Learn About the 

United States

Quick Civics Lessons

for the Naturalization Test

M-638 (rev. 12/09)
Learn About the United States: Quick Civics Lessons 

Thank you for your interest in becoming a citizen of 

the United States of America. Your decision to apply for 

U.S. citizenship is a very meaningful demonstration of 

your commitment to this country and we applaud your 

efforts. 

The United States has a long and rich history of 

welcoming immigrants from all parts of the world. U.S. 

citizenship is the common thread that connects people 

from different cultures and backgrounds. For more 

than 200 years, the United States has remained strong 

because of our citizens and the common civic values we 

share. 

As you prepare for U.S. citizenship, Learn About the United 

States: Quick Civics Lessons will help you study for the civics 

and English portions of the naturalization interview. 

There are 100 civics (history and government) questions 

on the naturalization test. During your naturalization 

interview, you will be asked up to 10 questions from 

the list of 100 questions. You must answer correctly at 

least six (6) of the 10 questions to pass the civics test. 

Applicants who are age 65 or older and have been a lawful 

permanent resident for at least 20 years at the time of filing 

the Application for Naturalization, Form N-400 are only required

to study 20 of the 100 civics test questions for the 

naturalization test. These questions are flagged with an 

asterisk (*) in this booklet. 

Another Option to Help You Study: Civics Flash Cards

The USCIS Civics Flash Cards are a useful study tool to 

prepare for the naturalization test. These easy-to-use cards 

have each of the 100 civics (history and government) 

questions and answers on the naturalization test. With 

historical photos and informative captions, the Civics Flash 

Cards are an additional option to help you prepare for U.S. 

citizenship.

The Civics Flash Cards are available for free online at 

http://www.uscis.gov/civicsflashcards. Hard copies are 

available for purchase from the U.S. Government Printing 

Office (GPO) by calling 1-866-512-1800 (toll-free) or by 

visiting http://bookstore.gpo.gov and searching for 

“Civics Flash Cards.”

Learn About the United States contains short lessons based 

on each of the 100 civics (history and government) 

questions. This additional information will help you 

learn more about important concepts in American 

history and government. During your naturalization 

interview, you will not be tested on the additional 

information in the short lessons.

There are three components to the English portion of 

the test: speaking, reading, and writing. Your ability to 

speak English is determined by the USCIS Officer based 

on your answers to questions normally asked during 

the eligibility interview on the Application for Naturalization, 

Form N-400. 

For the reading test, you must read one (1) out of three 

(3) sentences correctly to demonstrate an ability to read 

in English. There is a reading vocabulary list with all 

the words found in the English reading portion of the 

naturalization test included in the back of this booklet.

For the writing test, you must write one (1) out of 

three (3) sentences correctly to demonstrate an ability 

to write in English. There is a writing vocabulary list 

with all the words found in the English writing portion 

of the naturalization test included in the back of this 

booklet.
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Civics Test

A: Principles of American Democracy

1. What is the supreme law of the land?

+ the Constitution

The Founding Fathers of the United States wrote 

the Constitution in 1787. The Constitution is the 

“supreme law of the land.” The U.S. Constitution has 

lasted longer than any other country’s constitution. 

It establishes the basic principles of the United States 

government. The Constitution establishes a system 

of government called “representative democracy.” 

In a representative democracy, citizens choose 

representatives to make the laws. U.S. citizens also 

choose a president to lead the executive branch of 

government. The Constitution lists fundamental rights 

for all citizens and other people living in the United 

States. Laws made in the United States must follow the 

Constitution.

2. What does the Constitution do?

+ sets up the government

+ defines the government 

+ protects basic rights of Americans

The Constitution of the United States divides 

government power between the national government 

and state governments. The name for this division 

of power is “federalism.” Federalism is an important 

idea in the Constitution. We call the Founding Fathers 

who wrote the Constitution the “Framers” of the 

Constitution. The Framers wanted to limit the powers 

of the government, so they separated the powers into 

three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. 

The Constitution explains the power of each branch. 

The Constitution also includes changes and additions, 

called “amendments.” The first 10 amendments 

are called the “Bill of Rights.” The Bill of Rights 

established the individual rights and liberties of all 

Americans.

3.	 The idea of self-government is in the first three

words of the Constitution. What are these 

words? 

+ We the People

The Constitution says:

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect 

Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for 

the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the 

Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and 

establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

Learn About the United States

Civics Test

AMERICAN GOVERNMENT

In the United States, the government gets its power to govern from the people. We have a government of the 

people, by the people, and for the people. Citizens in the United States shape their government and its policies, so 

they must learn about important public issues and get involved in their communities. Learning about American 

government helps you understand your rights and responsibilities and allows you to fully participate in the 

American political process. The Founders of this country decided that the United States should be a representative 

democracy. They wanted a nation ruled by laws, not by men. In a representative democracy, the people choose 

officials to make laws and represent their views and concerns in government. The following section will help 

you understand the principles of American democracy, the U.S. system of government, and the important rights 

and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship.

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2 *If you are 65 or older and have been a legal permanent resident of the United States for 20 or more years, 

you may study just the questions marked with an asterisk.

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Learn About the United States

With the words “We the People,” the Constitution 

states that the people set up the government. The 

government works for the people and protects the 

rights of people. In the United States, the power to 

govern comes from the people, who are the highest 

power. This is called “popular sovereignty.” The 

people elect representatives to make laws.

4. What is an amendment?

+ a change (to the Constitution)

+ an addition (to the Constitution)

An amendment is a change or addition to the 

Constitution. The Framers of the Constitution knew 

that laws can change as a country grows. They did not 

want to make it too easy to modify the Constitution, 

the supreme law of the land. The Framers did not 

want the Constitution to lose its meaning. For this 

reason, the Framers decided that Congress could pass 

amendments in only two ways: by a two-thirds vote 

in the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives 

or by a special convention. A special convention has 

to be requested by two-thirds of the states. After an 

amendment has passed in Congress or by a special 

convention, the amendment must then be ratified 

(accepted) by the legislatures of three-fourths of 

the states. The amendment can also be ratified by a 

special convention in three-fourths of the states. Not 

all proposed amendments are ratified. Six times in 

U.S. history, amendments have passed in Congress but 

were not approved by enough states to be ratified.

5.	 What do we call the first ten amendments to the

Constitution?

+ the Bill of Rights 

The Bill of Rights is the first 10 amendments to 

the Constitution. When the Framers wrote the 

Constitution, they did not focus on individual rights. 

They focused on creating the system and structure 

of government. Many Americans believed that the 

Constitution should guarantee the rights of the 

people, and they wanted a list of all the things a 

government could not do. They were afraid that a 

strong government would take away the rights people 

won in the Revolutionary War. James Madison, one 

of the Framers of the Constitution, wrote a list of 

individual rights and limits on the government. These 

rights appear in the first 10 amendments, called the 

Bill of Rights. Some of these rights include freedom 

of expression, the right to bear arms, freedom from 

search without warrant, freedom not to be tried twice 

for the same crime, the right to not testify against 

yourself, the right to a trial by a jury of your peers, the 

right to an attorney, and protection against excessive 

fines and unusual punishments. The Bill of Rights was 

ratified in 1791.

6. What is one right or freedom from the First 

Amendment?* 

+ speech

+ religion

+ assembly

+ press

+ petition the government

The First Amendment of the Bill of Rights protects 

a person’s right to freedom of expression. Freedom 

of expression allows open discussion and debate 

on public issues. Open discussion and debate are 

important to democracy. The First Amendment also 

protects freedom of religion and free speech. This 

amendment says that Congress may not pass laws 

that establish an official religion and may not limit 

religious expression. Congress may not pass laws 

that limit freedom of the press or the right of people 

to meet peacefully. The First Amendment also gives 

people the right to petition the government to change 

laws or acts that are not fair. Congress may not 

take away these rights. The First Amendment of the 

Constitution guarantees and protects these rights.

7. How many amendments does the Constitution 

have?

+ twenty-seven (27) 

The first 10 amendments to the Constitution are 

called the Bill of Rights. They were added in 1791. 

Since then, 17 more amendments have been added. 

The Constitution currently has 27 amendments. The 

27th Amendment was added in 1992. It explains how 

senators and representatives are paid. Interestingly, 

Congress first discussed this amendment back in 1789 

as one of the original amendments considered for the 

Bill of Rights.
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Civics Test

8. What did the Declaration of Independence do?

+ announced our independence (from Great Britain)

+ declared our independence (from Great Britain)

+ said that the United States is free (from Great Britain) 

The Declaration of Independence contains important 

ideas about the American system of government. The 

Declaration of Independence states that all people are 

created equal and have “certain unalienable rights.” 

These are rights that no government can change or 

take away. The author of the Declaration, Thomas 

Jefferson, wrote that the American colonies should 

be independent because Great Britain did not respect 

the basic rights of people in the colonies. Jefferson 

believed that a government exists only if the people 

think it should. He believed in the idea that the 

people create their own government and consent, 

or agree, to follow laws their government makes. 

This idea is called “consent of the governed.” If the 

government creates laws that are fair and protect 

people, then people will agree to follow those laws. 

In the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson wrote 

a list of complaints the colonists had against the King 

of England. Jefferson ended the Declaration with the 

statement that the colonies are, and should be, free and 

independent states. The Second Continental Congress 

voted to accept the Declaration on July 4, 1776.

9. What are two rights in the Declaration of 

Independence?

+ life

+ liberty

+ pursuit of happiness 

The Declaration of Independence lists three rights that 

the Founding Fathers considered to be natural and 

“unalienable.” They are the right to life, liberty, and 

the pursuit of happiness. These ideas about freedom 

and individual rights were the basis for declaring 

America’s independence. Thomas Jefferson and the 

other Founding Fathers believed that people are born 

with natural rights that no government can take away. 

Government exists to protect these rights. Because the 

people voluntarily give up power to a government, 

they can take that power back. The British government 

was not protecting the rights of the colonists, so the 

colonies took back their power and separated from 

Great Britain.

10. What is freedom of religion?

+ You can practice any religion, or not practice a 

religion. 

Colonists from Spain, France, Holland, England, and 

other countries came to America for many different 

reasons. One of the reasons was religious freedom. The 

rulers of many of these countries told their citizens 

that they must go to a certain church and worship in 

a certain way. Some people had different religious 

beliefs than their rulers and wanted to have their own 

churches. In 1620, the Pilgrims were the first group 

that came to America seeking religious freedom. 

Religious freedom was also important to the Framers. 

For this reason, freedom of religion was included in 

the Constitution as part of the Bill of Rights. The First 

Amendment to the Constitution guarantees freedom of 

religion. The First Amendment states, “Congress shall 

make no law respecting an establishment of religion, 

or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” The First 

Amendment also prohibits Congress from setting up 

an official U.S. religion, and protects citizens’ rights to 

hold any religious belief, or none at all.

