American History: United States citizenship test questions
Practice questions for the United States citizenship test.
Last checked against the official sources:
20 free sample questions
Answer each one in your head, then open the answer to see why it is right.
1.Abraham Lincoln is famous for many things. Name one.
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Accepted answers: 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
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President and led the United States during the Civil War. He signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared enslaved people in most Southern states free. (Study guide, chapter 10.)
From the official guide: “Freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation)” Official source, checked October 14, 2026
2.Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
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Answer: (Thomas) Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. In it he wrote that everyone has the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. (Study guide, chapter 8.)
From the official guide: “(Thomas) Jefferson” Official source, checked October 14, 2026
3.What major event happened on September 11, 2001 in the United States?
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Accepted answers: Terrorists attacked the United States; Terrorists took over two planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center in New York City; Terrorists took over a plane and crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia; Terrorists took over a plane originally aimed at Washington, D.C., and crashed in a field in Pennsylvania
On September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked four airplanes. Two hit the World Trade Center in New York City, one hit the Pentagon in Virginia, and one crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and almost 3,000 people died. (Study guide, chapter 11.)
From the official guide: “Terrorists attacked the United States” Official source, checked October 14, 2026
4.George Washington is famous for many things. Name one.
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Accepted answers: “Father of Our Country”; First president of the United States; General of the Continental Army; President of the Constitutional Convention
George Washington was the general of the colonial army in the Revolutionary War and then the first President, serving from 1789 to 1797. He is known as the Father of Our Country. (Study guide, chapter 9.)
From the official guide: ““Father of Our Country”” Official source, checked October 14, 2026
5.Martin Luther King, Jr. is famous for many things. Name one.
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Accepted answers: 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”
Martin Luther King, Jr., was a leader of the civil rights movement who organized peaceful protests against racial discrimination. He gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial in 1963. (Study guide, chapter 11.)
From the official guide: “Fought for civil rights” Official source, checked October 14, 2026
6.Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
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Accepted answers: American Indians; Native Americans
Native Americans, also called American Indians, lived in the Americas for around 20,000 years before Europeans arrived. There were many tribes, each with its own culture, language and form of government. (Study guide, chapter 7.)
From the official guide: “American Indians” Official source, checked October 14, 2026
7.Which European country was the first to send ships across the Atlantic Ocean?
- Spain
- France
- England
- Portugal
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Answer: Spain
In the 1400s some European countries built ships that could cross the ocean, and Spain went first. England, France and Portugal created colonies later.
From the official guide: “Spain was the first country to send ships across the Atlantic Ocean.” Official source, checked October 14, 2026
8.Why did the United States enter World War I?
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Accepted answers: Because Germany attacked U.S. (civilian) ships; To support the Allied Powers (England, France, Italy, and Russia); To oppose the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria)
The official list gives three accepted reasons, the first being that Germany attacked U.S. civilian ships. The study guide says only that the United States joined the war in 1917 and fought until 1918. (From the official list of answers.)
From the official guide: “Because Germany attacked U.S. (civilian) ships” Official source, checked October 14, 2026
9.What U.S. war ended slavery?
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Answer: The Civil War
After the Civil War ended in 1865, all the people enslaved in the Southern states were freed. The 13th Amendment, added that December, made slavery illegal in the United States. (Study guide, chapter 10.)
From the official guide: “The Civil War” Official source, checked October 14, 2026
10.What founding document was written in 1787?
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Answer: (U.S.) Constitution
The Constitution was written in 1787 at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. That was eleven years after the Declaration of Independence. (Study guide, chapter 1.)
From the official guide: “(U.S.) Constitution” Official source, checked October 14, 2026
11.Why did the United States enter the Korean War?
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Answer: To stop the spread of communism
During the Cold War the United States wanted to stop other countries from becoming communist. North Korea was one of the countries the study guide names as becoming communist. (Study guide, chapter 11.)
From the official guide: “To stop the spread of communism” Official source, checked October 14, 2026
12.What happened to banks, businesses and jobs during the Great Depression?
