Obscure American history trivia

I cheated and went to Wikipedia. I think Liut has the answer.

There was a book out maybe 30 years ago about the vice presidents. The author played off the title of John Dean's book about Nixon, calling his work "Bland Ambition." It's a pretty good read.

 

Correct!

 

The last Highlander claymore charge happened during the American Revolution. Where?

 

North Carolina?

I think they reference it in Outlander but I can't recall the specific battle.

 

Yes. Moore's Creek Bridge in Pender County, to be exact. They brought swords to a cannon fight.

 

White House edition: Who were Nanny and Nanko?

 

Somebody's pets. Sounds like goats.
Somebody's kid had an alligator at the WH, I think. Hayes supposedly had the first Siamese cat in America that was given to him while POTUS. Early pictures show livestock on the grounds.

 

They were goats that belonged to the Lincoln boys. I understand that Old Abe was a pretty permissive parent, possibly because he felt guilty because he wasn't home much for Robert when he was growing up.

 

The story of Joe Biden's German shepherd Major is widely known. But he wasn't the first GSD named Major that caused a stir in the White House. Who owned that dog?

 

Correct!

 

No replies on this one, so I'll provide the answer. Franklin Roosevelt had a German shepherd named Major when he moved into the White House. Major, a retired police dog, quickly got into trouble for chasing White House maids before biting Sen. Hattie Caraway. Then he bit British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald and tore his pants. That earned Major a one-way ticket back to Hyde Park.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major...living at,the United Kingdom Ramsay MacDonald.

The Roosevelts also brought a Scottish Terrier named Meggie to the mansion. Fala, their most famous dog, came along in 1940.

 

Which state has the oldest continuously operating lighthouse in the U.S.?