Citizenship Day is celebrated on September 17th in the United States. It commemorates the date in 1787 when delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the United States Constitution. Citizenship Day is a great opportunity to reflect on the rights and responsibilities that come with U.S. citizenship. To celebrate this day, here are 87 riddles about citizenship and naturalization with their answers. Test your knowledge and learn more about the citizenship process!
Riddles about the history of Citizenship Day
Riddle 1
Q: What important document was signed on the day that would later be known as Citizenship Day?
A: The United States Constitution
Riddle 2
Q: In what year was the U.S. Constitution signed, leading to the creation of Citizenship Day?
A: 1787
Riddle 3
Q: Which U.S. President officially declared September 17th as Citizenship Day?
A: President Harry S. Truman in 1952
Riddle 4
Q: What decade was Citizenship Day first established and celebrated nationally?
A: The 1950s
Riddle 5
Q: How many years after the ratification of the U.S. Constitution did it take for Citizenship Day to be recognized?
A: 165 years
Riddles about the citizenship process
Riddle 6
Q: What are the only two ways a person can become a U.S. citizen?
A: Being born in the United States or going through the naturalization process
Riddle 7
Q: What is the minimum age requirement to apply for U.S. citizenship through naturalization?
A: 18 years old
Riddle 8
Q: What is the minimum number of continuous years you must be a permanent resident to apply for naturalization?
A: 5 years
Riddle 9
Q: What form do you need to submit to apply for naturalization?
A: Form N-400
Riddle 10
Q: What are the four key steps in the naturalization process after submitting Form N-400?
A: Biometrics appointment, interview, decision, and oath ceremony
Riddles about the citizenship interview
Riddle 11
Q: What will USCIS test your knowledge on during the citizenship interview?
A: U.S. history, government, rights and responsibilities
Riddle 12
Q: How many questions will you be asked during the civics portion of the interview?
A: Up to 10 questions
Riddle 13
Q: What is the minimum number of civics questions you must answer correctly to pass the interview?
A: 6 out of 10
Riddle 14
Q: What document do you need to study to prepare for the civics portion of the interview?
A: The 100 civics questions and answers
Riddle 15
Q: Besides civics, what other key part of the interview tests your English skills?
A: The English reading and writing test
Riddles about the citizenship test and questions
Riddle 16
Q: How many total questions are on the list of civics questions you can be asked?
A: 100
Riddle 17
Q: Which historical document established the U.S. as an independent nation?
A: The Declaration of Independence
Riddle 18
Q: Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States.
A: The Mississippi River or Missouri River
Riddle 19
Q: Who was the first president of the United States?
A: George Washington
Riddle 20
Q: What movement tried to end racial discrimination?
A: The civil rights movement
Riddles about the rights and responsibilities of citizens
Riddle 21
Q: Name two responsibilities that are only for U.S. citizens.
A: Serve on a jury and vote
Riddle 22
Q: What are two rights only for citizens?
A: The right to vote and apply for federal jobs
Riddle 23
Q: Name three responsibilities of U.S. citizens.
A: Obeying laws, paying taxes, serving on a jury, voting and defending the country
Riddle 24
Q: What civic responsibility involves taking time off work?
A: Serving on a jury
Riddle 25
Q: Which amendment to the Constitution guarantees women the right to vote?
A: The 19th Amendment
Riddles about famous people who became U.S. citizens
Riddle 26
Q: Which celebrity came to the U.S. from Austria and became a citizen in 1983?
A: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Riddle 27
Q: What singer immigrated from the United Kingdom and became a U.S. citizen in 2013?
A: Gerard Way from the band My Chemical Romance
Riddle 28
Q: Which basketball legend from Nigeria gained U.S. citizenship in 2006?
A: Hakeem Olajuwon
Riddle 29
Q: What famous rapper and producer born in the U.K. became a U.S. citizen in 2022?
A: Skepta
Riddle 30
Q: Which Nobel Prize-winning author was born in Germany but later became an American citizen?
A: Albert Einstein
Riddles about citizenship day celebrations and traditions
Riddle 31
Q: What do people often recite or sing on Citizenship Day?
A: The Pledge of Allegiance
Riddle 32
Q: What is sometimes read aloud word-for-word on Citizenship Day to remember its history?
A: The U.S. Constitution
Riddle 33
Q: What activity might new U.S. citizens do on Citizenship Day?
A: Register to vote
Riddle 34
Q: How might schools celebrate Citizenship Day?
A: Holding a flag raising ceremony
Riddle 35
Q: What patriotic colors are often displayed on Citizenship Day?
A: Red, white and blue
Riddles about symbols of citizenship
Riddle 36
Q: What shape are the American flag and many citizenship pins?
A: Star shape
Riddle 37
Q: What symbol on U.S. coins represents liberty?
A: The torch on the back of the quarter
Riddle 38
Q: What important national symbol rings in Philadelphia?
A: The Liberty Bell
Riddle 39
Q: Which iconic statue was a gift from France to America?
A: The Statue of Liberty
Riddle 40
Q: Which animal appears on the U.S. quarter?
A: The bald eagle
Riddles about the branches of the U.S. government
Riddle 41
Q: What are the three branches of the U.S. government?