- Taxes were abolished
- Factories ran day and night
- Banks and businesses closed, and many people could not find work
- Banks grew and wages doubled
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Answer: Banks and businesses closed, and many people could not find work
The Great Depression was the worst time for the economy in American history. Many people lost their jobs, their homes and their money.
From the official guide: “banks and businesses around the country closed” Official source, checked October 14, 2026
13.Why did the United States enter World War II?
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Accepted answers: (Bombing of) Pearl Harbor; Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor; To support the Allied Powers (England, France, and Russia); To oppose the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan)
On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The next day President Roosevelt announced that the United States would enter the war, and Congress voted to declare war. (Study guide, chapter 11.)
From the official guide: “(Bombing of) Pearl Harbor” Official source, checked October 14, 2026
14.What group of people was taken and sold as slaves?
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Accepted answers: Africans; People from Africa
Millions of people were taken from Africa by force and sold as slaves in North and South America. The first group of enslaved Africans was brought to Jamestown in 1619. (Study guide, chapter 7.)
From the official guide: “Africans” Official source, checked October 14, 2026
15.During the Cold War, what was one main concern of the United States?
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Accepted answers: Communism; Nuclear war
The main concern of the United States during the Cold War was the spread of communism. Communism is a type of government in which the government plans the economy and controls most resources. (Study guide, chapter 11.)
From the official guide: “Communism” Official source, checked October 14, 2026
16.What war did the Americans fight to win independence from Britain?
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Accepted answers: American Revolution; The (American) Revolutionary War; War for (American) Independence
The colonists went to war with Great Britain in 1775, in what is called the American Revolutionary War. It ended in 1783, when Britain signed a treaty agreeing that the United States was independent. (Study guide, chapter 8.)
From the official guide: “American Revolution” Official source, checked October 14, 2026
17.Who was President of the United States during World War I?
- Woodrow Wilson
- Abraham Lincoln
- Franklin Roosevelt
- Dwight Eisenhower
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Answer: Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President, in office from 1913 to 1921. He led the country through World War I.
From the official guide: “Woodrow Wilson was President during World War I.” Official source, checked October 14, 2026
18.What did the civil rights movement do?
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Answer: Fought to end racial discrimination
The civil rights movement was the movement to end racial discrimination in the United States. It led Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act in 1964 and the Voting Rights Act in 1965. (Study guide, chapter 11.)
From the official guide: “Fought to end racial discrimination” Official source, checked October 14, 2026
19.James Madison is famous for many things. Name one.
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Accepted answers: “Father of the Constitution”; Fourth president of the United States; President during the War of 1812; One of the writers of the Federalist Papers
James Madison was one of the Founders at the Constitutional Convention and one of the three writers of the Federalist Papers. The official list also accepts that he was the fourth President. (Study guide, chapter 5.)
From the official guide: ““Father of the Constitution”” Official source, checked October 14, 2026
20.What happened on June 19, 1865, the day remembered as Juneteenth?
- The 13th Amendment was added
- Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation
- Enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned they were free
- The Civil War began
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Answer: Enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned they were free
The people enslaved in Galveston, Texas, were the last to learn that the war was over and they were free. Juneteenth is now a national holiday marking the end of slavery.
From the official guide: “June 19th became a holiday called Juneteenth.” Official source, checked October 14, 2026
81 more American History questions, with explanations and spaced review, are waiting in Swornly.
Study for the United States testThe test
Naturalization civics test (2025)
20 questions, 12 to pass
Common questions
- How can I practice American History questions for the United States citizenship test?
- Swornly has 101 checked practice questions on American History. The sample on this page is free, with the answers explained; the rest are in the app.
- How many questions are on the United States citizenship test?
- The Naturalization civics test (2025) has 20 questions, drawn from a pool of 128.
- What score do you need to pass the United States citizenship test?
- To pass the Naturalization civics test (2025) you need 12 correct answers out of 20 (60%).
- What language is the United States citizenship test in?
- The test is taken in English.
- Where do these practice questions come from?
- Each question is written from the official study material, checked against it by a reviewer, and linked to its source. They are for practice: the questions you are asked on the day may be worded differently.
- Is Swornly an official government website?
- No. Swornly is an independent study app and is not affiliated with any government. To book the test or check the rules that apply to you, use the official website. Official source
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