11. What is the economic system in the United 

States?*

+ capitalist economy

+ market economy 

The economic system of the United States is 

capitalism. In the American economy, most businesses 

are privately owned. Competition and profit motivate 

businesses. Businesses and consumers interact in the 

marketplace, where prices can be negotiated. This is 

Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson in 

“Writing the Declaration of Independence, 1776,” by Jean Leon 

Gerome Ferris.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USZC4-9904.
4 *If you are 65 or older and have been a legal permanent resident of the United States for 20 or more years, 

you may study just the questions marked with an asterisk.

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Learn About the United States

called a “market economy.” In a market economy, 

businesses decide what to produce, how much to 

produce, and what to charge. Consumers decide what, 

when, and where they will buy goods or services. In 

a market economy, competition, supply, and demand 

influence the decisions of businesses and consumers.

12. What is the “rule of law”?

+ Everyone must follow the law.

+ Leaders must obey the law.

+ Government must obey the law. 

+ No one is above the law. 

John Adams was one of the Founding Fathers and 

the second president of the United States. He wrote 

that our country is, “a government of laws, and not 

of men.” No person or group is above the law. The 

rule of law means that everyone (citizens and leaders) 

must obey the laws. In the United States, the U.S. 

Constitution is the foundation for the rule of law. 

The United States is a “constitutional democracy” 

(a democracy with a constitution). In constitutional 

democracies, people are willing to obey the laws 

because the laws are made by the people through 

their elected representatives. If all people are governed 

by the same laws, the individual rights and liberties 

of each person are better protected. The rule of law 

helps to make sure that government protects all people 

equally and does not violate the rights of certain 

people.

B: System of Government

13. Name one branch or part of the government.*

+ Congress

+ legislative

+ President

+ executive

+ the courts

+ judicial 

The Constitution establishes three branches of 

government: legislative, executive, and judicial. Article 

I of the Constitution establishes the legislative branch. 

Article I explains that Congress makes laws. Congress 

(the Senate and the House of Representatives) is the 

legislative branch of the U.S. government. Article II 

of the Constitution establishes the executive branch. 

The executive branch enforces the laws that Congress 

passes. The executive branch makes sure all the people 

follow the laws of the United States. The president is 

the head of the executive branch. The vice president 

and members of the president’s cabinet are also part 

of the executive branch. Article III of the Constitution 

establishes the judicial branch. The judicial branch 

places the highest judicial power in the Supreme 

Court. One responsibility of the judicial branch is 

to decide if government laws and actions follow the 

Constitution. This is a very important responsibility.

14. What stops one branch of government from 

becoming too powerful?

+ checks and balances

+ separation of powers 

The Constitution separates the government’s power 

into three branches to prevent one person or group 

from having too much power. The separation of 

government into three branches creates a system of 

checks and balances. This means that each branch can 

block, or threaten to block, the actions of the other 

branches. Here are some examples: the Senate (part 

of the legislative branch) can block a treaty signed by 

the president (the executive branch). In this example, 

the legislative branch is “checking” the executive. The 

U.S. Supreme Court (the judicial branch) can reject 

a law passed by Congress (the legislative branch). 

In this example, the judicial branch is “checking” 

the legislative branch. This separation of powers 

limits the power of the government and prevents the 

government from violating the rights of the people.

15. Who is in charge of the executive branch?

+ the President 

The job of the executive branch is to carry out, 

or execute, federal laws and enforce laws passed 

by Congress. The head of the executive branch is 

the president. The president is both the head of 

state and the head of government. The president’s 

powers include the ability to sign treaties with other 

countries and to select ambassadors to represent the 

United States around the world. The president also 

sets national policies and proposes laws to Congress. 

The president names the top leaders of the federal 

departments. When there is a vacancy on the Supreme 
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Civics Test

Court, the president names a new member. However, 

the Senate has the power to reject the president’s 

choices. This limit on the power of the president is an 

example of checks and balances.

16. Who makes federal laws?

+ Congress

+ Senate and House (of Representatives)

+ (U.S. or national) legislature 

Congress makes federal laws. A federal law usually 

applies to all states and all people in the United States. 

Either side of Congress—the Senate or the House of 

Representatives—can propose a bill to address an issue. 

When the Senate proposes a bill, it sends the bill to a 

Senate committee. The Senate committee studies the 

issue and the bill. When the House of Representatives 

proposes a bill, it sends the bill to a House of 

Representatives committee. The committee studies 

the bill and sometimes makes changes to it. Then the 

bill goes to the full House or Senate for consideration. 

When each chamber passes its own version of the 

bill, it often goes to a “conference committee.” The 

conference committee has members from both the 

House and the Senate. This committee discusses the 

bill, tries to resolve the differences, and writes a report 

with the final version of the bill. Then the committee 

sends the final version of the bill back to both houses 

for approval. If both houses approve the bill, it is 

considered “enrolled.” An enrolled bill goes to the 

president to be signed into law. If the president signs 

the bill, it becomes a federal law.

17. What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?*

+ the Senate and House (of Representatives)

Congress is divided into two parts—the Senate 

and the House of Representatives. Because it has 

two “chambers,” the U.S. Congress is known as a 

“bicameral” legislature. The system of checks and 

balances works in Congress. Specific powers are 

assigned to each of these chambers. For example, 

only the Senate has the power to reject a treaty signed 

by the president or a person the president chooses 

to serve on the Supreme Court. Only the House of 

Representatives has the power to introduce a bill that 

requires Americans to pay taxes.

18. How many U.S. Senators are there?

+ one hundred (100) 

There are 100 senators in Congress, two from each 

state. All states have equal power in the Senate because 

each state has the same number of senators. States 

with a very small population have the same number 

of senators as states with very large populations. The 

Framers of the Constitution made sure that the Senate 

would be small. This would keep it more orderly 

than the larger House of Representatives. As James 

Madison wrote in Federalist Paper #63, the Senate should 

be a “temperate and respectable body of citizens” that 

operates in a “cool and deliberate” way.

19. We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years? 

+ six (6) 

The Framers of the Constitution wanted senators to 

be independent from public opinion. They thought 

a fairly long, six-year term would give them this 

protection. They also wanted longer Senate terms to 

balance the shorter two-year terms of the members 

of the House, who would more closely follow public 

opinion. The Constitution puts no limit on the number 

of terms a senator may serve. Elections for U.S. 

senators take place on even-numbered years. Every two 

years, one-third of the senators are up for election.

The Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol.

Courtesy of the Architect of the Capitol.
6 *If you are 65 or older and have been a legal permanent resident of the United States for 20 or more years, 

you may study just the questions marked with an asterisk.

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Learn About the United States

20. Who is one of your state’s U.S. Senators now?*

+ Answers will vary. [District of Columbia residents and 

residents of U.S. territories should answer that D.C. 

(or the territory where the applicant lives) has no U.S. 

Senators.] 

For a complete list of U.S. senators and the states they 

represent, go to http://www.senate.gov.

21. The House of Representatives has how many 

voting members? 

+ four hundred thirty-five (435) 

The House of Representatives is the larger chamber of 

Congress. Since 1912, the House of Representatives 

has had 435 voting members. However, the 

distribution of members among the states has changed 

over the years. Each state must have at least one 

representative in the House. Beyond that, the number 

of representatives from each state depends on the 

population of the state. The Constitution says that the 

government will conduct a census of the population 

every 10 years to count the number of people in each 

state. The results of the census are used to recalculate 

the number of representatives each state should have. 

For example, if one state gains many residents that 

state could get one or more new representatives. If 

another state loses residents, that state could lose 

one or more. But the total number of voting U.S. 

representatives does not change. 

22. We elect a U.S. Representative for how many 

years?

+ two (2) 

People who live in a representative’s district are called 

“constituents.” Representatives tend to reflect the 

views of their constituents. If representatives do not 

do this, they may be voted out of office. The Framers 

of the Constitution believed that short two-year terms 

and frequent elections would keep representatives 

close to their constituents, public opinion, and 

more aware of local and community concerns. The 

Constitution puts no limit on the number of terms a 

representative may serve. All representatives are up for 

election every two years.

23. Name your U.S. Representative.

+ Answers will vary. [Residents of territories with 

nonvoting Delegates or Resident Commissioners may 

provide the name of that Delegate or Commissioner. 

Also acceptable is any statement that the territory has 

no (voting) Representatives in Congress.] 

For a complete list of U.S. representatives and the 

districts they represent, go to http://www.house.gov.

24. Who does a U.S. Senator represent?

+ all people of the state 

Senators are elected to serve the people of their state 

for six years. Each of the two senators represents 

the entire state. Before the 17th Amendment to the 

Constitution was ratified in 1913, the state legislatures 

elected the U.S. senators to represent their state. Now, 

all the voters in a state elect their two U.S. senators 

directly.

25. Why do some states have more Representatives 

than other states?

+ (because of) the state’s population

+ (because) they have more people

+ (because) some states have more people 

The Founding Fathers wanted people in all states to 

be represented fairly. In the House of Representatives, 

a state’s population determines the number of 

representatives it has. In this way, states with many 

people have a stronger voice in the House. In the 

Senate, every state has the same number of senators. 

This means that states with few people still have 

a strong voice in the national government. The 

state with the most representatives is California, 

with 53 representatives. The states with the fewest 

representatives are Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North 

Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming. Each 

of these states has only one representative in the 

House.

26. We elect a President for how many years?

+ four (4) 

Early American leaders thought that the head of the 

British government, the king, had too much power. 

Because of this, they limited the powers of the head 
7 

Civics Test

of the new U.S. government. They decided that the 

people would elect the president every four years. 

The president is the only official elected by the entire 

country through the Electoral College. The Electoral 

College is a process that was designed by the writers 

of the Constitution to select presidents. It came from 

a compromise between the president being elected 

directly by the people and the president being chosen 

by Congress. Citizens vote for electors, who then 

choose the president. Before 1951, there was no 

limit on the number of terms a president could serve. 

With the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, the 

president can only be elected to two terms (four years 

each) for a total of eight years.

27. In what month do we vote for President?*

+ November 

The Constitution did not set a national election day. 

In the past, elections for federal office took place on 

different days in different states. In 1845, Congress 

passed legislation to designate a single day for all 

Americans to vote. It made Election Day the Tuesday 

after the first Monday in November. Congress chose 

November because the United States was mostly rural. 

By November, farmers had completed their harvests 

and were available to vote. Another reason for this date 

was the weather. People were able to travel because it 

was not yet winter. They chose Tuesday for Election 

Day so that voters had a full day after Sunday to travel 

to the polls.

28. What is the name of the President of the United 

States now?*

+ Barack Obama

+ Obama

Barack Obama is the 44th president of the United 

States. He won the presidential election of 2008 and 

became the first African American president of the 

United States. As president, he is the head of the 

executive branch. As commander in chief, he is also 

in charge of the military. Obama was born in Hawaii 

on August 4, 1961. He graduated from Columbia 

University in New York. Obama also studied law and 

graduated from Harvard University in Massachusetts. 

