Founding documents like the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and Bill of Rights have shaped American history and government. Test your knowledge of these important documents by trying to solve these 77 riddles!
Riddles about the Declaration of Independence
1. I am the document that declared the 13 American colonies free from British rule. What am I?
Answer: The Declaration of Independence
2. I am the Founding Father who was given the task of drafting the Declaration of Independence. Who am I?
Answer: Thomas Jefferson
3. I am the city where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776. What city am I?
Answer: Philadelphia
4. How many men signed the Declaration of Independence?
Answer: 56
5. Who was the oldest person to sign the Declaration of Independence?
Answer: Benjamin Franklin at age 70
6. Who was the youngest person to sign the Declaration of Independence?
Answer: Edward Rutledge at age 26
7. What future President of the United States was the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence?
Answer: John Hancock
8. What are the first words of the Declaration of Independence?
Answer: “When in the Course of human events…”
9. How long after July 4, 1776 was the Declaration of Independence actually signed by most delegates?
Answer: August 2, 1776
10. On what day was the final engrossed copy of the Declaration of Independence dated?
Answer: July 4, 1776
Riddles about the United States Constitution
11. I am the document that outlines the framework of the United States federal government. What am I?
Answer: The United States Constitution
12. I am known as the “Father of the Constitution.” Who am I?
Answer: James Madison
13. How many articles are in the original Constitution?
Answer: 7
14. How many amendments are there to the Constitution?
Answer: 27 amendments
15. What is the minimum age someone must be to become President of the United States?
Answer: 35 years old
16. How long is a term for a United States Senator?
Answer: 6 years
17. How many Representatives does each state receive in the House of Representatives?
Answer: At least 1, allocated by population
18. What group of people was originally counted as 3/5ths of a person for purposes of congressional representation?
Answer: Enslaved people
19. Whose approval is required for a bill passed by Congress to become a law?
Answer: The President
20. Who has the power to veto legislation passed by Congress?
Answer: The President
21. Who has the power to impeach the President?
Answer: The House of Representatives
22. Which body has the power to try impeachments?
Answer: The Senate
23. How many Justices serve on the Supreme Court?
Answer: 9
24. Who nominates Supreme Court Justices?
Answer: The President
25. Whose approval is required for Supreme Court nominees?
Answer: The Senate
Riddles about the Bill of Rights
26. I am the first 10 amendments to the Constitution, outlining basic individual liberties. What am I called?
Answer: The Bill of Rights
27. Who wrote the original draft of the Bill of Rights?
Answer: James Madison
28. When was the Bill of Rights ratified?
Answer: December 15, 1791
29. What amendment protects freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition?
Answer: The First Amendment
30. What amendment protects the right to bear arms?
Answer: The Second Amendment
31. What amendment protects against forced quartering of soldiers?
Answer: The Third Amendment
32. What amendment protects against unreasonable search and seizure?
Answer: The Fourth Amendment
33. What amendment provides rights of due process and just compensation?
Answer: The Fifth Amendment
34. What amendment provides the right to a speedy trial by jury?
Answer: The Sixth Amendment
35. What amendment provides the right to trial by jury in civil cases?
Answer: The Seventh Amendment
36. What amendment prohibits excessive fines and cruel and unusual punishment?
Answer: The Eighth Amendment
37. What amendment protects rights not enumerated in the Constitution?
Answer: The Ninth Amendment
38. What amendment reserves powers to the states?
Answer: The Tenth Amendment
More Constitutional Riddles
39. I let citizens vote directly on laws and constitutional amendments in many states. What am I?
Answer: A referendum
40. I allow citizens to propose and pass laws directly, bypassing the legislative body. What am I?
Answer: An initiative
41. I allow voters to remove elected officials from office through a direct vote before their term expires. What am I?
Answer: A recall election
42. I am a form of direct democracy that lets voters repeal laws passed by the state legislature. What am I?
Answer: A popular referendum
43. I limit state legislative sessions to every other year. What am I?
Answer: A biennial legislature
44. I am a clause requiring that laws treat all legal citizens equally. What am I?
Answer: The Equal Protection Clause
45. I prohibit the government from taking private property for public use without just compensation. What am I?
Answer: Eminent domain
46. I allow each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches. What am I?
Answer: Checks and balances
47. I give state courts the power to rule on whether state laws violate the state constitution. What am I?
Answer: Judicial review
48. I am the minimum number of votes required in the Electoral College to win the US Presidency. What number am I?
Answer: 270
49. I am the number of electoral votes each state gets, equal to its number of Senators and Representatives. What am I?
Answer: Its electoral votes
50. I declared that slaves escaped to free states should be returned to their owners. What was I?
Answer: The Fugitive Slave Act
Facts and Figures about Founding Documents
51. About how long is the original Constitution excluding amendments?
Answer: 4,400 words
52. About how long is the Declaration of Independence?
Answer: 1,300 words
53. How many copies of the Declaration of Independence are known to exist today?
Answer: 26
54. How many words are in the Bill of Rights?
Answer: 463 words
55. How many pages was the original Bill of Rights?
Answer: 4 pages
56. How many pages is a printed copy of the Constitution and all amendments today?
Answer: 14-32 pages depending on font size
57. How many pages was the original Constitution?
Answer: 4 pages
58. How many words does the longest amendment to the Constitution contain?
Answer: The 8th amendment with 45 words
59. Which amendment to the Constitution has the fewest words?
Answer: The 10th amendment with only 20 words
60. Which founding document was signed at Liberty Hall in Philadelphia?
Answer: The Declaration of Independence
61. Which founding document was signed at the Pennsylvania State House?
Answer: The Constitution
62. About how old was the average signer of the Declaration of Independence?
Answer: 45 years old
63. How many amendments proposed by Congress were never ratified?
Answer: Around 10-12 proposed amendments
64. How far down the page is John Hancock’s famous signature on the Declaration of Independence?
Answer: Near the middle bottom
History of the Founding Documents
65. I was toiled over in secret in May 1776. What document was I?
Answer: The Declaration of Independence
66. I was written largely in response to inadequacies in governing under the Articles of Confederation. What document was I?
Answer: The Constitution
67. Which founding document established the first form of government after independence from Britain?
Answer: The Articles of Confederation
68. Which founding document included a provision to ban slavery by 1808?
Answer: The Constitution
69. I was written by Thomas Jefferson between June 11 and June 28, 1776. What document was I?
Answer: The Declaration of Independence
70. Whose early drafts influenced Thomas Jefferson’s writing of the Declaration of Independence?
Answer: John Locke
71. Who was the primary author of the Bill of Rights?
Answer: James Madison
72. Which Founding Father refused to sign the Constitution because it did not contain a bill of rights?
Answer: George Mason
73. Who led the Federalists who favored ratification of the Constitution without a bill of rights?
Answer: Alexander Hamilton
74. I argued against adding a bill of rights to the Constitution in the Federalist Papers. Who am I?
Answer: Alexander Hamilton
75. Which state was the first to ratify the Constitution?
Answer: Delaware
Key Concepts in the Founding Documents
76. I establish that fundamental human rights exist and government should protect them. What broad concept do I embody?
Answer: Natural rights philosophy
77. I argue for distributing governmental power across branches and levels to prevent abuse. What key concept do I illustrate?
Answer: Separation of powers
Conclusion
How did you do with these riddles about the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights, and other founding documents? America’s founding documents established the framework for the United States government and enshrined timeless principles like individual liberty. Understanding the facts, history, and concepts behind these documents is key to being an informed citizen!
