Civics question 85 of 128
Benjamin Franklin is famous for many things. Name one.
5 accepted answers
- Founded the first free public libraries
- First Postmaster General of the United States
- Helped write the Declaration of Independence
- Inventor
- U.S. diplomat
You only need to give one of these. The officer accepts any of them.
Source: official USCIS question list for the 2025 version of the civics test. This site is independent and not affiliated with USCIS.
Background
Any one of these answers: founded the first free public libraries, first Postmaster General of the United States, helped write the Declaration of Independence, inventor, and U.S. diplomat. Franklin is the one founder already famous across Europe before the Revolution, on the strength of his experiments with electricity. He was seventy when the Declaration was signed and eighty-one at the Constitutional Convention, easily the oldest delegate in the room. His diplomacy in Paris secured the French alliance that made victory possible, arguably his largest contribution of all. He never patented his inventions, among them the lightning rod and a more efficient stove, saying they should be free to everyone. He was also the only person to sign the Declaration, the French alliance, the peace with Britain, and the Constitution.
This background section is written by US Citizenship Test Practice to explain the civics fact. It is not part of the USCIS question list, and the official answer above is the one to give at the interview.
Where this question sits
It is part of Colonial Period and Independence, inside the American History section of the test.
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