Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

False. While he had little formal schooling, he was apprenticed as a printer; his intellect was self-developed, but he did briefly attend an academy.

Question 4

True or false: Greeley was a staunch vegetarian and refused to wear leather shoes for ethical reasons.

Accepted Answer

False. Though he advocated for some health reforms, there is no credible evidence Greeley was a vegetarian or avoided leather; he was known for a simple, plain diet.

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: 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 7

True or false: He was the first major newspaper editor to endorse the feminist movement and publish writings by women like Margaret Fuller.

Accepted Answer

True. The Tribune hired Margaret Fuller as a literary critic and ran pieces on women's rights, decades before suffrage became mainstream.

Question 8

True or false: Horace Greeley once served as acting Speaker of the House despite never being a member of Congress.

Accepted Answer

True. In 1856, as a newspaperman, he was temporarily elected Speaker pro tem of a chaotic House session, a unique honor for a non-member.

Horace Greeley Trivia Questions