Can YOU pass the civics test to become a naturalized citizen?
Answers to Part II of the test.
How did you fare on the second half of the test?
If you’re like me, you found part 2 of the test challenging, particularly the section on American History dating back to the 1800s.
To reiterate from part I, the civics test is an oral test, and the USCIS Officer will ask the applicant up to 10 of the 100 civics questions. An applicant must answer 6 out of 10 questions correctly to pass the civics portion of the naturalization test.
Links to the previous parts of this series are posted at the end.
AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
C: Rights and Responsibilities
48. There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.
Amendment 15: A male citizen of any race can vote. (Ratified 1870)
Amendment 19: Any citizen can vote, now including women. (Ratified 1920)
Amendment 24: You don’t have to pay a poll tax to vote. (Ratified 1964)
Amendment 26: Citizens eighteen (18) and older can vote. (Ratified 1971)
49. What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens?
serve on a jury
vote in a federal election
50. Name one right only for United States citizens.
vote in a federal election
run for federal office
51. What are two rights of everyone living in the United States?
freedom of expression
freedom of speech
freedom of assembly
freedom to petition the government
freedom of religion
the right to bear arms
52. What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?
the United States
the flag
53. What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen?
give up loyalty to other countries
defend the Constitution and laws of the United States
obey the laws of the United States
serve in the U.S. military (if needed)
serve (do important work for) the nation (if needed)
be loyal to the United States
54. How old do citizens have to be to vote for President?
eighteen (18) and older
55. What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?
vote
join a political party
help with a campaign
join a civic group
join a community group
give an elected official your opinion on an issue
call Senators and Representatives
publicly support or oppose an issue or policy
run for office
write to a newspaper
56. When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?
April 15
57. When must all men register for the Selective Service?
at age eighteen (18)
between eighteen (18) and twenty-six (26)
AMERICAN HISTORY
A: Colonial Period and Independence
58. What is one reason colonists came to America?
freedom
political liberty
religious freedom
economic opportunity
practice their religion
escape persecution
59. Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
American Indians
Native Americans
60. What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?
Africans
people from Africa
61. Why did the colonists fight the British?
because of high taxes (taxation without representation)
because the British army stayed in their houses (boarding, quartering)
because they didn’t have self-government
62. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
(Thomas) Jefferson
63. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
July 4, 1776
64. There were 13 original states. Name three.
New Hampshire
Massachusetts
Rhode Island
Connecticut
New York
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Delaware
Maryland
Virginia
North Carolina
South Carolina
Georgia
65. What happened at the Constitutional Convention?
The Constitution was written.
The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution.
66. When was the Constitution written?
1787
67. The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.
(James) Madison
(Alexander) Hamilton
(John) Jay
Publius
68. What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for?
U.S. diplomat
oldest member of the Constitutional Convention
first Postmaster General of the United States
writer of “Poor Richard’s Almanac”
started the first free libraries
69. Who is the “Father of Our Country”?
(George) Washington
70. Who was the first President?
(George) Washington
B: 1800s
71. What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?
the Louisiana Territory
Louisiana
72. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.
War of 1812
Mexican-American War
Civil War
Spanish-American War
73. Name the U.S. war between the North and the South.
the Civil War
the War between the States
74. Name one problem that led to the Civil War.
slavery
economic reasons
states’ rights
75. What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did?
freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation)
saved (or preserved) the Union
led the United States during the Civil War
76. What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
freed the slaves
freed slaves in the Confederacy
freed slaves in the Confederate states
freed slaves in most Southern states
77. What did Susan B. Anthony do?
fought for women’s rights
fought for civil rights
C: Recent American History and Other Important Historical Information
78. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s.
World War I
World War II
Korean War
Vietnam War
(Persian) Gulf War
79. Who was President during World War I?
(Woodrow) Wilson
80. Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II?
(Franklin) Roosevelt
81. Who did the United States fight in World War II?
Japan, Germany, and Italy
82. Before he was President, Eisenhower was a general. What war was he in?
World War II
83. During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States?
Communism
84. What movement tried to end racial discrimination?
civil rights (movement)
85. What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do?
fought for civil rights
worked for equality for all Americans
86. What major event happened on September 11, 2001, in the United States?
Terrorists attacked the United States.
87. Name one American Indian tribe in the United States. [USCIS Officers will be supplied with a list of federally recognized American Indian tribes.]
Cherokee
Navajo
Sioux
Chippewa
Choctaw
Pueblo
Apache
Iroquois
Creek
Blackfeet
Seminole
Cheyenne
Arawak
Shawnee
Mohegan
Huron
Oneida
Lakota
Crow
Teton
Hopi
Inuit
INTEGRATED CIVICS
A: Geography
88. Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States.
Missouri (River)
Mississippi (River)
89. What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States?
Pacific (Ocean)
90. What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States?
Atlantic (Ocean)
91. Name one U.S. territory.
Puerto Rico
U.S. Virgin Islands
American Samoa
Northern Mariana Islands
Guam
92. Name one state that borders Canada.
Maine
New Hampshire
Vermont
New York
Pennsylvania
Ohio
Michigan
Minnesota
North Dakota
Montana
Idaho
Washington
Alaska
93. Name one state that borders Mexico.
California
Arizona
New Mexico
Texas
94. What is the capital of the United States?
Washington, D.C.
95. Where is the Statue of Liberty?
New York (Harbor)
Liberty Island [Also acceptable are New Jersey, near New York City, and on the Hudson (River).]
B: Symbols
96. Why does the flag have 13 stripes?
because there were 13 original colonies
because the stripes represent the original colonies
97. Why does the flag have 50 stars?
because there is one star for each state
because each star represents a state
because there are 50 states
98. What is the name of the national anthem?
The Star-Spangled Banner
C: Holidays
99. When do we celebrate Independence Day?
July 4
100. Name two national U.S. holidays.
New Year’s Day
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Presidents’ Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Columbus Day
Veterans Day
Thanksgiving
Christmas