Civics question 125 of 128
What is Independence Day?
2 accepted answers
- A holiday to celebrate U.S. independence (from Britain)
- The country's birthday
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
Independence Day is a holiday celebrating U.S. independence from Britain, and calling it the country's birthday is accepted too. It falls on July 4, the date the Continental Congress approved the final wording of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Cities held fireworks and public readings of the Declaration from the first anniversary onward, long before it was official; Congress made it a federal holiday in 1870 and a paid one for federal workers in 1938. A coincidence worth knowing: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826, the fiftieth anniversary. Note that the day marks the Declaration and not the end of the war, which came seven years later in 1783.
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 Holidays, inside the Symbols And Holidays section of the test.