He served as a U.S. senator for the state of Illinois 

before being elected president. President Obama’s 

wife, called “the First Lady,” is Michelle Obama. 

29. What is the name of the Vice President of the 

United States now?

+ Joseph R. Biden, Jr.

+ Joe Biden

+ Biden 

Joseph (Joe) R. Biden, Jr. is the 47th vice president of 

the United States. Biden was born November 20, 1942 

in Pennsylvania. Later, his family moved to Delaware. 

He graduated from the University of Delaware in 

1965. In 1968, he graduated from law school at 

Syracuse University in New York. From 1972-2009, 

Biden served as a U.S. senator for the state of Delaware. 

As vice president, Biden is president of the U.S. Senate 

and a top advisor to the president. Vice President Biden 

is married to Jill Biden.

30. If the President can no longer serve, who 

becomes President?

+ the Vice President 

If the president dies, resigns, or cannot work while 

still in office, the vice president becomes president. 

For this reason, the qualifications for vice president 

and president are the same. A vice president became 

The inauguration of President Theodore Roosevelt on March 4, 1905.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-231.
8 *If you are 65 or older and have been a legal permanent resident of the United States for 20 or more years, 

you may study just the questions marked with an asterisk.



Learn About the United States

president nine times in U.S. history when the 

president died or left office. William Henry Harrison 

died in office in 1841. Zachary Taylor died in office in 

1850. Abraham Lincoln was killed in office in 1865. 

James Garfield was killed in office in 1881. William 

McKinley was killed in office in 1901. Warren Harding 

died in office in 1923. Franklin Roosevelt died in 

office in 1945. John F. Kennedy was killed in office in 

1963. Richard Nixon resigned from office in 1974. No 

one other than the vice president has ever succeeded to 

the presidency.

31. If both the President and the Vice President can 

no longer serve, who becomes President?

+ the Speaker of the House 

If both the president and vice president cannot serve, 

the next person in line is the speaker of the House 

of Representatives. This has not always been the 

procedure. Soon after the country was founded, a 

law was passed that made the Senate president pro 

tempore the next in line after the president and vice 

president. The president pro tempore presides over 

the Senate when the vice president is not there. Later 

in U.S. history, the secretary of state was third in line. 

With the Presidential Succession Act of 1947, Congress 

returned to the original idea of having a congressional 

leader next in line. In 1967, the 25th Amendment was 

ratified. It established procedures for presidential and 

vice presidential succession.

32. Who is the Commander in Chief of the military?

+ the President 

The Founding Fathers strongly believed in republican 

ideals. A republic is a government where a country’s 

political power comes from the citizens, not the rulers, 

and is put into use by representatives elected by the 

citizens. That is why they made the president the 

commander in chief. They wanted a civilian selected 

by the people. They did not want a professional 

military leader. The president commands the armed 

forces, but Congress has the power to pay for the 

armed forces and declare war. In 1973, many 

members of Congress believed that the president was 

misusing or abusing his powers as commander in 

chief. They thought that the president was ignoring 

the legislative branch and not allowing the system of 

checks and balances to work. In response, Congress 

passed the War Powers Act. The War Powers Act 

gave Congress a stronger voice in decisions about the 

use of U.S. troops. President Richard Nixon vetoed 

this bill, but Congress overrode his veto. Because we 

have a system of checks and balances, one branch of 

government is able to check the other branches.

33. Who signs bills to become laws?

+ the President 

Every law begins as a proposal made by a member 

of Congress, either a senator (member of the 

Senate) or representative (member of the House of 

Representatives). When the Senate or House begins to 

debate the proposal, it is called a “bill.” After debate 

in both houses of Congress, if a majority of both the 

Senate and House vote to pass the bill, it goes to the 

president. If the president wants the bill to become 

law, he signs it. If the president does not want the bill 

to become a law, he vetoes it. The president cannot 

introduce a bill. If he has an idea for a bill, he must ask 

a member of Congress to introduce it.

34. Who vetoes bills?

+ the President 

The president has veto power. This means that the 

president can reject a bill passed by Congress. If the 

president vetoes a bill, he prevents it from becoming a 

law. The president can send the bill back to Congress 

unsigned. Often he will list reasons why he rejects 

it. The president has 10 days to evaluate the bill. If 

the president does not sign the bill after 10 days and 

Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes 

a law. If the president does nothing with the bill and 

Congress adjourns within the 10-day period, the bill 

does not become law—this is called a “pocket veto.” If 

two-thirds of the House and two-thirds of the Senate 

vote to pass the bill again, the bill becomes a law, even 

though the president did not sign it. This process is 

called “overriding the president’s veto.” It is not easy 

to do.

35. What does the President’s Cabinet do?

+ advises the President 

The Constitution says that the leaders of the executive 

departments should advise the president. These 

department leaders, most of them called “secretaries,” 

make up the cabinet. The president nominates the 
9 

Civics Test

cabinet members to be his advisors. For a nominee to 

be confirmed, a majority of the Senate must approve 

the nominee. Throughout history, presidents have 

been able to change who makes up the cabinet or 

add departments to the cabinet. For example, when 

the Department of Homeland Security was created, 

President George W. Bush added the leader of this 

department to his cabinet.

36. What are two Cabinet-level positions?

+ Secretary of Agriculture

+ Secretary of Commerce

+ Secretary of Defense

+ Secretary of Education

+ Secretary of Energy

+ Secretary of Health and Human Services

+ Secretary of Homeland Security

+ Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

+ Secretary of the Interior

+ Secretary of Labor

+ Secretary of State

+ Secretary of Transportation

+ Secretary of the Treasury

+ Secretary of Veterans Affairs

+ Attorney General

+ Vice President 

The people on the president’s cabinet are the 

vice president and the heads of the 15 executive 

departments. The president may appoint other 

government officials to the cabinet, but no elected 

official may serve on the cabinet while in office. When 

George Washington was president, there were only 

four cabinet members: the secretary of state, secretary 

of the treasury, secretary of war, and attorney general. 

The government established the other executive 

departments later.

37. What does the judicial branch do?

+ reviews laws

+ explains laws

+ resolves disputes (disagreements)

+ decides if a law goes against the Constitution 

The judicial branch is one of the three branches of 

government. The Constitution established the judicial 

branch of government with the creation of the 

Supreme Court. Congress created the other federal 

courts. All these courts together make up the judicial 

branch. The courts review and explain the laws, and 

they resolve disagreements about the meaning of the 

law. The U.S. Supreme Court makes sure that laws 

are consistent with the Constitution. If a law is not 

consistent with the Constitution, the Court can declare 

it unconstitutional. In this case, the Court rejects the 

law. The Supreme Court makes the final decision about 

all cases that have to do with federal laws and treaties. 

It also rules on other cases, such as disagreements 

between states.

38. What is the highest court in the United States?

+ the Supreme Court 

The U.S. Supreme Court has complete authority over 

all federal courts. Its rulings have a significant effect. 

A Supreme Court ruling can affect the outcome of 

many cases in the lower courts. The Supreme Court’s 

interpretations of federal laws and of the Constitution 

are final. The Supreme Court is limited in its power 

over the states. It cannot make decisions about state 

The Contemplation of Justice statue outside the U.S. Supreme Court 

building in Washington, D.C.

Courtesy of the Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States.
10 *If you are 65 or older and have been a legal permanent resident of the United States for 20 or more years, 

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Learn About the United States

law or state constitutions. The Court can decide that 

a state law or action conflicts with federal law or 

with the U.S. Constitution. If this happens, the state 

law becomes invalid. The Supreme Court case ruling 

Marbury v. Madison established this power, known as 

“judicial review.” The Supreme Court also rules on 

cases about significant social and public policy issues 

that affect all Americans. The Supreme Court ruled 

on the court case Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka, 

which ended racial segregation in schools.

39. How many justices are on the Supreme Court?

+ nine (9) 

The Constitution does not establish the number of 

justices on the Supreme Court. In the past, there 

have been as many as 10 and as few as six justices. 

Now, there are nine justices on the Supreme Court: 

eight associate justices and one chief justice. The 

Constitution gives the president the power to nominate 

justices to the Supreme Court. The nominee must then 

be confirmed by the Senate. Justices serve on the court 

for life or until they retire. For more information on 

the U.S. Supreme Court, go to 

http://www.supremecourtus.gov.

40. Who is the Chief Justice of the United States 

now?

+ John Roberts (John G. Roberts, Jr.) 

John G. Roberts, Jr. is the 17th chief justice of the 

United States. After the death of former chief justice 

William Rehnquist in September 2005, President 

George W. Bush nominated Roberts for this position. 

Judge Roberts became chief justice when he was 50. 

He is the youngest chief justice since 1801, when John 

Marshall became chief justice at the age of 45. Before 

he became chief justice, Judge Roberts served on the 

U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia 

Circuit. Although the chief justice of the United States 

is the highest official in the judicial branch, his vote on 

the Supreme Court carries the same weight as the other 

justices.

41. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to 

the federal government. What is one power of 

the federal government?

+ to print money

+ to declare war

+ to create an army

+ to make treaties 

The powers of government are divided between the 

federal government and the state governments. The 

federal government is known as a limited government. 

Its powers are restricted to those described in the 

U.S. Constitution. The Constitution gives the federal 

government the power to print money, declare war, 

create an army, and make treaties with other nations. 

Most other powers that are not given to the federal 

government in the Constitution belong to the states.

42. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to 

the states. What is one power of the states? 

+ provide schooling and education

+ provide protection (police)

+ provide safety (fire departments)

+ give a driver’s license

+ approve zoning and land use 

In the United States, the federal and state governments 

both hold power. Before the Constitution, the 13 

colonies governed themselves individually much 

like state governments. It was not until the Articles 

of Confederation and then the Constitution that a 

national or federal government was established. 

Today, although each state has its own constitution, 

these state constitutions cannot conflict with the U.S. 

Constitution. The U.S. Constitution is the supreme 

law of the land. The state governments hold powers 

not given to the federal government in the U.S. 

Constitution. Some powers of the state government 

are the power to create traffic regulations and marriage 

requirements, and to issue driver’s licenses. The 

Constitution also provides a list of powers that the 

states do not have. For example, states cannot coin 

(create) money. The state and federal governments 

also share some powers, such as the ability to tax 

people.
11 

Civics Test

43. Who is the Governor of your state now?

+ Answers will vary. [District of Columbia residents 

should answer that D.C. does not have a Governor.] 

To learn the name of the governor of your state 

or territory, go to http://www.usa.gov and select 

the state government link. Similar to the federal 

government, most states have three branches of 

government. The branches are executive, legislative, 

and judicial. The governor is the chief executive of 

the state. The governor’s job in a state government 

is similar to the president’s job in the federal 

government. However, the state laws that a governor 

carries out are different from the federal laws that the 

president carries out. The Constitution says that certain 

issues are covered by federal, not state, laws. All other 

issues are covered by state laws. The governor’s duties 

and powers vary from state to state. The number 

of years that a governor is elected to serve—called 

a “term”—is four years. The exceptions are New 

Hampshire and Vermont, where governors serve for 

two years.

