Citizenship TestPeople in the civics test: who did what
The 2025 list asks about a dozen people by name. The hard part is not learning who they were but keeping them apart under pressure.
Below are the 12 questions of the 2025 list that are about named people, with every accepted answer. Most are worded "… is famous for many things. Name one." So for each person you need exactly one fact. Choose a fact that belongs to that person alone. "President of the United States" is true of several of them and is easy to attach to the wrong name; "wrote the Declaration of Independence" can only be Jefferson.
| No. | Question | Accepted answers |
|---|---|---|
| 78 | Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? | (Thomas) Jefferson |
| 83 | The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers. | (James) Madison; (Alexander) Hamilton; (John) Jay; Publius |
| 85 | Benjamin Franklin is famous for many things. Name one. | Founded the first free public libraries; First Postmaster General of the United States; Helped write the Declaration of Independence; Inventor; U.S. diplomat |
| 86 | George Washington is famous for many things. Name one. | “Father of Our Country”; First president of the United States; General of the Continental Army; President of the Constitutional Convention |
| 87 | Thomas Jefferson is famous for many things. Name one. | Writer of the Declaration of Independence; Third president of the United States; Doubled the size of the United States (Louisiana Purchase); First Secretary of State; Founded the University of Virginia; Writer of the Virginia Statute on Religious Freedom |
| 88 | James Madison is famous for many things. Name one. | “Father of the Constitution”; Fourth president of the United States; President during the War of 1812; One of the writers of the Federalist Papers |
| 89 | Alexander Hamilton is famous for many things. Name one. | First Secretary of the Treasury; One of the writers of the Federalist Papers; Helped establish the First Bank of the United States; Aide to General George Washington; Member of the Continental Congress |
| 94 | Abraham Lincoln is famous for many things. Name one. | Freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation); Saved (or preserved) the Union; Led the United States during the Civil War; 16th president of the United States; Delivered the Gettysburg Address |
| 99 | Name one leader of the women’s rights movement in the 1800s. | Susan B. Anthony; Elizabeth Cady Stanton; Sojourner Truth; Harriet Tubman; Lucretia Mott; Lucy Stone |
| 105 | Who was president during the Great Depression and World War II? | (Franklin) Roosevelt |
| 107 | Dwight Eisenhower is famous for many things. Name one. | General during World War II; President at the end of (during) the Korean War; 34th president of the United States; Signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 (Created the Interstate System) |
| 113 | Martin Luther King, Jr. is famous for many things. Name one. | Fought for civil rights; Worked for equality for all Americans; Worked to ensure that people would “not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character” |
One fact each
Our suggestion for a single, unmistakable answer for each person. Each is among the accepted answers above.
- Benjamin Franklin: founded the first free public libraries.
- George Washington: first president of the United States.
- Thomas Jefferson: writer of the Declaration of Independence.
- James Madison: "Father of the Constitution".
- Alexander Hamilton: first Secretary of the Treasury.
- Abraham Lincoln: freed the slaves.
- Franklin Roosevelt: president during the Great Depression and World War II.
- Dwight Eisenhower: general during World War II.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.: fought for civil rights.
In order of time
Franklin, Washington, Jefferson, Madison and Hamilton all belong to the founding years, the 1770s to the early 1800s. Lincoln belongs to the Civil War, the 1860s. The leaders of the women's rights movement named in the list worked in the 1800s. Roosevelt and Eisenhower belong to the middle of the 1900s, and King to the 1950s and 1960s.
Presidents by number
The accepted answers mention that Washington was the first president, Jefferson the third, Madison the fourth and Eisenhower the 34th. Lincoln was the 16th.
In the 2008 list
The 2008 list asks about fewer people, and a little differently. It asks who the "Father of Our Country" is and who was the first president (Washington both times), what Susan B. Anthony did, who was president during World War I (Woodrow Wilson), and which war Eisenhower was a general in.
| No. | Question | Accepted answers |
|---|---|---|
| 62 | Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? | (Thomas) Jefferson |
| 68 | What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for? | U.S. diplomat; oldest member of the Constitutional Convention; first Postmaster General of the United States; writer of “Poor Richard’ s Almanac”; started the first free libraries |
| 69 | Who is the “Father of Our Country”? | (George) Washington |
| 70 | Who was the first President? | (George) Washington |
| 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 |
| 77 | What did Susan B. Anthony do? | fought for women’s rights; fought for civil rights |
| 79 | Who was President during World War I? | (Woodrow) Wilson |
| 80 | Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II? | (Franklin) Roosevelt |
| 82 | Before he was President, Eisenhower was a general. What war was he in? | World War II |
| 85 | What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do? | fought for civil rights; worked for equality for all Americans |
People holding office today are a different matter: see answers that change.
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State capitals: the answer for your state All guides
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.