Civics question 81 of 128
There were 13 original states. Name five.
13 accepted answers
- New Hampshire
- Massachusetts
- Rhode Island
- Connecticut
- New York
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- Delaware
- Maryland
- Virginia
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Georgia
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
Naming any five of the thirteen answers the question: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. They run down the Atlantic coast in that order, north to south, which is the easiest way to hold them in memory. All thirteen were British colonies before 1776. Delaware is called the First State because it ratified the Constitution first, in December 1787, and Rhode Island came last in 1790, having refused even to send delegates to the convention. Note what the number is not: the thirteen stripes on the flag stand for these original states, while the fifty stars stand for the states today, a pair the test asks about separately.
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.
Related questions
- 74. Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
- 75. What group of people was taken and sold as slaves?
- 76. What war did the Americans fight to win independence from Britain?
- 77. Name one reason why the Americans declared independence from Britain.
- 78. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
- 79. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?