44. What is the capital of your state?*

+ Answers will vary. [District of Columbia residents 

should answer that D.C. is not a state and does not 

have a capital. Residents of U.S. territories should 

name the capital of the territory.] 

To learn the capital of your state or territory, go to 

http://www.usa.gov and select the state government 

link. Each state or territory has its own capital. The 

state capital is where the state government conducts 

its business. It is similar to the nation’s capital, 

Washington, D.C., where the federal government 

conducts its business. Some state capitals have moved 

from one city to another over the years, but the state 

capitals have not changed since 1910. Usually, the 

governor lives in the state’s capital city.

45. What are the two major political parties in the 

United States?*

+ Democratic and Republican 

The Constitution did not establish political parties. 

President George Washington specifically warned 

against them. But early in U.S. history, two political 

groups developed. They were the DemocraticRepublicans and the Federalists. Today, the two 

major political parties are the Democratic Party and 

the Republican Party. President Andrew Jackson 

created the Democratic Party from the DemocraticRepublicans. The Republican Party took over from 

the Whigs as a major party in the 1860s. The 

first Republican president was Abraham Lincoln. 

Throughout U.S. history, there have been other 

parties. These parties have included the Know-Nothing 

(also called American Party), Bull-Moose (also called 

Progressive), Reform, and Green parties. They have 

played various roles in American politics. Political 

party membership in the United States is voluntary. 

Parties are made up of people who organize to 

promote their candidates for election and to promote 

their views about public policies.

46. What is the political party of the President now?

+ Democratic (Party) 

The two major political parties in the United States 

today are the Democratic and Republican parties. 

The current president, Barack Obama, is a member 

of the Democratic Party. Other notable Democratic 

presidents include Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. 

Roosevelt, Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon 

B. Johnson, Jimmy Carter, and William “Bill” Clinton. 

Notable Republican presidents include Abraham 

Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Warren Harding, 

Herbert Hoover, Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, 

and George H. W. Bush. Since the middle of the 19th 

G U L F O F M E X I C O

P A C I F I C O C E A N

A T L A N T I C O C E A N

Lake Superior

Lake Michigan

Lake Huron

La k e Eri e

O n t a ri o

La k e

PA C

GULF OF ALASKA

I F I C O C E A N

BERING SEA

A R C T I C O C E A N

R U S S I A

C A N A D A

PA C I F I C O C E A N

M E X I C O

C A N A D A

C U B A

T H E B A H A M A S

Montpelier Augusta

Concord

Albany

Trenton Harrisburg

Annapolis Dover

Charleston Frankfort

Jefferson City

Santa Fe

Cheyenne

Bismarck

Pierre

Helena

Carson City

Olympia

Juneau

Boston

Providence Hartford

Richmond

Columbia

Raleigh

Atlanta

Montgomery

Tallahassee

Jackson

Nashville

Indianapolis Columbus

Madison Lansing

Springfield

St Paul

Des Moines

Lincoln

Topeka

Little Rock

Oklahoma City

Austin Baton Rouge

Denver

Boise

Salt Lake City

Salem

Sacramento

Honolulu

Phoenix

Washington

MAINE

VERMONT

NEW HAMPSHIRE NEW YORK MASSACHUSETTS

CONNECTICUT

RHODE ISLAND PENNSYLVANIA

NEW JERSEY

DELAWARE

MARYLAND VIRGINIA

WEST VIRGINIA

OHIO ILLINOIS INDIANA

WISCONSIN

KENTUCKY

TENNESSEE NORTH CAROLINA

SOUTH

CAROLINA GEORGIA ALABAMA

FLORIDA

MISSISSIPPI

LOUISIANA

TEXAS

ARKANSAS

MISSOURI

IOWA

MINNESOTA

NORTH DAKOTA

SOUTH DAKOTA

NEBRASKA

KANSAS

OKLAHOMA

NEW MEXICO

COLORADO

WYOMING

MONTANA

IDAHO

UTAH

ARIZONA

NEVADA

CALIFORNIA

OREGON

WASHINGTON

DC

M I C H I G A N

HAWAII

ALASKA

The National Atlas of the United States of America U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Where We Are nationalatlas.gov TM

OR

states_capitals2.pdf INTERIOR-GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, RESTON, VIRGINIA-2003

PACIFIC OCEAN

ATLANT I C O CE A N

HAWAII

ALASKA

0 200 mi

0 200 km

0 100 mi

0 100 km

0 300 mi

0 100 200 300 km

100 200

STATES AND CAPITALS

Map of the United States including state capitals.

Courtesy of the National Atlas of the United States, March 5, 2003, 

http://nationalatlas.gov.
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you may study just the questions marked with an asterisk.



Learn About the United States

century, the symbol of the Republican Party has been 

the elephant. The Republican Party is also known as 

the “Grand Old Party” or the “GOP.” The symbol of 

the Democratic Party is the donkey.

47. What is the name of the Speaker of the House of 

Representatives now?

+ (Nancy) Pelosi 

The current speaker of the House of Representatives 

is Nancy Pelosi. She is the first woman in American 

history and the first Californian to be speaker. She has 

represented California’s Eighth District in the House 

of Representatives since 1987. As speaker, she presides 

over the House of Representatives and leads the 

majority political party in the House, the Democratic 

Party. The speaker is second in line to the succession of 

the presidency after the vice president.

C: Rights and Responsibilities

48. There are four amendments to the Constitution 

about who can vote. Describe one of them.

+ Citizens eighteen (18) and older (can vote).

+ You don’t have to pay (a poll tax) to vote.

+ Any citizen can vote. (Women and men can vote.)

+ A male citizen of any race (can vote). 

Voting is one of the most important civic 

responsibilities of citizens in the United States. In a 

democratic society, the people choose the leaders who 

will represent them. There are four amendments to 

the Constitution about voting. The 15th Amendment 

permits American men of all races to vote. It was 

written after the Civil War and the end of slavery. 

The 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote. 

It resulted from the women’s suffrage movement 

(the women’s rights movement). After the 15th 

Amendment was passed, some leaders of the southern 

states were upset that African Americans could vote. 

These leaders designed fees called poll taxes to stop 

them from voting. The 24th Amendment made these 

poll taxes illegal. The 26th Amendment lowered the 

voting age from 21 to 18.

49. What is one responsibility that is only for United 

States citizens?*

+ serve on a jury

+ vote in a federal election 

Two responsibilities of U.S. citizens are to serve on 

a jury and vote in federal elections. The Constitution 

gives citizens the right to a trial by a jury. The jury 

is made up of U.S. citizens. Participation of citizens 

on a jury helps ensure a fair trial. Another important 

responsibility of citizens is voting. The law does not 

require citizens to vote, but voting is a very important 

part of any democracy. By voting, citizens are 

participating in the democratic process. Citizens vote 

for leaders to represent them and their ideas, and the 

leaders support the citizens’ interests.

50. Name one right only for United States citizens.

+ vote in a federal election

+ run for federal office 

U.S. citizens have the right to vote in federal elections. 

Legal permanent residents can vote in local or state 

elections that do not require voters to be U.S. citizens. 

Only U.S. citizens can vote in federal elections. U.S. 

citizens can also run for federal office. Qualifications 

to run for the Senate or House of Representatives 

include being a U.S. citizen for a certain number of 

years. A candidate for Senate must be a U.S. citizen for 

at least 9 years. A candidate for the House must be a 

U.S. citizen for at least 7 years. To run for president of 

the United States, a candidate must be a native-born 

(not naturalized) citizen. In addition to the benefits of 

citizenship, U.S. citizens have certain responsibilities—

to respect the law, stay informed on issues, participate 

in the democratic process, and pay their taxes.

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 worship

+ the right to bear arms 

Thomas Jefferson said, “[The] best principles [of our 

republic] secure to all its citizens a perfect equality of 
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Civics Test

rights.” Millions of immigrants have come to America 

to have these rights. The Constitution and the Bill of 

Rights give many of these rights to all people living in 

the United States. These rights include the freedom of 

expression, of religion, of speech, and the right to bear 

arms. All people living in the United States also have 

many of the same duties as citizens, such as paying 

taxes and obeying the laws.

52. What do we show loyalty to when we say the 

Pledge of Allegiance?

+ the United States

+ the flag 

The flag is an important symbol of the United States. 

The Pledge of Allegiance to the flag states, “I pledge 

allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America 

and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation, 

under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for 

all.” When we say the Pledge of Allegiance, we usually 

stand facing the flag with the right hand over the 

heart. Francis Bellamy wrote the pledge. It was first 

published in The Youth’s Companion magazine in 1892 

for children to say on the anniversary of Columbus’s 

discovery of America. Congress officially recognized 

the pledge on June 22, 1942. Two changes have been 

made since it was written in 1892. “I pledge allegiance 

to my flag” was changed to “I pledge allegiance to the 

Flag of the United States of America.” Congress added 

the phrase “under God” on June 14, 1954.

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 

When the United States became an independent 

country, the Constitution gave Congress the power to 

establish a uniform rule of naturalization. Congress 

made rules about how immigrants could become 

citizens. Many of these requirements are still valid 

today, such as the requirements to live in the United 

States for a specific period of time, to be of good 

moral character, and to understand and support the 

principles of the Constitution. After an immigrant 

fulfills all of the requirements to become a U.S. 

citizen, the final step is to take an Oath of Allegiance 

at a naturalization ceremony. The Oath of Allegiance 

states, “I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and 

entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity 

to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty 

of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or 

citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution 

and laws of the United States of America against all 

enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true 

faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms 

on behalf of the United States when required by the 

law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the 

Armed Forces of the United States when required 

by the law; that I will perform work of national 

importance under civilian direction when required by 

the law; and that I take this obligation freely without 

any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help 

me God.”

54. How old do citizens have to be to vote for 

President?*

+ eighteen (18) and older 

For most of U.S. history, Americans had to be at least 

21 years old to vote. At the time of the Vietnam War, 

during the 1960s and 1970s, many people thought 

that people who were old enough to fight in a war 

should also be old enough to vote. In 1971, the 26th 

The American flag is an important symbol of the United States.
14 *If you are 65 or older and have been a legal permanent resident of the United States for 20 or more years, 

you may study just the questions marked with an asterisk.

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Learn About the United States

Amendment changed the minimum voting age from 

21 to 18 for all federal, state, and local elections. The 

National Voter Registration Act of 1993 made it easier 

for people to register to vote. Now they can register to 

vote by mail, at public assistance offices, or when they 

apply for or renew their driver’s license.

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 

Citizens play an active part in their communities. 

When Americans engage in the political process, 

democracy stays alive and strong. There are many 

ways for people to be involved. They can volunteer 

to help new immigrants learn English and civics, join 

the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) of their child’s 

school, run for a position on the local school board, 

or volunteer to help at a polling station. People can 

also vote, help with a political campaign, join a civic 

or community organization, or call their senator or 

representative about an issue that is important to them.

