Question 1

Paul Bunyan

Accepted Answer

Folklore - Paul Bunyan is described as a giant lumberjack of American folklore, known for his superhuman feats and his blue ox, Babe, symbolizing the might and expansiveness of the American logging industry.

Question 2

Lewis & Clark

Accepted Answer

Fact - Explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led the early 19th-century Lewis and Clark Expedition, commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson, to explore and map the newly acquired western territory of the United States.

Question 3

Huckleberry Finn

Accepted Answer

Folklore - A fictional character created by Mark Twain, Huckleberry Finn is a young boy who embarks on a series of adventures along the Mississippi River, often highlighting themes of race, friendship, and societal norms.

Question 4

Johnny Appleseed

Accepted Answer

Folklore - The folklore hero John Chapman, known as Johnny Appleseed, was an American pioneer nurseryman who introduced apple trees to large parts of the U.S., symbolizing frontier resourcefulness and environmental stewardship.

Question 5

Pocahontas

Accepted Answer

Fact - Much of what we know about Pocahontas today is highly embellished and romanticized. Some historians believe that she was presented to potential investors to prove that "savages" could be colonized, and to gain financial support in the building of Jamestown.

Question 6

Jedediah Smith

Accepted Answer

Fact - Jedidiah Smith was an early 19th-century American frontiersman, hunter, and fur trapper, Smith was a trailblazer who explored vast areas of the western United States, including the Rocky Mountains and the South Pass.

Question 7

Pecos Bill

Accepted Answer

Folklore - Pecos Bill was a legendary cowboy of American folklore, known for his wild adventures, such as riding a tornado and roping a whole herd of cattle at once, embodying the spirit of the American West.

Question 8

Molly Pitcher

Accepted Answer

Folklore - A folklore heroine said to have played an important role in the American Revolutionary War, by carrying water to soldiers in battle, and even taking over firing a cannon when her husband was incapacitated. Historians believe that her character was based on an actual woman named Mary Ludwig Hays.

Question 9

John Henry

Accepted Answer

Fact - John Henry was a real-life African American hero, often depicted as a "steel-driving man" who worked as a steel-driver. He most likely died like many of his fellow railroad workers--of daily fume inhalation.

Question 10

Davy Crockett

Accepted Answer

Fact - Davy Crockett was a 19th-century American folk hero, frontiersman, soldier, and politician, known for his exploits in the Texas Revolution and his defense of the Alamo.

Question 11

Daniel Boone

Accepted Answer

Fact - Daniel Boone was an American pioneer, explorer, woodsman, and frontiersman, Boone is most famous for his exploration and settlement of what is now Kentucky.

Question 12

Kit Carson

Accepted Answer

Fact - Kit Carson was an American frontiersman, trapper, soldier, and Indian agent, Carson became a legend in his own lifetime for his exploits in the American West.

Question 13

Buffalo Bill

Accepted Answer

Fact - William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody was an American soldier, bison hunter, and showman, famous for founding Buffalo Bill's Wild West show, a performance that romanticized the American West.

Question 14

Annie Oakley

Accepted Answer

Fact - A sharpshooter and exhibition shooter, Oakley gained fame for her marksmanship and was a star of Buffalo Bill's Wild West show, becoming an American cultural icon.

Question 15

Squanto

Accepted Answer

Fact - A member of the Patuxet tribe, Squanto acted as an interpreter and guide to the Pilgrims during their first winter in the New World and played a crucial role in the early interactions between Native Americans and settlers. 🦃 Happy Thanksgiving!

American Legends: Fact or Folklore?

2) Lewis & Clark

3) Huckleberry Finn

4) Johnny Appleseed

5) Pocahontas

6) Jedediah Smith

7) Pecos Bill

8) Molly Pitcher

9) John Henry

10) Davy Crockett

11) Daniel Boone

12) Kit Carson

13) Buffalo Bill

14) Annie Oakley

15) Squanto