Cumberland County Public Library: Local & State History Tar Heel Trivia

Printable version (pdf file)

Fill in the blanks to test your knowledge about "The Old North State." For ideas of where to find answers, look at the List of Sources. Compare your answers to those on the answer page (see link below). Give yourself five points for each correct answer.

(This quiz is appropriate for 8th grade and above.)

The outdoor drama, Horn in the West, is about (1) ____________ and the Revolutionary War.

Princeville, the oldest town incorporated by African Americans in the United States, was originally called (2) ____________________.

North Carolina’s Fall Line, where rivers have rapids and short waterfalls, is the boundary between the (3) _____________ and the Coastal Plain.

The (4) ____________ River is the oldest river in America and the second oldest in the world.

The oldest breed of wild horses in America lives at (5) _________________ National Seashore.

James C. Dobbin, a Fayetteville native, advocated the establishment of a state hospital for the mentally ill and later served as Secretary of the United States Navy for four years, beginning in
(6) _________________ .

In Aurora you can see five million year old
(7) _________________.

A short story writer born in Greensboro became famous for his surprise endings. He used the pseudonym O. Henry. His real name is
(8) _______________ .

Three of North Carolina’s 100 counties are named for women. They are (9)____________ , (10)__________ , and (11)_____________ .

In Linville Caverns you can see (12)____________ and (13)_____________ .

George Moses Horton, a man born in slavery in North Carolina, wrote the first book by an African American published in the South. The book’s title is (14) __________________.

After Fort Fisher fell, (15) ________________ could no longer supply Confederate armies.

From 1720 to 1870, North Carolina led the world in the production of tar, turpentine, and pitch from pine trees. As a group, these products are called (16) _____________ because every nation with a navy needed them for building and repairing their wooden ships.

From his name, you might think he was an educator, but Edward Teach was a (17) _________________.

Because it stands 1,500 feet above the surrounding countryside, Pilot Mountain served as a landmark for Indians and pioneers. Its Indian name is (18) ____________ which means "The Great Guide."

Sequoyah invented a system of writing for the (19) ___________ language.

On US 158 Bypass in Kill Devil Hills, a historical marker commemorates the (20) __________________ brothers.

Bonus (10 Points): The International Maritime Hall of Fame named a former North Carolina truck driver, Malcolm McLean, "Man of the Twentieth Century." McLean became the "father of containerization" when he acted on his idea of lifting the container portion of the truck into the hold of a ship, onto the flatbed of a train, or even into cargo airplanes. As a result, shipments from Hong Kong to New York, which used to take about 50 days, now take only ________ days.

Click here for a list of answers

Scores:

If your score is between:

0 – 30 Are you sure you weren’t thinking of North Dakota?
35 – 50 Probably not a native Tar Heel.
55 – 70 Did you use the hints in the questions and List of Sources?
75 – 90 You’ve got skills.
95 – 110 A Tar Heel triumph!

List of Sources:

The Black Poet (RNC B Horton)

Blackbeard: The Fiercest Pirate of All (RNC B Teach)

O. Henry (RNC B Henry)

Vertical Files in the Local & State History Room

The Story of Fayetteville (RNC 975.6 Oates)

Dictionary of NC Biography (RNC 920.0756 P)

North Carolina County Fact Book (RNC 975.6 T)

Carolina Curiosities (RNC 917.56 B)

North Carolina Superlatives (RNC 975.6 C)

North Carolina Traveler (RNC 917.5604 N)

North Carolina Gazetteer (RNC 910.09 P)