56. When is the last day you can send in federal 

income tax forms?*

+ April 15 

The last day to send in your federal income tax to the 

Internal Revenue Service is April 15 of each year. The 

Constitution gave the federal government the power 

to collect taxes. The federal government needs money 

to pay the nation’s debts and to defend and provide 

for the needs of the country. When the country was 

young, it was difficult to raise money from the 13 

original states. The government began collecting 

income tax for the first time through the Revenue Act 

of 1861. This was only temporary. In 1894, a flatrate federal income tax was enacted, but the Supreme 

Court said this was unconstitutional. Finally, in 1913, 

the 16th Amendment was ratified. It gave Congress 

the power to collect income taxes. Today, “taxable 

income” is money that is earned from wages, selfemployment, tips, and the sale of property. The 

government uses these taxes to keep our country safe 

and secure. It also tries to cure and prevent diseases 

through research. In addition, the government protects 

our money in banks by insuring it, educates children 

and adults, and builds and repairs our roads and 

highways. Taxes are used to do these things and many 

more.

57. When must all men register for the Selective 

Service?

+ at age eighteen (18)

+ between eighteen (18) and twenty-six (26)

President Lincoln tried to draft men to fight during 

the Civil War, but many people became angry and 

rioted. In 1917, Congress passed the Selective Service 

Act. This act gave President Woodrow Wilson the 

power to temporarily increase the U.S. military during 

World War I. In 1940, President Franklin Roosevelt 

signed the Selective Training and Service Act, which 

created the first draft during peacetime. This was 

the beginning of the Selective Service System in the 

United States today. The draft was needed again for 

the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Today, there is no 

draft, but all men between 18 and 26 years old must 

register with the Selective Service System. When a man 

registers, he tells the government that he is available 

to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces. He can register at a 

United States post office or on the Internet. To register 

for Selective Service on the Internet, visit the Selective 

Service website at http://www.sss.gov.
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Civics Test

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 

In the 1600s and 1700s, colonists from England and 

other European countries sailed across the Atlantic 

Ocean to the American colonies. Some left Europe 

to escape religious restrictions or persecution, to 

practice their religion freely. Many came for political 

freedom, and some came for economic opportunity. 

These freedoms and opportunities often did not exist 

in the colonists’ home countries. For these settlers, 

the American colonies were a chance for freedom and 

a new life. Today, many people come to the United 

States for these same reasons.

59. Who lived in America before the Europeans 

arrived?

+ American Indians

+ Native Americans 

Great American Indian tribes such as the Navajo, 

Sioux, Cherokee, and Iroquois lived in America at the 

time the Pilgrims arrived. The Pilgrims settled in an 

area where a tribe called the Wampanoag lived. The 

Wampanoag taught the Pilgrims important skills, such 

as how to farm with different methods and how to 

grow crops such as corn, beans, and squash. Relations 

with some American Indian tribes became tense and 

confrontational as more Europeans moved to America 

and migrated west. Eventually, after much violence, 

the settlers defeated those American Indian tribes and 

took much of their land.

60. What group of people was taken to America and 

sold as slaves?

+ Africans

+ people from Africa 

Slavery existed in many countries long before America 

was founded. By 1700, many Africans were being 

brought to the American colonies as slaves. Men, 

women, and children were brought against their 

will. They were often separated from their families 

when they were sold as slaves. Slaves worked without 

payment and without basic rights. Most worked 

in agriculture, but slaves did many other kinds of 

work in the colonies, too. Slavery created a challenge 

for a nation founded on individual freedoms and 

democratic beliefs. It was one of the major causes of 

the American Civil War.

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 

The American colonists’ anger had been growing for 

years before the Revolutionary War began in 1775. 

The decision to separate from the British was not 

an easy choice for many colonists. However, Great 

AMERICAN HISTORY

For more than 200 years, the United States has strived to become a “more perfect union.” Its history has 

been one of expansive citizenship for all Americans. By learning about our shared history, you will be able to 

understand our nation’s traditions, milestones, and common civic values. Our country is independent because of 

the strength, unity, and determination of our forefathers. It is important for future Americans to know this story. 

We are people working toward great ideals and principles guided by equality and fairness. This is important 

to keep our country free. As Americans, we have been committed to each other and our country throughout 

our history. The following section will help you understand American history from the colonial period and 

independence to the Civil War and other important events during the 1800s, 1900s, and today. 

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16 *If you are 65 or older and have been a legal permanent resident of the United States for 20 or more years, 

you may study just the questions marked with an asterisk.

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Learn About the United States

Britain’s “repeated injuries” against the Americans, as 

noted in the Declaration of Independence, convinced 

many to join the rebellion. The British taxed the 

colonists without their consent, and the colonists 

had nobody to represent their needs and ideas to the 

British government. They were also angry because 

ordinary colonists were forced to let British soldiers 

sleep and eat in their homes. The colonists believed the 

British did not respect their basic rights. The British 

governed the colonists without their consent, denying 

them self-government.

62. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

+ (Thomas) Jefferson 

Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of 

Independence in 1776. He was a very important 

political leader and thinker. Some of the most 

important ideas about the American government are 

found in the Declaration of Independence, such as 

the idea that all people are created equal. Another 

important idea is that people are born with certain 

rights including life, liberty, and the pursuit of 

happiness. Jefferson was the third president of the 

United States, serving from 1801 to 1809. Before 

becoming president, Jefferson was governor of 

Virginia and the first U.S. secretary of state. He 

strongly supported individual rights, especially 

freedom of religion. Jefferson wanted to protect 

these rights. For this reason, he did not want a strong 

national government.

63. When was the Declaration of Independence 

adopted?

+ July 4, 1776

In 1774, representatives from 12 of the 13 colonies 

met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for the First 

Continental Congress. Of the 13 colonies, only 

Georgia was absent. These representatives were angry 

about British laws that treated them unfairly. They 

began to organize an army. The Second Continental 

Congress met in 1775 after fighting began between 

the colonists and the British Army. This Congress asked 

Thomas Jefferson and others to write the Declaration 

of Independence. When Thomas Jefferson finished 

his draft of the Declaration of Independence, he took 

it to John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and the others 

on the committee to review it. After changes were 

made by the committee, the Declaration was read 

to the members of the entire Congress. The purpose 

of the Declaration was to announce the separation 

of the colonies from England. The Declaration of 

Independence stated that if a government does not 

protect the rights of the people, the people can create 

a new government. For this reason, the colonists 

separated from their British rulers. On July 4, 

1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the 

Declaration of Independence.

64. There were 13 original states. Name three.

+ New Hampshire  Delaware

+ Massachusetts  Maryland

+ Rhode Island  Virginia

+ Connecticut  North Carolina

+ New York  South Carolina

+ New Jersey  Georgia

+ Pennsylvania

The 13 original states were all former British colonies. 

Representatives from these colonies came together and 

declared independence from Great Britain in 1776. 

After the Revolutionary War, the colonies became free 

and independent states. When the 13 colonies became 

states, each state set up its own government. They 

wrote state constitutions. Eventually, the people in 

these states created a new form of national government 

that would unite all the states into a single nation 

under the U.S. Constitution. The first three colonies to 

become states were Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New 

Jersey. This happened in 1787. Eight colonies became 

states in 1788. These were Georgia, Connecticut, 

Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, New 

Hampshire, Virginia, and New York. North Carolina 

became a state in 1789. Rhode Island became a state 

in 1790. Although the colonies were recognized as 

states after the Declaration of Independence, the date 

of statehood is based on when they ratified (accepted) 

the U.S. Constitution. Today, the United States has 50 

states.
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Civics Test

65. What happened at the Constitutional 

Convention?

+ The Constitution was written.

+ The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution.

The Constitutional Convention was held in 

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May to September 

1787. Fifty-five delegates from 12 of the original 

13 states (except for Rhode Island) met to write 

amendments to the Articles of Confederation. The 

delegates met because many American leaders did 

not like the Articles. The national government under 

the Articles of Confederation was not strong enough. 

Instead of changing the Articles of Confederation, 

the delegates decided to create a new governing 

document with a stronger national government—the 

Constitution. Each state sent delegates, who worked 

for four months in secret to allow for free and open 

discussion as they wrote the new document. The 

delegates who attended the Constitutional Convention 

are called “the Framers.” On September 17, 1787, 39 

of the delegates signed the new Constitution.

66. When was the Constitution written?

+ 1787

The Constitution, written in 1787, created a new 

system of U.S. government—the same system we 

have today. James Madison was the main writer of 

the Constitution. He became the fourth president of 

the United States. The U.S. Constitution is short, but 

it defines the principles of government and the rights 

of citizens in the United States. The document has a 

preamble and seven articles. Since its adoption, the 

Constitution has been amended (changed) 27 times. 

Three-fourths of the states (9 of the original 13) 

were required to ratify (approve) the Constitution. 

Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution 

on December 7, 1787. In 1788, New Hampshire was 

the ninth state to ratify the Constitution. On March 4, 

1789, the Constitution took effect and Congress met 

for the first time. George Washington was inaugurated 

as president the same year. By 1790, all 13 states had 

ratified the Constitution.

67. The Federalist Papers supported the passage of 

the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.

+ (James) Madison

+ (Alexander) Hamilton

+ (John) Jay

+ Publius

The Federalist Papers were 85 essays that were 

printed in New York newspapers while New York 

State was deciding whether or not to support the U.S. 

Constitution. The essays were written in 1787 and 

1788 by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James 

Madison under the pen name “Publius.” The essays 

explained why the state should ratify the Constitution. 

Other newspapers outside New York also published 

the essays as other states were deciding to ratify the 

Constitution. In 1788, the papers were published 

together in a book called The Federalist. Today, people 

still read the Federalist Papers to help them understand 

the Constitution.

The Constitution of the United States.

Courtesy of the National Archives.
18 *If you are 65 or older and have been a legal permanent resident of the United States for 20 or more years, 

you may study just the questions marked with an asterisk.

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Learn About the United States

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

Benjamin Franklin was one of the most influential 

Founding Fathers of the United States. He was the 

oldest delegate to the Constitutional Convention and 

one of the signers of the U.S. Constitution. He was 

a printer, author, politician, diplomat, and inventor. 

By his mid-20s, he was an accomplished printer, 

and he began writing books and papers. Franklin’s 

most famous publication was Poor Richard’s Almanac. He 

also organized America’s first library. Its members 

loaned books to one another. He was very active in 

colonial politics. He also visited England and France 

many times as a U.S. diplomat. In 1775, the Second 

Continental Congress appointed Franklin the first 

postmaster general.

69. Who is the “Father of Our Country”?

+ (George) Washington

George Washington is called the Father of Our 

Country. He was the first American president. Before 

that, he was a brave general who led the Continental 

Army to victory over Great Britain during the 

American Revolutionary War. After his victory over 

the British Army, Washington retired to his farm in 

Virginia named Mount Vernon. He left retirement to 

help create the new country’s system of government. 

