Question 1

True or false: Horace Greeley founded the New York Tribune in 1841, which became one of the most influential newspapers in America.

Accepted Answer

True. The Tribune, under Greeley, set standards for editorial independence and national circulation, shaping public opinion for decades.

Question 2

True or false: Greeley was a vocal supporter of the transcontinental railroad and helped popularize the phrase 'Go West, young man.'

Accepted Answer

True. His New York Tribune editorial urged westward expansion, and he championed the Pacific Railroad Act, making the phrase iconic.

Question 3

True or false: Horace Greeley never attended college and was largely self-taught as a journalist and editor.

Accepted Answer

True. Horace Greeley had limited formal education, attended school only sporadically until age 14, and never enrolled in college. He trained as a printer's apprentice and honed his journalism skills through self-study.

Question 4

True or false: Horace Greeley was a vegetarian.

Accepted Answer

True. Greeley was a member of the American Vegetarian Society and advocated for dietary reform, influenced by health reformer Sylvester Graham.

Question 5

True or false: Greeley won the 1872 presidential election against Ulysses S. Grant, but died before taking office.

Accepted Answer

False. Greeley lost decisively to Grant; he died shortly after the election, but he never won the presidency.

Question 6

True or false: Horace Greeley hired Margaret Fuller, a prominent early feminist, as a literary critic for his newspaper.

Accepted Answer

True. Horace Greeley, editor of the New-York Tribune, hired Margaret Fuller as a literary critic in 1844, making her one of the first women to hold such a position at a major newspaper.

Question 7

True or false: Greeley was a lifelong abolitionist who bailed Jefferson Davis out of jail after the Civil War.

Accepted Answer

True. In 1867, Greeley posted bail for the former Confederate president, shocking many, to promote national reconciliation.

Question 8

True or false: Horace Greeley once served as acting Speaker of the House in 1856 despite not being a member of Congress at the time.

Accepted Answer

True. In 1856, Greeley, a newspaper editor and former congressman, was elected Speaker pro tempore to preside over a deadlocked House election, though he was not then a member.

Horace Greeley Trivia Questions