James Monroe Trivia

Logic Puzzle

There are seven chests in a row. A pirate hides his treasure in one of them. Every night, he secretly moves the treasure to a neighboring chest. You may check one chest per day. How can you find the treasure?

 

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James Monroe Trivia

1. Monroe was the last “Founding Father” to be president.
2. Monroe was the last of the “Virginia Dynasty,” which refers to the fact that four of the first five presidents were from Virginia.
3. One of three of the first five presidents to die on a July 4 (the other two being Adams and Jefferson).
4. Madison won reelection in 1820 by an electoral college victory of 231 to 1 and getting 81% of the popular vote.
5. The capital of Liberia, Monrovia, is named after James Madison, for his support of repatriating freed slaves back to Africa.
6. Monroe was fired as the French ambassador by George Washington.
7. Monroe’s most important legacy is probably the Monroe Doctrine, which endeavored to keep European colonialism out of the Americas.
8. Monroe was responsible for the purchase of Florida from Spain.
9. Monroe’s first term was known as the “Era of Good Feelings.”
10. Monroe has held more public offices than any other president, including senator (from Virginia), ambassador to France, ambassador to Britain, governor of Virginia, Secretary of State and Secretary of War (holding both offices at the same time under James Madison).
11. James Madison and James Monroe as the only set of consecutive presidents with the same first name.

 

Logic Puzzle Solution

Assume the chest begins in an even-numbered chest. Then do as follows:

1. Check chest #2.
2. If it wasn’t in #2, then it must have moved to an odd-numbered chest the next day. However, it can’t be in #1, leaving 3, 5 and 7. Check chest # 3.
3. If it wasn’t in #3, then it must have moved to an even-numbered chest the next day. However, it can’t be in #2, leaving 4 and 6. Check chest # 4.
4. If it wasn’t in #4, then it must have moved to an odd-numbered chest the next day. However, it can’t be in #1 or 3, leaving 5 and 7. Check chest # 5.
5. If it wasn’t in #5, then it must have moved to an even-numbered chest the next day. However, it can’t be in #2 or 4, leaving 6. Check chest # 6.
6. If it wasn’t in #6, then the assumption that it was originally in an even-numbered chest must have been wrong. If it started in an odd-numbered chest, then after five movements, it must be in an even chest now. Repeat steps 1 to 5 and you will find it at some point.