2008 civics test: Colonial period and independence

Questions 58 to 70 of the official 2008 list, with every accepted answer and a short note on each.

Hide the answers Flashcards for this part

Thirteen questions from the first colonies to George Washington. The two dates to remember are July 4, 1776 for the Declaration of Independence and 1787 for the Constitution.

1. 58 What is one reason colonists came to America?

   • freedom
   • political liberty
   • religious freedom
   • economic opportunity
   • practice their religion
   • escape persecution

   One answer is enough. Many early colonists were escaping religious persecution or looking for a better living.

2. 59 Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?

   • American Indians
   • Native Americans

   Native peoples had lived across the continent for thousands of years before Europeans came.

3. 60 What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?

   • Africans
   • people from Africa

   Africans were brought by force and sold as slaves from the 1600s until the slave trade and then slavery were ended.

4. 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 colonists were taxed by a parliament in which they had no vote, and soldiers were lodged in their homes.

5. 62 Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

   • (Thomas) Jefferson

   Jefferson, from Virginia, wrote the first draft in 1776 at the age of 33. He later became the third president.

6. 63 When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?

   • July 4, 1776

   July 4 is celebrated every year as Independence Day.

7. 64 There were 13 original states. Name three.

   • New Hampshire
   • Massachusetts
   • Rhode Island
   • Connecticut
   • New York
   • New Jersey
   • Pennsylvania
   • Delaware
   • Maryland
   • Virginia
   • North Carolina
   • South Carolina
   • Georgia

   This question asks for three. The 13 colonies lay along the Atlantic coast, from New Hampshire in the north to Georgia in the south.

8. 65 What happened at the Constitutional Convention?

   • The Constitution was written.
   • The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution.

   Delegates from the states met in Philadelphia in 1787 and wrote the Constitution.

9. 66 When was the Constitution written?

   • 1787

   The Constitution was written at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787.

10. 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 three authors published 85 essays in New York newspapers under the shared pen name Publius.

11. 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

    Franklin was a printer, scientist, inventor and diplomat, and the oldest delegate at the Constitutional Convention.

12. 69 Who is the “Father of Our Country”?

    • (George) Washington

    Washington led the army in the Revolutionary War and became the first president.

13. 70 Who was the first President? 65/20

    • (George) Washington

    George Washington was president from 1789 to 1797.

Studying this part

• This part has 13 of the 100 questions, numbers 58 to 70 in the official list.
• This question needs more than one answer: no. 64. Give the number asked for.
• 1 question here is marked 65/20: no. 70. Applicants who qualify for the 65/20 special consideration study only the marked questions.
• Where several answers are listed, one is enough unless the question asks for more. Choose the one you find easiest to say.
• Cover the answers with your hand or use the button below, say your answer aloud, then check.

Next

The 1800s and recent history All parts of the 2008 list Practice test

Independent study site. Citizenship Test is not a government website and is not connected with USCIS or any agency. Questions and accepted answers are quoted from the official USCIS lists; the notes are ours. Rules were read on uscis.gov on 12 November 2026. Always confirm with uscis.gov/citizenship before your interview.