Why Colonists Came to America — and Who Was Enslaved (Q73, Q75)
Two early American History questions on the 2025 Naturalization Civics Test sit side by side: why colonists came to America (Q73), and which group of people was taken and sold as slaves (Q75). Learn them as one colonial-period cluster with the official accepted wording. The hero image above shows the old church tower at Historic Jamestowne, site of the first permanent English settlement in what became the United States.
Before Europeans arrived, American Indians / Native Americans already lived here—that is Q74, covered in Native Americans / American Indians.
Q73 — The colonists came to America for many reasons. Name one.
Question: The colonists came to America for many reasons. Name one.
Accepted answers (any one):
- Freedom
- Political liberty
- Religious freedom
- Economic opportunity
- Escape persecution
The officer needs one correct line. Many applicants say Religious freedom, Economic opportunity, or Escape persecution. These motives overlap—people who fled persecution often sought both religious freedom and a chance to earn a living. For the war that followed colonial rule, see George Washington and the Revolutionary War. For the document that stated the colonies’ break with Britain, see Declaration of Independence.
Q75 — What group of people was taken and sold as slaves?
Question: What group of people was taken and sold as slaves?
Accepted answers (any one):
- Africans
- People from Africa
Say the short official line. The test asks who—not a long history of the trade. Enslavement of Africans was part of colonial America from the early settlements onward; remembering the accepted wording is what the interview scores.
One-minute review table
| Prompt | Say this (pick one accepted line) |
|---|---|
| Q73 — Why colonists came | e.g. Religious freedom or Economic opportunity |
| Q75 — Who was enslaved | Africans or People from Africa |
Practice tip
Say each answer out loud. The civics test is oral. Then take a free scored practice test (20 questions, 12 correct to pass on the 2025 path) and come back a few times a week—returning practice is what interview nerves usually steal.
Study these next
- Native Americans / American Indians (Q74 / Q117)
- Declaration of Independence
- George Washington and the Revolutionary War
- Colonial Period practice: American History → Colonial Period and Independence
- Free scored practice test
This is an evergreen study post. Answers come from the official USCIS 128 Civics Questions and Answers (2025 version), used for Form N-400 filed on or after October 20, 2025 (Study for the Test; USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 12, Part E, Ch. 2). Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress.
This post summarizes public USCIS civics materials for educational study. It is not legal advice.