Civics (History and Government) Questions for the Naturalization Test - part 6 

Comenzamos un nuevo tema del examen de educación cívica: Historia norteamericana. En esta entrega estudiaremos la época colonial y la Independencia.  Recuerde que el examen es oral y consta de diez de las cien preguntas que le vamos a presentar hasta diciembre. Para aprobar, ha de contestar bien un mínimo de seis, acompañando su respuesta del nombre del oficial de USCIS que lo entreviste. Si tiene 65 años o más y es residente legal permanente de EE.UU. desde hace 20 años o más, solo debe estudiar las preguntas marcadas con un asterisco (*).

A: Colonial Period and Independence

58. What is one reason colonists came to America?

▪ freedom

▪ political liberty

▪ religious freedom

▪ economic opportunity

▪ practice their religion

▪ escape persecution

In the 1600s and 1700s, the American colonies were a chance for freedom and a new life for European colonists.

59. Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?

▪ American Indians

▪ Native Americans

Great American Indian tribes lived in America at the time the Pilgrims arrived.

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

▪ Africans

▪ people from Africa

By 1700, many Africans were being brought to the American colonies as slaves.

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 British taxed the colonists without their consent, denied them self-government and forced them to let British soldiers sleep and eat in their homes.

62. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

▪ (Thomas) Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was a very important political leader and thinker who wrote the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

63. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?

▪ July 4, 1776

The purpose of the Declaration of Independence, adopted on July 4, 1776, was to announce the separation of the colonies from England.

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

The 13 original states were all former British colonies. Today, the United States has 50 states.

65. What happened at the Constitutional Convention?

▪ The Constitution was written.

▪ The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution.

The delegates decided to create a new governing document with a stronger national government: the Constitution.

66. When was the Constitution written?

▪ 1787

The Constitution, written in 1787, created a new system of U.S. government. James Madison was the main writer. He became the fourth president of the United States.

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 Federalist Papers were essays written in 1787 and 1788 by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison under the pen name “Publius.”

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

Benjamin Franklin was one of the most influential Founding Fathers. He was the oldest delegate to the Constitutional Convention. He was a printer, author, politician, diplomat, and inventor. His most famous publication was Poor Richard’s Almanac. He also organized America’s first library.

Vocabulario útil

almanac           [álmanac]        almanaque

boarding          [bórdin]           alojamiento

colonists          [cólonists]        colonos

the Constitutional Convention [de cónstitiushional convénshion] la Convención Constitucional

delegate           [délegueit]       delegado, representante

essays              [éseis]              ensayos

The Federalist Papers [de féderalist peipers] "Los Federalistas"

fight                [fáit]                 luchar

The Founding Fathers [de fáundin fáders] los Padres Fundadores

pen name         [pen néim]       pseudónimo, alias

Pilgrims           [pílgrims]         Peregrinos (primeros colonos)

Postmaster General [postmaster yéneral] Director General de Correos

quartering        [cuárering]      acuartelamiento

self-government [self-góverment] autodeterminación, autonomía

slaves               [sléivs]             esclavos

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