Colonial Period and Independence questions for the U.S. citizenship test

A selection of questions from the Colonial Period and Independence topic, part of the bank of 127 official questions in the Civio app — taken directly from the official USCIS "128 Civics Questions and Answers" (2025 version).

Question 1

The colonists came to America for many reasons. Name one.

Freedom (religious or political)
To join the Spanish empire
To establish a monarchy
To trade exclusively with France

Question 2

Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?

American Indians (Native Americans)
The Spanish
The French
The Vikings only

Question 3

What group of people was taken and sold as slaves?

Africans
Native Americans exclusively
Irish immigrants
Chinese immigrants

Question 4

What war did the Americans fight to win independence from Britain?

American Revolution
The Civil War
The War of 1812
The French and Indian War

Question 5

Name one reason why the Americans declared independence from Britain.

Taxation without representation
To join the French empire
To end slavery
To create a monarchy

Question 6

Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jefferson
George Washington
Benjamin Franklin
John Adams

Question 7

When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?

July 4, 1776
July 4, 1789
September 17, 1787
December 25, 1776

Question 8

The American Revolution had many important events. Name one.

Declaration of Independence
The Louisiana Purchase
The signing of the Treaty of Versailles
The Emancipation Proclamation

You've seen 8 of 17 questions from the Colonial Period and Independence topic. In the app you'll find every question, with an explanation for each answer, spaced repetition for the ones you get wrong, and Exam Mode for a realistic simulation.

Learn more about Civio