USCIS Naturalization Self Test

Naturalization Self Test

Online study tool to help test an applicant's knowledge of U.S. history and government.

04/16/12

100 Civics Questions and Answers (295.9 KB) 

USCIS Enlace

USCIS Enlace

USCIS Multilingual Engagements

USCIS Multilingual Engagements

Learn more about USCIS' multilingual public engagements. More information can be found at http://www.uscis.gov/outreach

Earth Day 2012

uscitizenpod: GO GREEN with USPS stamps on Flickr

In honor of Earth Day 2011and 2012 and in celebration of the USPS GO GREEN Forever stamp series, US Citizenship Podcast presents a collection of stamps reflecting America's ongoing commitment to MAKE EARTH DAY, EVERY DAY!

uscitizenpod: GO GREEN with USPS Stamps on YouTube

USCIS Vocabulary for the Naturalization Interview: Self-Test 1

Vocabulary for the Naturalization Interview:

Self-Test 1

This activity has words and phrases that an applicant may read on the Application for Naturalization, Form N-400, or hear during the naturalization interview.

West Wing Week: 4/20/12 or "Roll Tide"

wh.gov: West Wing Week: 4/20/12 or "Roll Tide"

Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. This week, the President visited one of the Sunshine State's largest ports, attended the Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia, announced new steps to strengthen oversight of energy markets, welcomed champion NASCAR drivers and the Alabama Crimson Tide football team to the White House, and traveled to Ohio to speak with unemployed workers about the importance of job training program.

USCIS Understanding Commands for the Naturalization Interview

Understanding Commands for the Naturalization Interview

This activity has commands that an applicant may hear during the naturalization interview. Download the classroom materials to help your students learn and practice these commands.

04/16/12

Download Classroom Materials (6.4 MB) 
Download Practice Exercise (730.1 KB) 

USCIS Citizenship Interview and Test

USCIS Citizenship Interview and Test

Official government video from USCIS providing an informative description of the naturalization process and featuring a sample interview and test.

USCIS Citizenship and Integration Grant Program 2012

USCIS Citizenship and Integration Grant Program 2012

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the availability of a competitive grant funding opportunity designed to promote immigrant civic integration and prepare permanent residents for citizenship. USCIS will offer approximately $5 million in competitive funding for citizenship preparation programs in communities across the country. (read more)

USCIS Citizenship Public Education and Awareness Initiative Video Public Service Announcement

USCIS Citizenship Public Education and Awareness Initiative Video Public Service Announcement

30-second video public service announcement in English highlighting the rights and responsibilities and importance of U.S. citizenship.

USCIS 100:56 Tax Day?

USCIS 100:56. When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?*

++ April 15

The last day to send in your federal income tax to the Internal Revenue Service is April 15 of each year. (This year, 2012, taxes must be filed by Tuesday, April 17, 2012).

The Constitution gave the federal government the power to collect taxes. The federal government needs money to pay the nation’s debts and to defend and provide for the needs of the country. When the country was young, it was difficult to raise money from the 13 original states.

The government began collecting income tax for the first time through the Revenue Act of 1861. This was only temporary. In 1894, a flatrate federal income tax was enacted, but the Supreme Court said this was unconstitutional.

Finally, in 1913, the 16th Amendment was ratified. It gave Congress the power to collect income taxes.

Today, “taxable income” is money that is earned from wages, selfemployment, tips, and the sale of property. The government uses these taxes to keep our country safe and secure. It also tries to cure and prevent diseases through research. In addition, the government protects our money in banks by insuring it, educates children and adults, and builds and repairs our roads and highways. Taxes are used to do these things and many more. (USCIS M-638 Quick civics Lessons)

Thomas Jefferson's Role as Slave Owner Explored

VOAVideo: Thomas Jefferson's Role as Slave Owner Explored

Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, is one of the most revered figures in U.S. history. As the principal author of the Declaration of Independence - which announced America's liberation from British rule and established the rights of man - he wrote that "all men are created equal," yet Jefferson owned 600 slaves during his lifetime. That paradox is explored in two current exhibits, which also provide a glimpse into some of the slaves who lived and worked at his plantation. VOA's Julie Taboh reports. (read more)

Happy Birthday Thomas Jefferson!

