As we celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday, test your civics knowledge and see how your score compares to others.
The Fourth of July mostly brings thoughts of cookouts, baseball and fireworks. But of course it’s also a day to think about America and its founding — never more so than this year, when the holiday carries the most excellent title: our semiquincentennial.
That’s the 250th anniversary, for those who need a refresher on their Latin.
So, how much do you actually know about this country’s founding, government and history?
The Washington Post offers you a 20-question quiz to test your knowledge. We drew the questions from 2025 study materials from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Changes that took effect last fall mean aspiring American citizens must answer 12 of 20 questions correctly. Give it a try and see how you stack up against other readers.
1 of
What is the name of the national anthem?
2 of
The American Revolution had many important battles. Name one.
3 of
What is our form of government in the United States?
4 of
Which U.S. states border Mexico?
5 of
What is Susan B. Anthony known for?
6 of
Which of these is a power of the U.S. Congress?
7 of
The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Who was not one of the writers?
8 of
Which constitutional amendment limited the president of the United States to two terms?
9 of
Why does the flag have 13 stripes?
10 of
How many justices serve on the Supreme Court?
11 of
Who was the United States’ main rival during the Cold War?
12 of
Where is the Statue of Liberty?
13 of
What was Martin Luther King Jr. famous for?
14 of
What amendment guarantees that “all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof” are U.S. citizens?
15 of
Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
16 of
There were 13 original states. Which of these was not one of them?
17 of
Which of these is not a federal holiday?
18 of
Which of these wars was not fought in the 20th century?
19 of
What is Alexander Hamilton known for?
20 of
The words “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” appear in what founding document?
Your results
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About this story
Reporting by Laura Meckler and Courtney Kan. Daniel Wu contributed to this report. Illustrations by Natalie Vineberg. Development by Aadit Tambe. Editing by Debbi Wilgoren, Christopher Rickett and Virginia Singarayar.
