As you describe it, it sounds not so much unfair, but just a bad quiz.  I'd be interested in seeing examples of the first and second clues.  I picture them being either about obscure facts about a state that only decades of accumulated trivia knowledge would know ("In this state, cinnamon was first added to applesauce in the 1880s") or ambiguous ("This state has 9 letters in its name").

If you still feel strongly about it now that the school year is over, I suggest you write a letter to the teacher detailing why the test isn't a good measurement of students' learning progress and how it actually penalizes risk-taking, which is a valuable attribute in business.  Many good companies encourage risk-taking, but provide the framework and support for failure - in fact, some companies (Microsoft is rumored to be one) make failure a necessity of advancement.

If your relationship with the teacher (or principal) is good enough, invite him or her to meet for coffee one morning for a "post mortem" on the school year and, not as the first topic, bring up the quiz in the context of "I just can't get this thing off my mind" and dig into the philosophy behind it.

By the description of how this is practiced, it seems more like a bonus opportunity to me instead of the way that the overall Social Studies grade is determined.  I wouldn't be alarmed about this, as I it seems harmless and in fact it can add points to the overall score in the 9 week period.