He presided over the Constitutional Convention in 

Philadelphia in 1787. 

70.	Who was the first President?*

+ (George) Washington

George Washington was the first president of the 

United States. He began his first term in 1789. 

He served for a second term beginning in 1793. 

Washington played an important role in forming 

the new nation and encouraged Americans to unite. 

He also helped define the American presidency. He 

voluntarily resigned from the presidency after two 

terms. He set an example for future leaders in his 

own country and the world by voluntarily giving up 

power. The tradition of a president serving no more 

than two terms continued in the United States until 

Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was elected to office four 

times (1933–1945). The 22nd Amendment to the 

Constitution, passed in 1947, now limits presidents to 

two terms.

B: 1800s

71. What territory did the United States buy from 

France in 1803?

+ the Louisiana Territory

+ Louisiana

The Louisiana Territory was a large area west of the 

Mississippi River. It was 828,000 square miles. In 

1803, the United States bought the Louisiana Territory 

from France for $15 million. The Louisiana Purchase 

Treaty was signed in Paris on April 30, 1803. It was 

the largest acquisition of land in American history. 

Farmers could now ship their farm products down 

the Mississippi River without permission from other 

countries. This was important because the city of New 

Orleans was a major shipping port. The Louisiana 

Purchase doubled the size of the United States and 

expanded it westward. Meriwether Lewis and William 

Clark led an expedition to map the Louisiana Territory.

72. Name one war fought by the United States in the 

1800s.

+ War of 1812

+ Mexican-American War

+ Civil War

+ Spanish-American War

The United States fought four major wars in the 

1800s—the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, 

the Civil War, and the Spanish-American War. 

The War of 1812 lasted from 1812 through 1815. 

President James Madison asked Congress to declare war 

on Great Britain. The British were stopping and seizing 

American ships. They were also arming American 

Indians to fight against the Americans. As a result of 

this war, the nation’s trade was disrupted and the U.S. 
19 

Civics Test

Capitol was burned. The Americans won the war. This 

was the first time after the Revolutionary War that 

America had to fight a foreign country to protect its 

independence.

The Mexican-American War was a conflict between 

Mexico and America. The war began in Texas in 

1846. President James Polk ordered General Zachary 

Taylor and his forces to occupy land claimed by both 

the United States and Mexico. President Polk believed 

westward expansion was important for the United 

States to grow. When Mexico attacked, the United 

States went to war with Mexico. When the war ended 

in February 1848, the United States and Mexico signed 

the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This treaty gave 

Texas to the United States and extended the boundaries 

of the United States west to the Pacific Ocean. 

In the Civil War, the people of the United States 

fought against each other. Americans in the northern 

states fought to support the federal government 

(“the Union”) against Americans from the southern 

states. The southern states were trying to separate 

themselves to form a new nation, the Confederate 

States of America (“the Confederacy”). The war lasted 

from 1861 to 1865, when the Confederate army 

surrendered to the Union army. Many lives were lost 

in the American Civil War.

In 1898, the United States fought Spain in the SpanishAmerican War. The United States wanted to help 

Cuba become independent from Spain because the 

United States had economic interests in Cuba. The 

war began when a U.S. battleship was sunk near 

Cuba. Many Americans believed it was the Spanish 

who attacked the ship. For this reason, America went 

to war with Spain. By the end of 1898, the war was 

over with a victory for the United States. Cuba had 

its independence, and Guam, Puerto Rico, and the 

Philippines became territories of the United States.

73. Name the U.S. war between the North and the 

South. 

+ the Civil War

+ the War between the States

The American Civil War is also known as the War 

between the States. It was a war between the people 

in the northern states and those in the southern 

states. The Civil War was fought in many places 

across the United States, but most battles were 

fought in the southern states. The first battle was 

at Fort Sumter, South Carolina. The first major 

battle between the northern (Union) army and the 

southern (Confederate) army took place at Bull Run, 

in Manassas, Virginia, in July 1861. The Union 

expected the war to end quickly. After its defeat at 

the Battle of Bull Run, the Union realized that the war 

would be long and difficult. In 1865, the Civil War 

ended with the capture of the Confederate capital in 

Richmond, Virginia. Confederate General Robert E. 

Lee surrendered to Lt. General Ulysses S. Grant of the 

Union army at Appomattox Courthouse in central 

Virginia. Over the four-year period, more than 3 

million Americans fought in the Civil War and more 

than 600,000 people died.

74. Name one problem that led to the Civil War.

+ slavery

+ economic reasons

+ states’ rights

The Civil War began when 11 southern states voted 

to secede (separate) from the United States to form 

their own country, the Confederate States of America. 

These southern states believed that the federal 

government of the United States threatened their right 

to make their own decisions. They wanted states’ 

rights with each state making their own decisions 

about their government. If the national government 

contradicted the state, they did not want to follow the 

national government. The North and South had very 

Civil War soldiers with cannon and caisson, Fort C.F. Smith, Co. L, 

2d New York Artillery. 

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-115177.
20 *If you are 65 or older and have been a legal permanent resident of the United States for 20 or more years, 

you may study just the questions marked with an asterisk.



Learn About the United States

different economic systems. The South’s agriculturebased economy depended heavily on slave labor. 

The southern states feared that the United States 

government would end slavery. The southern states 

believed that this would hurt their economic and 

political independence. The economy of the northern 

states was more industrial and did not depend on 

slavery. The northern states fought to keep all the 

United States together in “the Union.” They tried to 

stop the southern states from separating into a new 

Confederate nation. There were also many people 

in the North who wanted to end slavery. These 

differences led to the American Civil War, which lasted 

from 1861 until 1865.

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

Abraham Lincoln was president of the United States 

from 1861 to 1865, and led the nation during the 

Civil War. Lincoln thought the separation of the 

southern (Confederate) states was unconstitutional, 

and he wanted to preserve the Union. In 1863, 

during the Civil War, he issued the Emancipation 

Proclamation. It declared that the slaves who lived 

in the rebelling Confederate states were forever free. 

Lincoln is also famous for his “Gettysburg Address.” 

He gave that speech at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in 

November 1863. Earlier that year, at the Battle of 

Gettysburg, the northern (Union) army had won 

a major battle to stop the Confederate army from 

invading the North. To honor the many who died in 

this battle, the governor of Pennsylvania established 

the Soldiers’ National Cemetery at Gettysburg. Lincoln 

spoke at the dedication ceremony and praised those 

who fought and died in battle. He asked those still 

living to rededicate themselves to saving the Union 

so that “government of the people, by the people, for 

the people shall not perish from the earth.” On April 

14, 1865, soon after taking office for his second term, 

Abraham Lincoln was killed by a southern supporter, 

John Wilkes Booth, at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, 

D.C.

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

In 1863, in the middle of the Civil War, President 

Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation 

Proclamation. The Emancipation Proclamation declared 

that slaves living in the southern or Confederate 

states were free. Many slaves joined the Union army. 

In 1865, the Civil War ended and the southern 

slaves kept their right to be free. The Emancipation 

Proclamation led to the 13th Amendment to the 

Constitution, which ended slavery in all of the United 

States.

77.	What did Susan B. Anthony do?

+ fought for women’s rights

+ fought for civil rights

Susan B. Anthony was born in Massachusetts on 

February 15, 1820. She is known for campaigning for 

the right of women to vote. She spoke out publicly 

against slavery and for equal treatment of women in 

the workplace. In 1920, the 19th Amendment to the 

Constitution gave women the right to vote. Susan 

B. Anthony died 14 years before the adoption of 

the 19th Amendment, but it was still widely known 

as the Susan B. Anthony Amendment. In 1979, she 

became the first woman whose image appeared on a 

circulating U.S. coin. The coin is called the Susan B. 

Anthony dollar and is worth one dollar.

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

The United States fought five wars in the 1900s: 

World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the 

Vietnam War, and the (Persian) Gulf War.
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Civics Test

World War I began in 1914. It was a long and bloody 

struggle. The United States entered the war in 1917 

after German submarines attacked British and U.S. 

ships, and the Germans contacted Mexico about 

starting a war against the United States. The war ended 

in 1918 when the Allied Powers (led by Britain, 

France, and the United States) defeated the Central 

Powers (led by Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the 

Ottoman Empire). The Treaty of Versailles officially 

ended the war in 1919. World War I was called “the 

war to end all wars.” 

World War II began in 1939 when Germany invaded 

Poland. France and Great Britain then declared war on 

Germany. Germany had alliances with Italy and Japan, 

and together they formed the Axis powers. The United 

States entered World War II in 1941, after the Japanese 

attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The United States 

joined France and Great Britain as the Allied powers 

and led the 1944 invasion of France known as D-Day. 

The liberation of Europe from German power was 

completed by May 1945. World War II did not end 

until Japan surrendered in August 1945. 

The Korean War began in 1950 when the North 

Korean Army moved across the 38th parallel into 

South Korea. The 38th parallel was a boundary 

established after World War II. This boundary 

separated the northern area of Korea, which was 

under communist influence, from the southern area 

of Korea, which was allied with the United States. 

At the time, the United States was providing support 

to establish a democratic South Korean government. 

The United States provided military support to stop 

the advance of the North Korean Army. In the Korean 

conflict, democratic governments directly confronted 

communist governments. The fighting ended in 1953, 

with the establishment of the countries of North Korea 

and South Korea. 

From 1959 to 1975, United States Armed Forces 

and the South Vietnamese Army fought against the 

North Vietnamese in the Vietnam War. The United 

States supported the democratic government in the 

south of the country to help it resist pressure from the 

communist north. The war ended in 1975 with the 

temporary separation of the country into communist 

North Vietnam and democratic South Vietnam. In 

1976, Vietnam was under total communist control. 

Almost 60,000 American men and women in the 

military died or were missing as a result of the 

Vietnam War.

On August 2, 1990, the Persian Gulf War began 

when Iraq invaded Kuwait. This invasion put the 

Iraqi Army closer to Saudi Arabia and its oil reserves, 

which supplied much of the world with oil. The 

United States and many other countries wanted to 

drive the Iraqi Army out of Kuwait and prevent it from 

invading other nearby countries. In January 1991, the 

United States led an international coalition of forces 

authorized by the United Nations into battle against 

the Iraqi Army. Within a month, the coalition had 

driven the Iraqis from Kuwait. The coalition declared a 

cease-fire on February 28, 1991.

79. Who was President during World War I?

+ (Woodrow) Wilson

Woodrow Wilson was the 28th president of the 

United States. President Wilson served two terms from 

1913 to 1921. During his first term, he was able to 

keep the United States out of World War I. By 1917, 

Wilson knew this was no longer possible, and he asked 

“Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima,” photographed by Joe Rosenthal, 

Associated Press, 1945.

Courtesy of the National Archives, 80-G-413988.
22 *If you are 65 or older and have been a legal permanent resident of the United States for 20 or more years, 

you may study just the questions marked with an asterisk.



