2025-2026 MAE Citizenship Class 30

NY Hisorical Society: World War II // The Citizenship Project [E06]

N-400 practice

• Travel and Illegal Entry / Deportation plus Quiz 14: History Groups
• Question 17: Crimes

Preparing the Oath: The 1900s

Voices of Freedom: Ch 10: The 20th Century (Civil Rights movements next week)

A Summary of the US Constituion pdf

N-400 Part 12 Quiz 3 pdf

128 Civics Quiz: The 20th Century Part 1 pdf

2025-2026 MAE Citizenship Class 29

iCivics:  Defining Citizenship - Teaching the Fourteenth Amendment

Also watch:

• Annenberg Classroom: The Reconstruction Amendments
• iCivics: The Constitution Explained Playlist English | Spanish
• New York Historical Society: The Emancipation Proclamation
• TED-ED: The electrifying speeches of Sojourner Truth - Daina Ramey Berry
• TED-ED: The breathtaking courage of Harriet Tubman - Janell Hobson
• TED-ED: One of the most "dangerous" men in American history - Keenan Norris
• TED-ED: The historic women’s suffrage march on Washington - Michelle Mehrtens
• The American Experience: The Supreme Court Case that Affirmed Birthright Citizenship

N-400 practice

• N-400 2023: E4 Marriage and Children / Immigration Fraud plus Quiz 13: Civic Groups
• N-400 2024: Questions 15 and 16: Arrests 

Preparing the Oath: The 1800s

Voices of Freedom: Ch 9: The 1800s and the Civil War (follow-up: need to review other amendments and 1800s activism)

A Summary of the US Constituion pdf

N-400 Part 12 Quiz 2 pdf

128 Civics Quiz: The 1800s (saved from last next week)

USCIS 128:97. What amendment says all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are U.S. citizens?

OpenAI. (2026).  What amendment says all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are U.S. citizens?   [AI-generated infographic]. OpenAI.  Edited by Jennifer Gagliardi

The 14th Amendment was approved by Congress on June 13, 1866, and ratified by the states on July 9, 1868. 

The 14th Amendment was created after the Civil War to protect the rights of people who had been enslaved. This amendment extended the freedoms and rights in the Bill of Rights to formerly enslaved people and helped make sure they were treated as full citizens under the law.

The 14th Amendment has five sections.  The first section includes four clauses that rights:

First, it explains citizenship. It says that people who are born (birthright citizenship) or naturalized in the United States are U.S. citizens. 

Next, it includes the Privileges or Immunities Clause. This means states cannot take away basic rights that belong to U.S. citizens.

It also has the Due Process Clause. This means the government must follow fair rules and laws before it can take away a person’s life, liberty, or property.

Another part is the Equal Protection Clause. This means the law must treat people fairly and equally.

In simple terms, the 14th Amendment defines citizenship and protects equal rights for all people under the law.

USCIS 128:96. What U.S. war ended slavery?

OpenAI. (2026). What U.S. war ended slavery?   [AI-generated infographic]. OpenAI.  Edited by Jennifer Gagliardi

The Civil War is the U.S. war that ended slavery. It took place from 1861 to 1865.

Before the war, the United States was divided. The northern states (Union) wanted to keep the country together, while the southern states (Confederacy) wanted to leave the Union. A major issue was slavery.

Even before the war, many people worked to end slavery. These people were called abolitionists. For example, Frederick Douglass spoke and wrote against slavery. Harriet Tubman helped enslaved people escape to freedom. William Lloyd Garrison used his newspaper to argue for immediate abolition.

The war began on April 12, 1861, at the Battle of Fort Sumter. During the war, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. This order freed enslaved people in the Confederate states, but it did not end slavery everywhere and depended on the Union winning the war.

Because of this, leaders in Congress decided to create a permanent law to end slavery. In 1864 and 1865, members of Congress debated a new amendment to the Constitution. Some lawmakers strongly supported it, saying slavery must end forever. Others opposed it or worried about its effects. The debate was difficult, and the amendment did not pass at first.

President Lincoln supported the amendment and encouraged Congress to act. In January 1865, the House of Representatives finally approved the 13th Amendment after a close and important vote. The Senate had already passed it earlier.

After Congress approved it, the amendment was sent to the states. By December 1865, enough states had approved it, and the 13th Amendment became law. It officially ended slavery in all parts of the United States.

In simple terms, the Emancipation Proclamation began freeing enslaved people during the war, and the 13th Amendment made the end of slavery permanent in the Constitution.

The Civil War is important because it kept the country united and led to the final and legal end of slavery.

Also see: USPS 32c Civil War pane of twenty stamps source (note: the back has mini biographies!)

USPS 128:95. What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?

OpenAI. (2026). What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?   [AI-generated infographic]. OpenAI.  Edited by Jennifer Gagliardi

The Emancipation Proclamation was an important action during the Civil War. President Abraham Lincoln issued it on January 1, 1863.

Before this, the Civil War began in 1861. At first, the main goal of the Union was to keep the country together. However, slavery was a major issue in the conflict.

In September 1862, after the Battle of Antietam, Lincoln announced that he would free enslaved people in the states that were still fighting against the Union. This led to the Emancipation Proclamation.