USCIS 100:62. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

1976 – The United States Treasury Department reintroduces the two-dollar bill as a Federal Reserve Note on Thomas Jefferson's 233rd birthday as part of the United States Bicentennial celebration.

USCIS 100:62. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

▪ (Thomas) Jefferson

West Wing Week: 4/13/12 or "You're Proof of Change"

wh.gov: West Wing Week: 4/13/12 or "You're Proof of Change"

Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. This week, the President hosted a forum on Women and the Economy, welcomed the President of Brazil, traveled to Florida to urge the Senate to pass the Buffett Rule, and took part in the great annual White House tradition, the Easter Egg Roll. That's April 6th to April 12th or "You're Proof of Change."

FDR and the Four Freedoms

USCIS 100:80. Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II?

In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms.

The first is freedom of speech and expression—everywhere in the world.

The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way—everywhere in the world.

The third is freedom from want—which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants—everywhere in the world.

The fourth is freedom from fear—which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor—anywhere in the world.

That is no vision of a distant millennium. It is a definite basis for a kind of world attainable in our own time and generation. That kind of world is the very antithesis of the so-called new order of tyranny which the dictators seek to create with the crash of a bomb.

Franklin D. Roosevelt (January 30, 1882 – April 12, 1945), excerpted from the State of the Union Address to the Congress, January 6, 1941

Listen to Franklin Delano Roosevelt's January 6, 1941 State of the Union Address speech introducing the theme of the Four Freedoms (starting at 32:02)

USCIS 100:80. Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II?

▪ (Franklin) Roosevelt

Picture Source: Library of Congress

Mitt Romney Emerges as Presumed Republican Presidential Nominee

VOANews: Mitt Romney Emerges as Presumed Republican Presidential Nominee

In U.S. presidential politics, the race for the Republican nomination is all but decided, after former Senator Rick Santorum suspended his campaign Tuesday, leaving it more likely former governor Mitt Romney will face President Barack Obama in November. VOA's Michael Bowman reports from Washington.

Weekly Address: Easter and Passover Greetings from President Obama

Weekly Address: Easter and Passover Greetings from President Obama

President Obama offers his warmest greetings to all who are celebrating Easter and Passover this weekend, and reflects on the common thread of humanity that binds us all together.

In Presidential Campaigns, History Repeats Itself

VOANews: In Presidential Campaigns, History Repeats Itself

Politicians have always used every available medium to get their message out to the voters. A new exhibit at the Newseum in Washington DC, explores the news media's evolving role in broadcasting that message - from newspapers to Twitter. VOA's Faiza Elmasry reports.

Cesar Chavez Day!

USCIS 100:51. What are two rights of everyone living in the United States?



UFW: Cesar Chavez: Embrace the Legacy (5 min. UFW video)
Learn about the legacy of Cesar Chavez from Martin Sheen, Edward James Olmos, Edward James Olmos and others and get involved in keeping Cesar's dream alive!

Cesar Chavez started the United Farm Workers union, because farmworkers did not have
"the legal right to organize and to vote for collective bargaining.
They didn't have the right to have clean drinking water,
access to portable toilets, lunch breaks, or short rest breaks during workdays.
And they were not entitled to the minimum wage or unemployment insurance."


*new Cesar Chavez Day resources from California Department of Education


EL Civics Cesar Chavez Day

César E. Chávez Memorial Walkway Opens in San Jose.

For more info, visit the United Farm Workers website.
51. What are two rights of everyone living in the United States?

• freedom of expression
• freedom of speech
• freedom of assembly
• freedom to petition the government
• freedom of worship
• the right to bear arms

LISTEN to US Citizenship Podcast:

• Cesar Chavez and Civil Rights mp3

West Wing Week: 3/30/2012 or "I've Got Seoul"

wh.gov: West Wing Week: 3/30/2012 or "I've Got Seoul"

Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. This week, the President traveled to the Republic of Korea to attend a nuclear security summit where he also visited the DMZ, held a series of bilateral (and one trilateral) meetings, and gave a major address to students at Hankuk University. Back at home, the kitchen garden got underway with this year's first planting.