A: Executive, legislative and judicial
Riddle 42
Q: Which branch includes Congress?
A: The legislative branch
Riddle 43
Q: Who is the head of the executive branch of government?
A: The president
Riddle 44
Q: Which branch can declare laws unconstitutional?
A: The judicial branch
Riddle 45
Q: Who confirms Supreme Court justice nominations?
A: The Senate
Riddles about U.S. history facts
Riddle 46
Q: Who was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence?
A: Thomas Jefferson
Riddle 47
Q: Which Amendment ended slavery?
A: The 13th Amendment
Riddle 48
Q: Who did the United States fight in World War II?
A: Japan, Germany and Italy
Riddle 49
Q: Which state was the last of the 50 states to join the Union in 1959?
A: Hawaii
Riddle 50
Q: Who was president during World War I?
A: Woodrow Wilson
Riddles about U.S. symbols, documents and holidays
Riddle 51
Q: What are the two national U.S. holidays that honor presidents?
A: Washington’s Birthday and Lincoln’s Birthday
Riddle 52
Q: On which holiday do we honor members of the armed forces?
A: Veterans Day
Riddle 53
Q: Which remembrance day involves wearing poppies?
A: Memorial Day
Riddle 54
Q: What is the introduction to the Constitution called?
A: The Preamble
Riddle 55
Q: Whose face is on the $1 bill?
A: George Washington
Riddles about the 50 U.S. states
Riddle 56
Q: Which four states border the state of Colorado?
A: New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming
Riddle 57
Q: Which state has the capital Juneau?
A: Alaska
Riddle 58
Q: What is the only U.S. state that produces coffee beans commercially?
A: Hawaii
Riddle 59
Q: Which state is known as the “Granite State”?
A: New Hampshire
Riddle 60
Q: In which state would you find the Riverwalk?
A: Texas
Riddles about elections and voting
Riddle 61
Q: What age can U.S. citizens legally vote at?
A: 18 years old
Riddle 62
Q: How often are U.S. presidential elections held?
A: Every four years
Riddle 63
Q: What swing state has voted for the winning president in every election since 1964?
A: Ohio
Riddle 64
Q: Which state claims to have held the first presidential primary?
A: New Hampshire
Riddle 65
Q: Whose faces appear on Mount Rushmore?
A: Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt
Riddles about the Constitution
Riddle 66
Q: How many articles are in the U.S. Constitution?
A: Seven articles
Riddle 67
Q: How many amendments does the Constitution currently have?
A: 27 amendments
Riddle 68
Q: What are the first 10 amendments to the Constitution called?
A: The Bill of Rights
Riddle 69
Q: Which amendment guarantees freedom of religion and speech?
A: The First Amendment
Riddle 70
Q: Which amendment abolished slavery?
A: The Thirteenth Amendment
Riddles about Colonial America and Revolutionary War
Riddle 71
Q: Who wrote the Common Sense pamphlet in 1776?
A: Thomas Paine
Riddle 72
Q: Which founding father and inventor signed the Declaration of Independence?
A: Benjamin Franklin
Riddle 73
Q: Who was the commander of the Continental Army?
A: George Washington
Riddle 74
Q: What was the 1775 battle that started the Revolutionary War?
A: The Battle of Lexington and Concord
Riddle 75
Q: Where did the surrender that ended the Revolutionary War take place?
A: Yorktown, Virginia
Riddles about key U.S. Documents
Riddle 76
Q: What founding document said the colonies were free from British rule?
A: The Declaration of Independence
Riddle 77
Q: Which document established the separation of powers in U.S. government?
A: The Constitution
Riddle 78
Q: What document gave women the right to vote nationally?
A: The 19th Amendment
Riddle 79
Q: What speech by Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of his dream for the future?
A: “I Have a Dream”
Riddle 80
Q: What New Deal program gave jobs to unemployed artists and writers?
A: The Federal Writers Project
Riddles about U.S. legislation
Riddle 81
Q: What New Deal programs provided pensions for seniors?
A: Social Security
Riddle 82
Q: Which 1990 law aims to protect people with disabilities from discrimination?
A: The Americans with Disabilities Act
Riddle 83
Q: What act passed under LBJ established Medicare?
A: The Social Security Act of 1965
Riddle 84
Q: Which law was ruled unconstitutional for banning interracial marriage?
A: The Loving v. Virginia Supreme Court case
Riddle 85
Q: What law made drinking alcohol illegal in the early 1900s?
A: Prohibition
Riddles about citizenship and naturalization
Riddle 86
Q: About how long does the naturalization process take for most applicants?
A: 6 to 10 months
Riddle 87
Q: What are the general eligibility requirements to become a naturalized citizen?
A: Be 18+ years old, permanent resident for 5+ years, demonstrate good moral character, pass tests on English & civics.
Conclusion
How did you do on these Citizenship Day riddles? Learning about U.S. history, government and civics through games like these can help prepare for the citizenship test and interview. Citizenship Day celebrates all those who have obtained the rights and responsibilities that come with being a U.S. citizen. Even natural-born citizens can benefit from brushing up on their civic knowledge. So celebrate Citizenship Day by studying up and appreciating the steps it takes to join America’s democratic society!