Learn About the United States

Congress to declare war on Germany. On January 8,

1918, he made a speech to Congress outlining 

“Fourteen Points” that justified the war and called 

for a plan to maintain peace after the war. President 

Wilson said, “We entered this war because violations 

of right had occurred which touched us to the quick 

and made the life of our own people impossible unless 

they were corrected and the world secure once for all 

against their recurrence.” The war ended that year and 

Wilson traveled to Paris to work out the details of the 

surrender by Germany.

80. Who was President during the Great Depression 

and World War II? 

+ (Franklin) Roosevelt

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) was president of the 

United States from 1933 until 1945. He was elected 

during the Great Depression, which was a period of 

economic crisis after the stock market crash of 1929. 

His program for handling the crisis was called “the 

New Deal.” It included programs to create jobs and 

provided benefits and financial security for workers 

across the country. Under his leadership, the Social 

Security Administration (SSA) was established in 

1935. Roosevelt led the nation into World War II after 

Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. He 

gave the country a sense of hope and strength during a 

time of great struggle. Roosevelt was elected to office 

four times. He died in 1945, early in his fourth term 

as president. His wife, Eleanor Roosevelt, was a human 

rights leader throughout her lifetime.

81.	Who did the United States fight in

World War II? 

+ Japan, Germany, and Italy

The Japanese bombed U.S. naval bases in a surprise 

attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 

1941. The next day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, 

as commander in chief of the military, obtained an 

official declaration of war from Congress. Japan’s 

partners in the Axis, Italy and Germany, then declared 

war on the United States. The Allies fought against the 

German Nazis, the Italian Fascists, and Japan’s military 

empire. This was truly a world war, with battles 

fought in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific Ocean.

82.	Before he was President, Eisenhower was a

general. What war was he in?

+ World War II

Before becoming the 34th president of the United 

States in 1953, Dwight D. Eisenhower served as a 

major general in World War II. As commander of 

U.S. forces and supreme commander of the Allies 

in Europe, he led the successful D-Day invasion of 

Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944. In 1952, he 

retired from active service in the military. He was 

elected president of the United States later that year. As 

president, he established the interstate highway system 

and in 1953, the Department of Health, Education, and 

Welfare (now known as Health and Human Services) 

was created. He oversaw the end of the Korean War. 

Eisenhower left the White House in 1961, after 

serving two terms as president.

83. During the Cold War, what was the main 

concern of the United States?

+ Communism

The main concern of the United States during the Cold 

War was the spread of communism. The Soviet Union 

(Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or USSR) was a 

powerful nation that operated under the principles of 

communism. The United States and its allies believed 

that a democratic government and a capitalist economy 

were the best ways to preserve individual rights and 

freedoms. The United States and its allies feared the 

expansion of communism to countries outside the 

Soviet Union. The Cold War began shortly after the 

end of World War II and lasted for more than 40 

years. It ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, 

the reunification of East and West Germany in 1990, 

and the breakup of the USSR in 1991.

84. What movement tried to end racial 

discrimination?

+ civil rights (movement)

The modern civil rights movement in the United 

States began in 1954 when the Supreme Court 

ruled that racial segregation in public schools 

was unconstitutional. The goal of the civil rights 

movement was to end racial discrimination against 
23 

Civics Test

African Americans and to gain full and equal rights 

for Americans of all races. Using nonviolent strategies 

such as bus boycotts, sit-ins, and marches, people 

came together to demand social change. As a result, 

Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 

the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Civil Rights 

Act made segregation in public facilities and racial 

discrimination in employment and education illegal. 

The law protects African Americans, women, and 

others from discrimination. The Voting Rights Act 

banned literacy tests and other special requirements 

that had been used to stop African Americans from 

registering to vote.

85. What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do?*

+ fought for civil rights

+ worked for equality for all Americans

Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Baptist minister and 

civil rights leader. He worked hard to make America 

a more fair, tolerant, and equal nation. He was the 

main leader of the civil rights movement of the 

1950s and 1960s. Because of this movement, civil 

rights laws were passed to protect voting rights and 

end racial segregation. King believed in the ideals of 

the Declaration of Independence—that every citizen 

deserves America’s promise of equality and justice. In 

1963, King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” 

speech, which imagines an America in which people 

of all races exist together equally. He was only 35 

when he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for 

his civil rights work. King was killed on April 4, 1968.

86. What major event happened on September 11, 

2001, in the United States?

+ Terrorists attacked the United States.

On September 11, 2001, four airplanes flying out of 

U.S. airports were taken over by terrorists from the 

Al-Qaeda network of Islamic extremists. Two of the 

planes crashed into the World Trade Center’s Twin 

Towers in New York City, destroying both buildings. 

One of the planes crashed into the Pentagon in 

Arlington, Virginia. The fourth plane, originally aimed 

at Washington, D.C., crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. 

Almost 3,000 people died in these attacks, most of 

them civilians. This was the worst attack on American 

soil in the history of the nation.

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  Cheyenne

+ Navajo  Arawak

+ Sioux  Shawnee

+ Chippewa  Mohegan

+ Choctaw  Huron

+ Pueblo  Oneida

+ Apache  Lakota

+ Iroquois  Crow

+ Creek  Teton

+ Blackfeet  Hopi

+ Seminole  Inuit

American Indians lived in North America for 

thousands of years before the European settlers arrived. 

Today there are more than 500 federally recognized 

tribes in the United States. Each tribe has its own 

social and political system. American Indian cultures 

are different from one tribe to another, with different 

languages, beliefs, stories, music, and foods. Earlier in 

their history, some tribes settled in villages and farmed 

the land for food. Other tribes moved frequently as 

they hunted and gathered food and resources. The 

federal government signed treaties with American 

Indian tribes to move the tribes to reservations. These 

reservations are recognized as domestic, dependent 

nations.

American Indian woman and her baby in 1899.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-94927.
24 *If you are 65 or older and have been a legal permanent resident of the United States for 20 or more years, 

you may study just the questions marked with an asterisk.



Learn About the United States

A: Geography

88. Name one of the two longest rivers in the United 

States.

+ Missouri (River)

+ Mississippi (River)

The Mississippi River is one of America’s longest 

rivers. It runs through 10 U.S. states. The Mississippi 

River was used by American Indians for trade, food, 

and water before Europeans came to America. It 

is nicknamed the “Father of Waters.” Today, the 

Mississippi River is a major shipping route and a 

source of drinking water for millions of people. 

The Missouri River is also one of the longest rivers 

in the United States. The Missouri River is actually 

longer than the Mississippi River. It starts in Montana 

and flows into the Mississippi River. In 1673, the 

French explorers Jolliet and Marquette were the first 

Europeans to find the Missouri River. It is nicknamed 

“Big Muddy” because of its high silt content.

89. What ocean is on the West Coast of the United 

States?

+ Pacific (Ocean)

The Pacific Ocean is on the West Coast of the United 

States. It is the largest ocean on Earth and covers 

one-third of the Earth’s surface. The Pacific Ocean is 

important to the U.S. economy because of its many 

natural resources such as fish. Europeans first learned 

about the Pacific Ocean in the 16th century. Spanish 

explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa reached the ocean in 

1514 when he crossed the Isthmus of Panama. Later, 

Ferdinand Magellan sailed across the Pacific as he 

traveled around the Earth in search of spices. “Pacific” 

means “peaceful.” Magellan named the Pacific Ocean 

the “peaceful sea,” because there were no storms on 

his trip from Spain to the spice world. The U.S. states 

that border the Pacific Ocean are Alaska, Washington, 

Oregon, California, and Hawaii.

90. What ocean is on the East Coast of the United 

States?

+ Atlantic (Ocean)

The Atlantic Ocean is on the East Coast of the United 

States. The ocean was named after the giant Atlas 

from Greek mythology. It is the second largest ocean 

in the world. The Atlantic Ocean is a major sea route 

for ships. It is one of the most frequently traveled 

oceans in the world. The Atlantic Ocean is also a 

source of many natural resources. The Atlantic Ocean 

was formed by the separation of the North American 

and European continents millions of years ago. The 

ocean covers about one-fifth of the Earth’s surface. In 

the middle of the ocean is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, an 

immense underwater mountain range that extends 

the length of the Atlantic and is a source of volcanic 

activity. The U.S. states that border the Atlantic Ocean 

are Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maine, 

Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New 

Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South 

Carolina, and Virginia.

INTEGRATED CIVICS

An understanding of America’s geography, symbols, and holidays is important. They provide background and 

more meaning to historical events and other landmark moments in U.S. history. The following section offers 

short lessons on our country’s geography, national symbols, and national holidays. The geography of the United 

States is unusual because of the size of the country and the fact that it is bordered by two oceans that create 

natural boundaries to the east and west. Through visual symbols such as our flag and the Statue of Liberty, 

the values and history of the United States are often expressed. Finally, you will also learn about our national 

holidays and why we celebrate them. Most of our holidays honor people who have contributed to our history 

and to the development of our nation. By learning this information, you will develop a deeper understanding of 

the United States and its geographical boundaries, principles, and freedoms.

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25 

Civics Test

91. Name one U.S. territory.

+ Puerto Rico

+ U.S. Virgin Islands

+ American Samoa

+ Northern Mariana Islands

+ Guam

There are five major U.S. territories: American Samoa, 

Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and 

the U.S. Virgin Islands. A U.S. territory is a partially 

self-governing piece of land under the authority 

of the U.S. government. U.S. territories are not 

states, but they do have representation in Congress. 

Each territory is allowed to send a delegate to the 

House of Representatives. These representatives may 

participate in debates, sponsor legislation, and vote in 

committees, but they cannot participate in the formal 

votes of the House. The people who live in American 

Samoa are considered U.S. nationals; the people in the 

other four territories are U.S. citizens. Citizens of the 

territories can vote in primary elections for president, 

but they cannot vote in the general elections for 

president.

92. Name one state that borders Canada.

+ Maine  Minnesota

+ New Hampshire  North Dakota

+ Vermont  Montana

+ New York  Idaho

+ Pennsylvania  Washington

+ Ohio  Alaska

+ Michigan

The northern border of the United States stretches 

more than 5,000 miles from Maine in the East to 

Alaska in the West. There are 13 states on the border 

with Canada. The Treaty of Paris of 1783 established 

the official boundary between Canada and the United 

States after the Revolutionary War. Since that time, 

there have been land disputes, but they have been 

resolved through treaties. The International Boundary 

Commission, which is headed by two commissioners, 

one American and one Canadian, is responsible for 

maintaining the boundary.

93. Name one state that borders Mexico.

+ California

+ Arizona 

+ New Mexico

+ Texas

The border between the United States and Mexico is 

about 1,900 miles long and spans four U.S. states—

Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas. The 

United States established the border with Mexico 

after the Mexican-American War and the Gadsden 

Purchase in 1853. The Gadsden Purchase helped the 

United States get the land it needed to expand the 

southern railroad. The United States bought this land 

for $10 million. The land bought through the Gadsden 

Purchase is now part of the states of Arizona and New 

Mexico. The U.S. border with Mexico is one of the 

busiest international borders in the world. 

