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Quiz about Detroit A Biography
Quiz about Detroit A Biography

Detroit: A Biography Trivia Quiz


The book, "Detroit: A Biography" was written by Scott Martelle. It covers Detroit history from its founding through 2012.

A photo quiz by Shadowmyst2004. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Time
4 mins
Type
Photo Quiz
Quiz #
380,261
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
8 / 10
Plays
299
Last 3 plays: Buddy1 (10/10), GoodwinPD (10/10), PurpleComet (8/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. Who founded the city in 1701, before there was even officially a state of Michigan? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. In 1805 most of the city was destroyed, allowing Augustus Woodward to design the city basically from scratch. What caused the destruction of the city? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. The Battle of Fort Detroit was fought during the War of 1812. During the battle Detroit surrendered to an invading army that was much smaller in number than the fortified troops in the city.


Question 4 of 10
4. Which famous Civil War General gave a eulogy for President Lincoln in Campus Martius Park? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Beginning in the 1860s a huge influx of immigrants from what country began settling in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Hazen S. Pingree served several terms as Mayor of Detroit before being elected to which higher office? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Who founded an automotive company that was among the most successful corporations in the early part of the 20th century? He had factories all over the Metro Detroit region and a world famous factory on Piquette Avenue in the city.

Answer: (Two Words or One Word (Last name only))
Question 8 of 10
8. Former Detroit Mayor and Michigan Governor Frank Murphy also served in what appointed capacity later in life? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. A landmark Supreme Court Case in 1948, involved a Detroit family and their bid to be allowed to live in any neighborhood they wanted within the city. Previously the Court had upheld what "standard" that had stopped them from doing so? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Detroit was the county seat, and the largest city by population, in Wayne County when "Detroit: A Biography" was first published.



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 26 2024 : Buddy1: 10/10
Feb 29 2024 : GoodwinPD: 10/10
Feb 10 2024 : PurpleComet: 8/10

Score Distribution

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Who founded the city in 1701, before there was even officially a state of Michigan?

Answer: Antoine de La Mothe Cadillac

Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit was founded in 1701. The founders, including Antoine de La Mothe Cadillac and 51 others, settled near the Detroit River to start a fur trading base initially.
2. In 1805 most of the city was destroyed, allowing Augustus Woodward to design the city basically from scratch. What caused the destruction of the city?

Answer: A huge fire

On June 11, 1805, nine days before the Michigan Territory was officially established, a fire wiped away nearly the entire existing city of Detroit. All that was left in most of the city were stone chimneys.

Woodward laid out a city plan for the new city that built outward from Grand Central Park.
3. The Battle of Fort Detroit was fought during the War of 1812. During the battle Detroit surrendered to an invading army that was much smaller in number than the fortified troops in the city.

Answer: True

The invading British force was fronted by Gen. Isaac Brock. The Detroit forces were lead by Gen. William Hull.

The British forces, bolstered by the Shawnee Indians, marched the same troops through clearings and openings multiple times, to make it appear as if their forces were much greater than they actually were.

Believing they were greatly outnumbered, Hull surrendered the city.
4. Which famous Civil War General gave a eulogy for President Lincoln in Campus Martius Park?

Answer: Gen. Custer

Among the options only Gen. George Armstrong Custer was alive during the Civil War.

Michigan had been a key stop in the Underground Railroad, and therefore became one of the states that played a key role in the Union's side of the Civil War.

The Michigan Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument stands in Detroit's Campus Martius Park to commemorate that role. That is also where Custer gave his eulogy of Lincoln while rallying the troops of the 24th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment.
5. Beginning in the 1860s a huge influx of immigrants from what country began settling in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit?

Answer: Ireland

The city had a long history of being immigrant friendly. There are large pockets of city with ethnic backgrounds from Mexico, Germany, Ireland, Poland and the Middle East.

Corktown is traditionally where the Irish Catholics settled. In modern Detroit there are still many Irish taverns and several Catholic churches.
6. Hazen S. Pingree served several terms as Mayor of Detroit before being elected to which higher office?

Answer: Governor

Pingree, a Republican, was elected in 1889, and reelected in 1891, 1893 and 1895 before serving a single term as Governor from 1897-1901.

The fact that he was a Republican played against him, as Michigan at the time was very liberal, Detroit even more so. He was, however, such a popular mayor that he won election as Governor easily.

Prior to serving as Mayor, he had no political experience, instead serving as a business man.

He died a few months after leaving office in 1901.
7. Who founded an automotive company that was among the most successful corporations in the early part of the 20th century? He had factories all over the Metro Detroit region and a world famous factory on Piquette Avenue in the city.

Answer: Ford

Henry Ford was the first automotive manufacturer to use an assembly line to build cars. By bringing the work to the person, instead of the person to the work, he cut the time it took to make a car from hours down to minutes.

Ford was one of the biggest innovators and most wealthy residents of the Detroit area.

He founded Ford Motor Company in 1903. This was after his former company, The Henry Ford Company, had failed.
8. Former Detroit Mayor and Michigan Governor Frank Murphy also served in what appointed capacity later in life?

Answer: Supreme Court Justice

Frank Murphy's name was on the county courthouse in the city of Detroit when the book "Detroit: A Biography" was first published. He was appointed to the court by President Franklin Roosevelt.

He had served as a Supreme Court Justice from 1940-49. Previously he was Michigan's Governor (1937-39) and Mayor of Detroit (1930-33).

He also served in a number of other elected and judicial roles. He was a U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Michigan, Governor of the Philippines, and the U.S. Attorney General.
9. A landmark Supreme Court Case in 1948, involved a Detroit family and their bid to be allowed to live in any neighborhood they wanted within the city. Previously the Court had upheld what "standard" that had stopped them from doing so?

Answer: Deed restrictions against black owners

The case, McGhee et ux. v. Sipes et al. was won by the McGhee family 6-0. The case got the Supreme Court to overturn its own earlier ruling that deed restrictions that stopped the sale of a house to a black couple were legal.

Rather than arguing the legality of the restrictions themselves, the McGhees and their lawyer argued that it was a personal property matter and therefore the Supreme Court had no jurisdiction to enforce them. The couple cited the 14th amendment to the U.S. Constitution in proving their case.

Former Detroit Mayor Frank Murphy was among the Justices who ruled in their favor.
10. Detroit was the county seat, and the largest city by population, in Wayne County when "Detroit: A Biography" was first published.

Answer: True

Wayne County, at the time "Detroit: A Biography" was published had about 1.8 million people and was the 19th largest county in the entire country. There are 35 municipalities in the county, with Detroit being by far the largest.

Detroit had more than 800,000 people in the 2010 U.S. Census.

The county was the largest in Michigan by population, not land mass. There are several more rural counties that had more acreage.

The county was founded in 1796 and became officially organized in 1815.
Source: Author Shadowmyst2004

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.
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