
https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/art/apotheosis-washington
79 - There is a bust of a British Prime Minister in the U.S. Capitol. Who is it?
Winston Churchill
Fun Fact: Churchill was the first person to be made an honorary U.S. citizen.
https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/art/sir-winston-churchill-bust
80 - What is a First Lady?
Traditionally, a First Lady is the president’s wife, though there have been exceptions. Duties include welcoming dignitaries, planning state functions, and acting as an advocate for various social issues.
Fun Fact: Dolley Madison served as First Lady to two presidents: the widowed Thomas Jefferson and to her husband, President James Madison.
Fun Fact 2: There has never been a First Gentleman. Yet.
https://www.nps.gov/fila/learn/historyculture/first-ladies.htm
81 - What’s the name of the president’s home?
The White House
Fun Fact: the building used to be called the Executive Mansion. President Theodore Roosevelt changed the name to the White House.
https://www.whitehousehistory.org/questions/how-did-the-white-house-get-its-name
82 - Where does the vice president live?
The United States Naval Observatory
Fun Fact: Walter Mondale was the first vice president to move into the house. Before that, vice presidents lived at their own home.
83 - What is the balance of power?
The U.S. Constitution established three separate but equal branches of government, executive, judicial, and legislative, designed to prevent any single branch from gaining too much control.
https://karshinstitute.virginia.edu/news/balance-power-congress-and-presidency
84 - What is a Congressional Recess?
It’s not jump rope.
A congressional recess is the time lawmakers leave Washington to meet with constituents back in their districts at town halls and other gatherings.
https://www.chesapeakepress.org/facts-behind-the-fiction/congressional-thanksgiving-2023
85 - What Thanksgiving tradition does the president follow every year?
The president pardons a pair of turkeys
Fun Fact: Poultry farmers have been sending a holiday turkey to the White House for decades. Some were eaten, others were sent to zoos and children’s farms. It was President George H.W. Bush who officially “pardoned” a turkey in 1989. The tradition continues to this day.
https://www.whitehousehistory.org/pardoning-the-thanksgiving-turkey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3iO5dPcKbk
86 - What’s a House or Senate Whip?
The math person: the lawmaker who keeps track of which member is voting yes or no and makes sure there are enough votes to pass or block a bill.
https://www.chesapeakepress.org/facts-behind-the-fiction/whats-a-whip
87 - Where is the Statue of Liberty?
On Liberty Island, off the shore of New York City.
Fun Fact: The statue was designed by sculptor Frédéric Bartholdi (the same man who designed a huge fountain across the street from the U.S. Capitol) and engineer Gustave Eiffel (as in the Eiffel Tower). It was a gift from France on the 100th anniversary of America’s independence in 1876.
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/307/
88 - What’s the president’s cabinet?
This cabinet does not store dishes. It’s a group of department heads who advise the president.
https://www.whitehousehistory.org/videos/the-origin-of-the-presidents-cabinet
89 - Who vetoes bills?
The president of the United States.
A veto allows the president to say “no” to Congress, blocking measures he or she finds unconstitutional, unjust, or unwise. Congress has the power to cancel the president’s veto with a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate. This forms a balance of the power between the executive and legislative branches of government.
https://www.archives.gov/files/legislative/resources/education/veto/background.pdf
90 - Lots of things in Washington, D.C. use shortcut initials instead of the full name. For example, the Department of Defense is known as the DOD. Can you name three of these acronyms and say what they stand for?
V.A. - Veterans Affairs; DOJ - Department of Justice; FAA - Federal Aviation Administration; NASA - National Air and Space Administration; FBI - Federal Bureau of Investigation; IRS - Internal Revenue Service; DOGE - Department of Government Efficiency; DOE - Department of Energy; DOI - Department of the Interior; DOT - Department of Transportation
https://www.justice.gov/nsd-ovt/us-government-acronym-list
https://ucsd.libguides.com/govspeak/paged
91 - Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.
▪ Cherokee
▪ Navajo
▪ Sioux
▪ Chippewa
▪ Choctaw
▪ Pueblo
▪ Apache
▪ Iroquois
▪ Creek
▪ Blackfeet
▪ Seminole
▪ Cheyenne
▪ Arawak
▪ Shawnee
▪ Mohegan
▪ Huron
▪ Oneida
▪ Lakota
▪ Crow
▪ Teton
▪ Hopi
▪ Inuit
https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R47414
92 - There were 13 original states. Name three.
New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
Fun Fact: Rhode Island was the last of the 13 original colonies to ratify the Constitution and become a state in May 1790.
https://ballotpedia.org/Original_thirteen_states
93 - In what month do we vote for president?
November
Fun Fact: Congress passed a law in 1845, making Election Day the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November. November was chosen because it was after harvest time.
https://america250.org/news/facts-about-the-history-of-election-day/
94 - If the president can no longer serve, who gets to be president?
The vice president.
The 25th Amendment says: “In case of the removal of the president from office or of his death or resignation, the vice president shall become president.”
https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-25/
95 - We elect a president for how many years?
Four years.
Fun Fact: today, a president can run for re-election once. Franklin Delano Roosevelt ran for president four times. And then the 22nd Amendment was passed in 1947, limiting the president to two terms.
96 - If the president and vice president can no longer serve, who becomes president?
The Speaker of the House.
Fun Fact: After that, it’s the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Defense, the U.S. Attorney General, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and then the Secretary of Homeland Security.
Fun Fact 2: In case you’re wondering, the order of succession is organized according to the year the cabinet department was established.
https://www.usa.gov/presidential-succession
97 - What’s the tallest building in Washington, D.C.?
The Washington Monument
Fun Fact: When it was finished in 1884, the Washington Monument was the tallest
structure in the world. Five years later, the Eiffel Tower claimed the tallest title.
https://www.nps.gov/wamo/learn/historyculture/index.htm
98 - In the House of Representatives, what does the Rules Committee do?
It decides which amendments will get a vote on the House floor and which rules will apply to the process.
99 - Who must register for the draft?
Men who are US citizens or immigrants between the ages of 18 through 25.
Fun Fact: Soldiering is optional for women in most countries, but only Benin, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Norway and Sweden require women to register for the draft.
https://www.sss.gov/register/who-needs-to-register/
100 - Name the two states that surround Washington, D.C.
Maryland and Virginia
https://www.istockphoto.com/vector/washington-dc-metro-area-map-inset-gm165759290-15644611
101 - Who’s the boss in the executive branch?
The president of the United States.
The executive branch includes the vice president, the Cabinet, and federal departments, agencies, and workers across the country.
https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/education/three-branches/executive-branch
Missing images: 97 wash monument, 100 2 states
In this folder, here are the missing image file names/numbers.
Washington Monument is image #76
But the image with only tall buildings is #97
Two States surrounding DC = image 100. Also saved as “Extra Image 2.png”