94. What is the capital of the United States?*

+ Washington, D.C.

When the Constitution established our nation in 1789, 

the capital of the United States was in New York City. 

Congress soon began discussing the location of a 

permanent capital city. In Congress, representatives 

of northern states argued with representatives of 

southern states. Each side wanted the capital to be 

in its own region. As part of the Compromise of 

1790, the capital would be located in the South. In 

return, the North did not have to pay the debt it owed 

from the Revolutionary War. George Washington 

Old Spanish Bridge in Umatac, Guam.

Courtesy of the Office of U.S. Representative Madeleine Z. Bordallo.
26 *If you are 65 or older and have been a legal permanent resident of the United States for 20 or more years, 

you may study just the questions marked with an asterisk.



Learn About the United States

chose a location for the capital along the Potomac 

River between Maryland and Virginia. As part of the 

compromise, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, became the 

temporary new location for the capital. In 1800, after 

10 years, the capital was moved to its current location 

of 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).]

The Statue of Liberty is on Liberty Island, a 12-acre 

island in the New York harbor. France gave the statue 

to the United States as a gift of friendship. French artist 

Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi made the statue. It shows 

a woman escaping the chains of tyranny and holding 

a torch symbolizing liberty. The Statue of Liberty was 

dedicated on October 28, 1886, 110 years after the 

signing of the Declaration of Independence. President 

Grover Cleveland accepted the gift for the American 

people. The Statue of Liberty is a well-known symbol 

of the United States and of freedom and democracy. 

The Statue of Liberty became a symbol of immigration 

because it was located next to Ellis Island, which was 

the first entry point for many immigrants during the 

great waves of immigration. The Statue of Liberty was 

the first thing new immigrants saw as they approached 

New York harbor.

B: Symbols

96.	Why does the flag have 13 stripes?

+ because there were 13 original colonies

+ because the stripes represent the original colonies

There are 13 stripes on the flag because there were 

13 original colonies. We call the American flag “the 

Stars and Stripes.” For 18 years after the United States 

became an independent country, the flag had only 13 

stripes. In 1794, Kentucky and Vermont joined the 

United States, and two stripes were added to the flag. 

In 1818, Congress decided that the number of stripes 

on the flag should always be 13. This would honor 

the original states that were colonies of Great Britain 

before America’s independence.

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

Each star on the flag represents a state. This is why the 

number of stars has changed over the years from 13 

to 50. The number of stars reached 50 in 1959, when 

Hawaii joined the United States as the 50th state. In 

1777, the Second Continental Congress passed the first 

Flag Act, stating, “Resolved, That the flag of the United 

States be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and 

white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue 

field, representing a new Constellation.” 

98. What is the name of the national anthem?

+ The Star-Spangled Banner

During the War of 1812, British soldiers invaded 

the United States. On the night of September 13, 

1814, British warships bombed Fort McHenry. This 

fort protected the city of Baltimore, Maryland. An 

American named Francis Scott Key watched the 

bombing and thought that the fort would fall. As the 

sun rose the next morning, Key looked toward the 

fort. He saw that the flag above the fort was still flying. 

This let him know that the British had not defeated 

the Americans. Key immediately wrote the words 

to a poem he called the “Defence of Fort M’Henry.” 

The words of the poem became “The Star-Spangled 

Banner.” Congress passed a law in 1931 naming “The 

Star-Spangled Banner” the official national anthem. 

Here are the words to the first verse of the national 

anthem:

The Star-Spangled Banner

Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn’s early light,

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro’ the perilous fight;

O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming.

And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

Oh, say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
27 

Civics Test

C: Holidays

99. When do we celebrate Independence Day?*

+ July 4

In the United States, we celebrate Independence Day 

on July 4 to mark the anniversary of the adoption of 

the Declaration of Independence. After signing the 

Declaration of Independence, John Adams wrote to 

his wife, “I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, 

by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary 

Festival.” The Declaration of Independence, written 

by Thomas Jefferson, explained why the colonies had 

decided to separate from Great Britain. Americans 

celebrate the Fourth of July as the birthday of America, 

with parades, fireworks, patriotic songs, and readings 

of the Declaration of Independence.

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

Many Americans celebrate national or federal holidays. 

These holidays often honor people or events in our 

American heritage. These holidays are “national” 

in a legal sense only for federal institutions and in 

the District of Columbia. Typically, federal offices 

are closed on these holidays. Each state can decide 

whether or not to celebrate the holiday. Businesses, 

schools, and commercial establishments may choose 

whether or not to close on these days. Since 1971, 

federal holidays are observed on Mondays except for 

New Year’s Day, Independence Day, Veterans Day, 

Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

In “The Star-Spangled Banner,” by Percy Moran, Francis Scott Key 

reaches toward the flag flying over Fort McHenry. 

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USZC4-6200. 
28

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Learn About the United States

English Test 

There are three components of the English test: speaking, reading, and writing. According to the law, an applicant 

must demonstrate: “an understanding of the English language, including an ability to read, write, and speak...simple words and phrases...in 

ordinary usage in the English language....” This means that to be eligible for naturalization, you must be able to read, write, 

and speak basic English.

You are required to pass each of the three components of the English test with the exception of applicants who 

qualify as: 50 years of age or older AND a lawful permanent resident for at least 20 years at the time of filing the 

Application for Naturalization, Form N-400; 55 years of age or older AND a lawful permanent resident for at least 15 

years at the time of filing the Application for Naturalization, Form N-400; or, any person who is unable to demonstrate an 

understanding of English because of a medically determinable physical and/or medical impairment as determined 

by an approved Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions, Form N-648.

Speaking Portion

Your ability to speak English will be determined by the USCIS Officer from your answers to questions normally 

asked during the eligibility interview on the Application for Naturalization, Form N-400. 

Reading Portion

Each reading test administered to you will contain no more than three (3) sentences. You must read one (1) out 

of three (3) sentences correctly to demonstrate an ability to read in English. To help you prepare, USCIS released 

a reading vocabulary list found below containing all the words found in the English reading portion of the 

naturalization test. The content focuses on civics and history topics.

PEOPLE

+ Abraham Lincoln

+ George Washington

CIVICS

+ American flag

+ Bill of Rights

+ capital

+ citizen

+ city

+ Congress

+ country

+ Father of Our Country

+ government

+ President

+ right

+ Senators

+ state/states

+ White House

PLACES

+ America

+ United States

+ U.S.

HOLIDAYS

+ Presidents’ Day

+ Memorial Day

+ Flag Day

+ Independence Day

+ Labor Day

+ Columbus Day

+ Thanksgiving

QUESTION WORDS

+ How

+ What

+ When

+ Where

+ Who

+ Why

VERBS

+ can

+ come

+ do/does

+ elects

+ have/has

+ is/are/was/be

+ lives/lived

+ meet

+ name

+ pay

+ vote

+ want

OTHER (FUNCTION)

+ a

+ for

+ here

+ in

+ of

+ on

+ the

+ to

+ we

OTHER (CONTENT)

+ colors

+ dollar bill

+ first

+ largest

+ many

+ most

+ north

+ one

+ people

+ second

+ south
29 

English Test

Writing Portion

Each writing test administered to you will contain no more than three (3) sentences. You must write one (1) out 

of three (3) sentences correctly in order to demonstrate an ability to write in English. To help you prepare, USCIS 

released a writing vocabulary list found below containing all the words found in the English writing portion of 

the naturalization test. The content focuses on civics and history topics.

PEOPLE

+ Adams

+ Lincoln

+ Washington

CIVICS

+ American Indians

+ capital

+ citizens

+ Civil War

+ Congress

+ Father of Our Country

+ flag

+ free

+ freedom of speech

+ President

+ right

+ Senators

+ state/states

+ White House

PLACES

+ Alaska

+ California

+ Canada

+ Delaware

+ Mexico

+ New York City

+ United States

+ Washington

+ Washington, D.C.

MONTHS

+ February

+ May

+ June

+ July

+ September

+ October

+ November

HOLIDAYS

+ Presidents’ Day

+ Memorial Day

+ Flag Day

+ Independence Day

+ Labor Day

+ Columbus Day

+ Thanksgiving

VERBS

+ can

+ come

+ elect

+ have/has

+ is/was/be

+ lives/lived

+ meets

+ pay

+ vote

+ want

OTHER (FUNCTION)

+ and

+ during

+ for

+ here

+ in

+ of

+ on

+ the

+ to

+ we

OTHER (CONTENT)

+ blue

+ dollar bill

+ fifty/50

+ first

+ largest

+ most

+ north

+ one

+ one hundred/100

+ people

+ red

+ second

+ south

+ taxes

+ white

To find this and other educational materials for permanent residents, please visit http://www.uscis.gov.

For more information on the U.S. naturalization test, please visit http://www.uscis.gov/citizenshiptest.

Note: Some of the content in this publication may change due to elections and appointments. U.S. 

Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will make every effort to update this publication in a timely 

manner. As of December 2009, all information in this publication is current.


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ISBN 978-0-16-08458

6-084585-7

845857

90000

5-7

U.S. Government Official Edition Notice 

Use of ISBN

This is the Official U.S. Government edition of this publication and is herein identified to certify its authenticity. 

Use of the ISBN 978-0-16-084585-7 is for U.S. Government Printing Office Official Editions only. The 

Superintendent of Documents of the U.S. Government Printing Office requests that any reprinted edition clearly be 

labeled as a copy of the authentic work with a new ISBN.

The information presented in Learn About the United States: Quick Civics Lessons for the Naturalization Test is considered public 

information and may be distributed or copied without alteration unless otherwise specified. The citation should 

be: 

U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Office of Citizenship, Learn 

About the United States: Quick Civics Lessons for the Naturalization Test, Washington, DC, 2009. 

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has purchased the right to use many of the images in Learn 

About the United States: Quick Civics Lessons for the Naturalization Test. USCIS is licensed to use these images on a nonexclusive and non-transferable basis. All other rights to the images, including without limitation and copyright, 

are retained by the owner of the images. These images are not in the public domain and may not be used except 

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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services would like to acknowledge the National Endowment for 

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Endowment, please visit http://www.neh.gov.

An audio CD of the 100 civics (history and government) questions and answers for the naturalization 

test accompanies this booklet. Use this CD as you prepare for the civics portion of the naturalization test. 

After you become familiar with the content, shuffle or randomly play the questions in your CD player or 

computer to help test your knowledge. 

The audio CD has 99 individual tracks. Questions 1-98 are included consecutively in tracks 1-98 and track 

99 contains the questions and answers for both question 99 and 100.

Quick Civics Lessons for the New Naturalization Test

Learn About the United States

Quick Civics Lessons

for the Naturalization Test

Audio CD

100 Questions and Answers for the Naturalization Test*

*NOTE: Questions 1-98 are included consecutively in tracks 1-98. Track 99 contains the 

questions and answers for both question 99 and 100.
www.uscis.gov

ISBN 978-0-16-084585-7

9 780160 845857

90000