Could YOU pass a citizenship test?
Immigrants who want to become U.S. citizens must demonstrate that they know the country’s history and how the federal government works. And they are not given multiple choices.
Could YOU even pass a simplified integration test? Let’s find out!
a. July 4, 1775
b. Christmas, 1782
ca. July 4, 1776
died on October 19, 1781
a. They refer back to the British flag
b. The 13 original colonies
c. The bloodshed of the American Revolution
d. Nobody knows for sure
a. Five
b. Twenty
c. Thirteen
d. Ten
a. The right to bear arms
b. Freedom of assembly
c. The right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness
d. The right to privacy
one. 435
born 438
approx. 450
d. It fluctuates
a. Must be a natural born citizen
b. Must be at least 35 years old
c. Must have lived in the US for at least 14 years
d. Must own real estate in the US
a. Four years
b. Two years
c. Eight years
d. Six years
a. Two
b. Unlimited
c. Three
d. Four
a. Executive
b. Legislative
c. Jurisprudence
d. The Tax Authorities
a. “We hold these truths to be self-evident…”
b. “Seventy-four years ago…”
c. “We, the people…”
d. “When in the course of human events…”
Answers
1. c: The printed copies distributed to state delegations and others originally bore only two signatures: those of Congressman John Hancock and Secretary Charles Thomson. The parchment copy that most Americans know and revere was not read until the following month, and some delegates never signed it.
2. b: The seven red stripes represent bravery and “toughness”; the six white stripes represent purity and innocence.
3. d: James Madison, often called the “Father of the Constitution,” initially opposed an addendum to the document. But some states delayed ratification until a “Bill of Rights” was added.
4. b: Madison’s first draft of the First Amendment did not include freedom of worship. It stated: “The people shall not be deprived or abridged of their right to speak, to write, or to publish their sentiments; and the freedom of the press, as one of the great bulwarks of liberty, shall be inviolable.”
5. a: That number was first adopted in 1911. The House of Representatives temporarily added two additional seats after the admission of Alaska and Hawaii as states in 1959.
6. d: Although George Washington was born in Virginia, the first president could have been born abroad, as long as he was an American citizen “at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution…” Martin Van Buren was the first president born after the United States seceded from Great Britain.
7. d: The Founders hoped that staggered terms would promote stability and prevent senators from uniting for “sinister purposes.”
8. a: Before 1951 and the ratification of the 22nd Amendment, presidents could theoretically serve unlimited terms. Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was elected four times but died in office, is the only chief executive to serve more than two terms.
9. b: Congress controls taxes and sets an annual budget.
10. c: Those three words form the beginning of the preamble. This differs from the Articles of Confederation, adopted in November 1777, which focused on the sovereignty of the states.