Cesar Chavez Biography in Multiple Languages

• Excerpts from Chavez Biography by Levy 
• César E. Chávez Biografia (En Español) 
• Vietnamese PDF version of Biography
• Cantonese PDF version of Biography
• Hmong PDF version of Biography
• Tagalog PDF version of Biography
• K-3 Biography 
• PDF version of K-3 Biography 
• 4-6 Biography 
• PDF version of 4-6 Biography
• 7-9 Biography
• PDF version of 7-9 Biography
• HS Biography 
• PDF version of HS Biography

Find out more at California Department of Education Cesar Chavez Day website

On day of remembrance, UN honours heroes and survivors of transatlantic slave trade

USCIS 100:60. What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?

International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade 25 March

United Nations, March 2012 - The United Nations is hosting a series of events, beginning today, to pay tribute to the men and women who bravely fought against the transatlantic slave trade and those who continue to stand up against modern forms of slavery. See International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade 25 March

USCIS 100:60. What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?

▪ Africans
▪ people from Africa

We the People - Your voice in our government

USCIS 100:06. What is one right or freedom from the
First Amendment?*

USCIS 100: 51. What are two rights of everyone living in the United States?

wh.gov: We the People - Your voice in our government
Take a look behind the scenes at the White House petition program, "We The People", its one way to be sure issues you care about are on the radar of the administration. http://www.whitehouse.gov/wethepeople
USCIS 100:06. What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?*

▪ speech
▪ religion
▪ assembly
▪ press
▪ petition the government

USCIS 100: 51. What are two rights of everyone living in the United States?

▪ freedom of expression
▪ freedom of speech
▪ freedom of assembly
▪ freedom to petition the government
▪ freedom of worship
▪ the right to bear arms

West Wing Week: 3/22/12 or "Slainte!"

wh.gov: West Wing Week: 3/22/12 or "Slainte!"

 Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. This week, the President celebrated his fourth St Patrick's Day in the White House and hosted the Irish Prime Minister, marked Nowruz with a video address, then embarked on a four state energy tour.

NEW Interview 16: Alecia Sotelo (Asuncion, Paraguay)

Basic Citizenship Interview with Alecia Sotelo (Asuncion, Paraguay)

Download Interview 16 mp3

Download Basic Interview PDF

Oakland Naturalization - 02/15/12

USCIS Oakland Naturalization - 02/15/12
On February 15th, USCIS Deputy Director Lori Scialabba naturalized 1,268 candidates from 114 countries at the historic Paramount Theater in Oakland, California. Anni Chung was recognized as an "Outstanding American by Choice" for her 36 years of service with the organization "Self Help for the Elderly".

USCIS honored Anni Chung of Self Help for the Elderly (selfhelpelderly.org) as one of the 2012 OUTSTANDING AMERICANS BY CHOICE at the Oakland Naturalization 2//15/12. Congratulations, Anni Chung!!!!!!

West Wing Week: 3/16/12 or "Leveling the Playing Field"

wh.gov: West Wing Week: 3/16/12 or "Leveling the Playing Field"
West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. This week, the President pressed for support of advanced manufacturing, held a series of "Live from the White House" Interviews, made a major announcement on trade rights, hosted Prime Minster Cameron for an Official State Visit and a trip to an NCAA game, and spoke on Energy and Job Creation in Maryland. That's March 9th to March 15th or, "Leveling the Playing Field."

New Citizen: Vong Mui Sam

US Civil Rights Organization Promotes Minority Voting

USCIS 100:48. There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.

VOANews: US Civil Rights Organization Promotes Minority Voting

The National Urban League, a leading civil rights organization in the United States is urging African-Americans to vote in November's presidential election - as a means of countering state laws the group says threaten gains that blacks and other minorities have made over the years.

USCIS 100:48. There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.

▪ Citizens eighteen (18) and older (can vote).
▪ You don’t have to pay (a poll tax) to vote.
▪ Any citizen can vote. (Women and men can vote.)
▪ A male citizen of any race (can vote).

