By Marqueita Sam
UHCLIDIAN STAFF

In the wake of our nation's recent attack, we are seeing a resurgence of patriotism in this county. Caught up in a renewed love for our country, Americans must also come to grips with their deficiencies in our national history.

"Our country's rediscovery of patriotism is just a fad," said Tina Hunter, former UH-Clear Lake student. "There are so many students who do not know anything about American history. Many students could not define patriotism if they were paid a million bucks to do so. "That is why I feel that once the site where the World Trade Center's Twin Towers stood is cleared of debris, then the minds of Americans will be somewhat cleared of what happened. Flags will be put away and life will return to some degree of normalcy until something tragic happens again."

UH-Clear Lake students are no exception to the rule. In a recent informal survey, the majority of the students could not differentiate between the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

"The general population of students who were born in 1972 have no memory of the second Red Scare of the 1950s or of Watergate in the 1970s," said Dr. Angela Howard, history professor at UH-Clear Lake. "They know very little of World War II and nothing of the depression of the 1930s. This generation has little sense of past tragedy or history."

How much American history do you know? Test your trivia knowledge with this short quiz.

1. Who was the first president of the United States?


2. Where is Mount Rushmore located and who is on it?


3. Who wrote the "Star Spangled Banner?"


4. How many stars and stripes are on the American flag?


5. When did America declare independence?


6. Which was the last state to be admitted into the Union and when?


7. What are the first ten Constitutional amendments called?


8. Who was the first president to be assassinated?


9. What is the national flower?


10. What are the three branches of the government called?

Answers



1. George Washington


2. South Dakota. Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson & Theodore Roosevelt


3. Francis Scott Key


4. 50 stars and 13 stripes (7 red and 6 white)


5. July 4, 1776


6. Hawaii in 1959


7. The Bill of Rights


8. Abraham Lincoln


9. The rose


10. Legislative, Judicial and Executive





Top of Page | Front Page