On January 1, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation took effect. It freed enslaved people in the Confederate states. It did not immediately free all enslaved people, but it changed the purpose of the war. Now the war was also about ending slavery.

Even after this order, freedom did not reach everyone right away. In some places, slavery continued until Union soldiers arrived.

For example, in Texas, enslaved people were not freed until June 19, 1865. On that day, Union troops arrived and announced that all enslaved people were free. This day is now called Juneteenth.

In 2021, Juneteenth became a federal holiday in the United States. It is now known as Juneteenth National Independence Day. Americans observe this day to remember the end of slavery and to honor freedom and equality.

The Emancipation Proclamation was an important step toward ending slavery. It helped lead to freedom for millions of people and changed the future of the nation.

2025-2026 MAE Citizenship Class 28

 

uscitizenpod: New York Historical Society: The Emancipation Proclamation

Also watch:

• TED-ED: How one piece of legislation divided a nation - Ben Labaree, Jr.
• TED-ED: What is Juneteenth, and why is it important? - Karlos K. Hill and Soraya Field Fiorio
• TED-ED: The breathtaking courage of Harriet Tubman - Janell Hobson
• TED-ED: Debunking the myth of the Lost Cause: A lie embedded in American history - Karen L. Cox

N-400 practice

• N-400 2023: E-3: Origin / Groups and Organizations
• N-400 2024: Questions 12, 13, 14: Weapons, Child Soldiers

uscitizenpod: 10 Citizenship Questions in Honor of Earth Day (pdf)

Preparing the Oath: The 1800s

Voices of Freedom: Ch 9: The 1800s and the Civil War (follow-up: need to review other amendments and 1800s activism)

N-400 Part 12 Quiz (Part Quiz) 1 pdf

128 Civics Quiz: The 1800s (correction) (save till next week)

USPS 128:94. Abraham Lincoln is famous for many things. Name one.

OpenAI. (2026). Abraham Lincoln is famous for many things. Name one.   [AI-generated infographic]. OpenAI.  Edited by Jennifer Gagliardi

Abraham Lincoln is one of the most important leaders in U.S. history. He is famous for many things that happened during a difficult time in the country.

First, Lincoln was elected the 16th president of the United States on November 6, 1860. He took office on March 4, 1861. Soon after, the Civil War began in April 1861.

During the war, Lincoln led the United States and worked to save the Union. This means he wanted to keep the country together. He guided the nation through the war from 1861 to 1865.

On January 1, 1863, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. This order declared that enslaved people in the Confederate states were free. It made ending slavery an important goal of the war.

Later that year, on November 19, 1863, Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address in Pennsylvania. In this speech, he honored the soldiers who died and reminded the country that the United States was founded on the idea that all people are equal. He said the nation must continue the work of freedom and make sure that “government of the people, by the people, for the people” continues.

The Civil War ended in April 1865. Soon after, Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865, and he died on April 15, 1865. His death shocked the nation.

Abraham Lincoln is remembered for leading the country during the Civil War, preserving the Union, and helping end slavery. For the civics test, you only need to name one of these facts.

USCIS 128:93. The Civil War had many important events. Name one.

OpenAI. (2026). The Civil War had many important events. Name one.   [AI-generated infographic]. OpenAI.  Edited by Jennifer Gagliardi

The Civil War had many important events from1861 to 1865. These events show how the war began, changed, and ended.

The war began with the Battle of Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, in South Carolina. Confederate forces attacked the fort, and Union soldiers surrendered. This event started the Civil War.

The Battle of Antietam, also called Sharpsburg, happened on September 17, 1862, in Maryland. It was one of the bloodiest days in American history. After this battle, President Abraham Lincoln announced the Emancipation Proclamation.

The Emancipation Proclamation took effect on January 1, 1863. It said that enslaved people in the Confederate states were free. This made ending slavery an important goal of the war.

The Battle of Gettysburg happened from July 1 to July 3, 1863, in Pennsylvania. It was a major Union victory. Around the same time, the Battle of Vicksburg ended on July 4, 1863, giving the Union control of the Mississippi River.

In 1864, General William Tecumseh Sherman led Sherman’s March through Georgia. His army captured Atlanta in September and marched to Savannah from November to December 1864. This weakened the Confederacy.

The war ended when General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865. A few days later, President Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865, and died on April 15, 1865.

USCIS 128:92. Name the U.S. war between the North and the South.

OpenAI. (2026).  Name the U.S. war between the North and the South. [AI-generated infographic]. OpenAI.  Edited by Jennifer Gagliardi

The war between the North and the South is called the Civil War. It took place in the United States from 1861 to 1865.

Before the war, the country was divided. The northern states, called the Union, wanted to keep the country together. The southern states, called the Confederacy, wanted to leave the United States. One main issue was slavery.

The war began in 1861 when fighting started at Fort Sumter in South Carolina. Over the next four years, there were many important battles across the country.

In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. This declared that enslaved people in the Confederate states were free. It also gave the Union a stronger purpose in the war.

In 1865, the Union won the war. The Confederate army surrendered, and the United States remained one country. After the war, slavery ended in the United States.

The Civil War is important because it kept the nation united and ended slavery.