US History
A:
The original color of the White House was white. According to the White House Historical Association, when the walls were finished in 1798, they were whitewashed to keep the stone from freezing in winter.
-
Q: Why Was the Battle of Yorktown Important?
A: The Battle of Yorktown was important because it triggered the point of final surrender for British forces. The battle was the last major conflict during the American Revolution, and its outcome in favor of the Americans effectively sealed the British loss. British casualties in this battle were nearly twice those of the Americans. -
Q: Who Opposed the New Deal?
A: Roosevelt's New Deal faced opposition from the upper class, a number of media personalities and even the Supreme Court. Opponents of the New Deal claimed many of the proposed domestic programs would be too great a burden on the rich. -
Q: Where Did Lincoln Write the "Gettysburg Address"?
A: The basic draft of the Gettysburg Address was written by President Abraham Lincoln in Washington, D.C. On the evening of Nov. 18, 1863 Lincoln made final changes to the speech at the home of Gettysburg attorney David Willis. -
Q: Where Did the Irish Immigrants Settle in America?
A: Most Irish immigrants who made their way to America settled in cities along the Eastern seaboard. After 1846, when almost all of the people leaving Ireland were rural Catholics fleeing the effects of the Great Potato Famine, Boston and New York received them in the greatest numbers. -
Q: What Was George Washington's Height?
A: George Washington was 6 feet 2 inches tall. He was not the tallest president of the United States, as that distinction goes to Abraham Lincoln who was 6 feet 4 inches tall. Lyndon Johnson was the second tallest president with a height of 6 feet 3 inches. -
Q: Who Convinced France to Aid the Colonists?
A: According to the Office of the Historian, Benjamin Franklin persuaded France to aid the colonists in their rebellion against the British. While Franklin was popular and admired in France, however, it was ultimately the British surrender at the Battle of Saratoga in December 1777 that encouraged the French to join. -
Q: Why Did British Columbia Join the Canadian Confederation?
A: British Columbia entered the Canadian Confederation in 1871 because financiers in Ottawa agreed to build a railroad through the territory within a decade, took on the territory's massive debt and provided government subsidies to help British Columbia become more solvent. The United States wanted British Columbia as reparations from the British following the American Civil War and because America purchased Alaska in 1867. The British refused the United States' demands. -
Q: Is the "President's Book of Secrets" Real?
A: According to The Library of Congress, the "President's Book of Secrets" does not exist and is only a fictional reference in the movie "National Treasure: Book of Secrets." The movie made people believe the Library of Congress housed the book. -
Q: What Were Thomas Jefferson's Major Accomplishments?
A: Thomas Jefferson's major accomplishments include his authorship of the Declaration of Independence and his position as the third president of the United States. Jefferson is also known for his participation in the Continental Congress and his role as the governor of Virginia during the American Revolutionary War. -
Q: Who Won the Battle of Antietam?
A: The winner of the Battle of Antietam was deemed inconclusive, although a tactical victory was claimed by the Union army and gave President Abraham Lincoln the backing he needed to deliver the Emancipation Proclamation. The Battle of Antietam was fought on September 17, 1862, in Sharpsburg, Maryland, and was the first battle to be fought in the North. As of 2014, the battle remains the bloodiest single day in American history. -
Q: Why Is Teddy Roosevelt on Mt. Rushmore?
A: As stated by the National Park Service, Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was chosen as one of four American Presidents enshrined on Mount Rushmore because he "provided leadership when America experienced rapid economic growth as it entered the 20th Century." Roosevelt helped build the Panama Canal, launched the Great White fleet on a world tour of naval power and stood up for the rights of working class individuals. -
Q: Which President Was Shot While Speaking and Still Finished the Speech?
A: President Theodore 'Teddy' Roosevelt was shot in the chest during a speech in 1912; Roosevelt not only survived the shot but also continued to deliver his public address. Roosevelt, who was 53 years old at the time, was not serving an active term as president, though he was campaigning for a presidential term as a member of the Progressive Party. Though the shot was accurate and hit in a location that could have done grievous harm to the former president, he had a number of items in his jacket pockets, including the speech text itself and an eyeglasses case, that helped to reduce the bullet's impact. -
Q: Who Was the Oldest President?
A: Republican President Ronald Reagan was the oldest acting U.S. president; he was 69 years old (just a few days shy of his 70th birthday) when he took office in 1981, and he served two consecutive terms, meaning he was in his 70s for the majority of his tenure as president. Gerald Ford and Reagan are the longest living presidents; both Ford and Reagan lived to 94 years old, though Ford was technically older by a few weeks. As the oldest serving U.S. president, Reagan's age was the focus of some public concern and scrutiny, particularly during the 1984 election for his second term. -
Q: What Was the American Victory at Saratoga?
A: American forces defeated the British near Saratoga, N.Y., in September and October, 1777, after which the French chose to enter the war on the side of the colonists. These battles are considered the turning point of the American Revolution, according to the National Park Service. British General John Burgoyne lost 86 percent of the expeditionary force he brought to the continent to quell the rebellion. -
Q: Why Does the Bald Eagle Represent America?
A: The bald eagle was chosen by the founding fathers because it symbolized strength, courage, freedom and immortality. The founding fathers felt that the bird encompassed these qualities in the same way that the newly formed United States did. -
Q: How Many Iceberg Warnings Did the Titanic Receive?
A: The Titanic received at least four warnings from other ships about ice in the area on the day of the accident. The final warning came an hour before disaster struck. -
Q: What Are Some Interesting Facts About Independence Hall?
A: Independence Hall, once known as the Old State House, took 21 years to build after ground was first broken on the project in 1732. This is because the provincial government paid for it little by little. The planning and construction were also contentious, as the committee members responsible for the hall often disagreed. -
Q: How Did Barack Obama Meet His Wife?
A: Barack Obama met his wife Michelle in 1989 when he interned at Chicago law firm Sidley Austin, where Michelle Robinson was an associate assigned to mentor Obama. The future president and first lady married in 1992. -
Q: How Many People Died Building the Empire State Building?
A: According to official records, five people died while constructing the Empire State Building. One was struck by a truck, another fell down an elevator shaft, a third was killed by explosives, a fourth struck by a hoist and the fifth fell from scaffolding. -
Q: How Large Are the Faces on Mount Rushmore?
A: The four faces carved into the side of Mount Rushmore are each about 60 feet tall, which is the equivalent of a six-story building. Each eye's width is about 11 feet, and the mouths are up to 18 feet wide. The noses are around 20 feet long, with George Washington having the longest nose, measuring 21 feet. -
Q: What Prompted the Hysteria During the Red Scare?
A: The fall of the Russian monarchy to the Bolsheviks near the end of World War I prompted the Red Scare in the United States and other parts of the world. The idea that the lower classes could rise up and overthrow the government put fear into the minds of middle class and the institutions in power at the time.