Famous Americans on the 2025 Civics Test: Who Did What
Twelve questions on the 2025 civics test are about famous Americans. Most of them sound the same: “Name is famous for many things. Name one.” That is good news. You only need one accepted answer for each person, and the officer asks you 20 questions from the list of 128, with 12 correct needed to pass (USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 12, Part E, Chapter 2).
Below is one short, safe answer for each person, then the names people mix up most.
The 12 “people” questions at a glance
| Question | One short answer to say |
|---|---|
| Q78. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? ★ | (Thomas) Jefferson |
| Q83. Name one of the writers of the Federalist Papers. | (James) Madison (also: Hamilton, John Jay, Publius) |
| Q85. Benjamin Franklin is famous for many things. Name one. | Inventor |
| Q86. George Washington is famous for many things. Name one. ★ | First president of the United States |
| Q87. Thomas Jefferson is famous for many things. Name one. | Writer of the Declaration of Independence |
| Q88. James Madison is famous for many things. Name one. | “Father of the Constitution” |
| Q89. Alexander Hamilton is famous for many things. Name one. | First Secretary of the Treasury |
| Q94. Abraham Lincoln is famous for many things. Name one. ★ | Freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation) |
| Q99. Name one leader of the women’s rights movement in the 1800s. | Susan B. Anthony |
| Q105. Who was president during the Great Depression and World War II? | (Franklin) Roosevelt |
| Q107. Dwight Eisenhower is famous for many things. Name one. | General during World War II |
| Q113. Martin Luther King, Jr. is famous for many things. Name one. ★ | Fought for civil rights |
★ = one of the 20 starred questions for applicants who qualify for the 65/20 special consideration. Answers are from the official USCIS 2025 civics test list.
The founders, one hook each
George Washington (Q86). The easiest answer is first president. Other accepted answers: “Father of Our Country,” General of the Continental Army, and President of the Constitutional Convention. More in George Washington and the Revolutionary War.
Thomas Jefferson (Q78, Q87). Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. That one fact answers two questions. For Q87 you can also say third president, doubled the size of the United States (Louisiana Purchase), first Secretary of State, founded the University of Virginia, or writer of the Virginia Statute on Religious Freedom.
James Madison (Q83, Q88). Madison is the “Father of the Constitution.” He was also the fourth president, president during the War of 1812, and one of the writers of the Federalist Papers. That last one also answers Q83.
Alexander Hamilton (Q83, Q89). Hamilton was the first Secretary of the Treasury. He also helped establish the First Bank of the United States, was an aide to General Washington, a member of the Continental Congress, and another Federalist Papers writer. See Jefferson, Madison and Hamilton on the 2025 Civics Test.
Benjamin Franklin (Q85). Any one of five: inventor, U.S. diplomat, first Postmaster General of the United States, helped write the Declaration of Independence, or founded the first free public libraries. More in Federalist Papers and Benjamin Franklin.
The 1800s: Lincoln and the women’s rights leaders
Abraham Lincoln (Q94). Say freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation), saved (preserved) the Union, led the United States during the Civil War, 16th president, or delivered the Gettysburg Address. See Civil War, Abraham Lincoln, and the Emancipation Proclamation.
Women’s rights leaders (Q99). Any one of six: Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Lucretia Mott or Lucy Stone. Pick the name that is easiest for you to pronounce and practice it out loud. See Susan B. Anthony and Women’s Suffrage.
The 1900s: two presidents and a civil rights leader
Franklin Roosevelt (Q105). One name answers a two-part question: he was president during the Great Depression and World War II. See The Great Depression on the 2025 Civics Test.
Dwight Eisenhower (Q107). General during World War II, president at the end of (during) the Korean War, 34th president, or signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 (created the Interstate System). See World War II, FDR, and Eisenhower.
Martin Luther King, Jr. (Q113). Fought for civil rights or worked for equality for all Americans. See Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement.
Name mix-ups to avoid
| If the question is about… | Say… | Not… |
|---|---|---|
| who wrote the Declaration (Q78) | Jefferson | Washington, Franklin |
| the “Father of Our Country” (Q86) | Washington | Madison (“Father of the Constitution,” Q88) |
| the first Secretary of the Treasury (Q89) | Hamilton | Jefferson (first Secretary of State, Q87) |
| the president in the Great Depression and WWII (Q105) | Franklin Roosevelt | Theodore Roosevelt |
| the general in World War II (Q107) | Eisenhower | Washington (Continental Army, Revolutionary War) |
| president during the War of 1812 (Q88) | Madison | Lincoln (Civil War, Q94) |
About the photo: Mount Rushmore shows four presidents. From left to right they are Washington, Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Lincoln. Three of them are on the test. The Roosevelt on the mountain is Theodore. The Roosevelt on the test (Q105) is Franklin, his distant cousin.
A 10-minute drill
- Cover the right column of the first table. Say one answer for each of the 12 questions, out loud, in a full sentence: “George Washington was the first president of the United States.”
- Mark any you missed. Try those again tomorrow before you look at the answer.
- For each person, learn a second answer. If you blank on one, you have a backup.
- Then mix them into a full 2025 practice test, or hear them in Listen and switch to Quiz me to answer before the answer plays.
Read next
- Easily Confused Answers on the 2025 Civics Test
- The Declaration of Independence on the 2025 Civics Test
- Mock Civics Interview: 20 Questions From the 2025 Test
Sources: USCIS: 2025 Civics Test, 128 Questions and Answers (PDF); USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 12, Part E, Chapter 2; National Park Service: Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Photo: DHS photo by Tia Dufour, Mount Rushmore naturalization ceremony, Oct. 2, 2025, via Wikimedia Commons (public domain, U.S. government work).
This post is general study information, not legal advice. CitizenExams is an independent study site and is not affiliated with USCIS.