Atlantic Trivia: Patriotic Music
Test your knowledge—and read our stories for a little extra help.
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of today’s trivia, and it looks to be about Jake Lundberg’s brief history of “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” written by Julia Ward Howe—and shared with the world by The Atlantic in 1862.
Atlantic Trivia
Vocal Music
Poetry
Adaptations
In 1861, a writing contest was held to find a replacement for what song that organizers considered “almost useless” for its difficult vocal range and vague, patriotic lyrics?
Find previous questions here, and to get Atlantic Trivia in your inbox every day, sign up for The Atlantic Daily. If you think up a question yourself, send it my way via trivia@theatlantic.com.
About the Author
Drew Goins is a senior editor and the creator of The Atlantic’s daily trivia game, Rabbithole. Before joining The Atlantic in 2025, Drew was a newsletter writer and editor for The Washington Post’s Opinions section. He is a 12-game player on the quiz show Jeopardy.