Question 81: There were 13 original states. Name five.
Official answers (any one counts)
USCIS accepts any of these answers. If the question asks for more than one, give as many as it asks.
- New Hampshire
- Massachusetts
- Rhode Island
- Connecticut
- New York
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- Delaware
- Maryland
- Virginia
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Georgia
Grandpa explains
All 13 were on the Atlantic coast, kiddo. No Florida, Texas, or California. Those came later.
Careful: these are NOT the answer
These are the common mix-ups. The app uses them as traps so you practice.
- New York, Florida, Virginia, Georgia, and Maine
- Texas, California, Ohio, Maine, and Vermont
- New Jersey, Kentucky, Delaware, Tennessee, and Georgia
On the 2008 test this is question 64
If you filed your N-400 before October 20, 2025, you take the 2008 version. Which one is mine?
There were 13 original states. Name three.
- New Hampshire
- Massachusetts
- Rhode Island
- Connecticut
- New York
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- Delaware
- Maryland
- Virginia
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Georgia
Video lesson on this topic: Colonies and Independence
More questions on this topic
- 82What founding document was written in 1787?
- 83The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.
- 84Why were the Federalist Papers important?
- 85Benjamin Franklin is famous for many things. Name one.
- 86George Washington is famous for many things. Name one. ★
- 87Thomas Jefferson is famous for many things. Name one.
Official sources:
- USCIS · 128 Civics Questions and Answers (2025 version), M-1778 (09/25) ↗ · checked October 6, 2026
The plain explanation is ours; the official answers are USCIS's, word for word.