West Wing Week 3/9/12 or "Speak Softly; Carry a Big Stick"

wh.gov: West Wing Week 3/9/12 or "Speak Softly; Carry a Big Stick"

Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. This week, the President addressed both the Conservation and AIPAC conferences, sat down with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel, Prime Minister Al-Keeb of Libya, and President Mills of Ghana, hosted a White House news conference, announced steps the administration is taking to support homeowners, and traveled to the Daimler Mount Holly Truck Plant in North Carolina. That's March 2nd to March 8th or, "Speak Softly; Carry a Big Stick."

Women's Rights ARE Human's Rights!

Happy International Women's Day!

USIS 100:09. What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?

In 1776, Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence which was the first document to talk about the rights of Americans.

In 1948, Eleanor Roosevelt and members of the United Nations wrote the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which protects the rights of all human beings.

Inspired by the work of Thomas Jefferson and Eleanor Roosevelt, Hillary Rodham Clinton, then the First Lady of the United States, spoke to the UN 4th Conference on Women on September 5, 1995 in Beijing, China. She boldly proclaimed "Women's Rights ARE Human's Rights!" uniting the delegates and NGO representatives to work on behalf of all women and girls.

I attended the UN conference in Beijing and Huairou as part of the IGC internet support team and daily posted reports on my listervs BEIJING95-L and BEIJING95-WOMEN.

I will never, ever forget my teammates, the conference attendees, the hospitality of the Chinese governement, and the POWER of Hillary's speech.

USIS 100:09. What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?

• life
• liberty
• pursuit of happiness

LISTEN to US Citizenship Podcast:

• Women's Rights ARE Human Rights!
  

Women and USCIS 100Qs Quiz

NEW QUIZ: Women and USCIS 100 Questions: Civics

'Super Tuesday' Voters Make Mark on US Republican Presidential Race

VOANews: 'Super Tuesday' Voters Make Mark on US Republican Presidential Race

Voters in 10 U.S. states are going to the polls for "Super Tuesday" nominating contests in the biggest day of voting yet in the race to choose the Republican Party's presidential nominee. (read more)

Super Tuesday Facts

• Four Republicans remain in the race for their party’s presidential nomination
• 10 states hold primary or caucus votes on March 6
• 437 delegates are at stake
• Overall, 1,144 delegates are needed to secure the Republican nomination
• "Super Tuesday," or scheduling elections in many states on the same day, began in 1988, with the idea of giving southern states a more consequential role in the nominating process

West Wing Week: 2/24/12 - 3/1/12 or "That's Worth Fighting For"

wh.gov: West Wing Week: 2/24/12 - 3/1/12 or "That's Worth Fighting For"

Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. This week, the President honored the resurgence of the American auto industry, challenged governors to invest in education, held a dinner honoring Iraq War Veterans, hosted the Prime Minister of Denmark and urged Congress to end subsidies for oil and gas companies during a trip to New Hampshire. That's February 24th to March 1st or "That's Worth Fighting For."

Enlace: E-Verify Self-Check March 1, 2012

Enlace: E-Verify Self-Check: Solicite en Confianza 1 de marzo 3:30pm (hora oficial del este)



Enlace: E-Verify Self-Check - Apply with Confidence March 1, 2012 3:30PM EST

US Citizenship Podcasts Celebrates African-American History Month

Happy African-American History Month! During the month of February, US Citizenship Podcast will explore the connection between the USCIS History and Government questions and African American History. Let's get started!

• Feb 01 USCIS 100:60 Slaves, Slavery, and Olaudah Equiano mp3


• Feb 02 USCIS 100:61 Colonists, Taxes, Crispus Attuks, Lemuel Haynes, and the American Revolutionary War mp3


• Feb 03 USCIS 100:62 the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, and Sally Hemings mp3


• Feb 04 USCIS 100:69 George Washington, Phillis Wheatley, and Columbia mp3


• Feb 05 USCIS 100:65 The Constitutional Convention, the Great Compromise, and Slavery mp3


• Feb 06 USCIS 100:94 Washington DC, Benjamin Banneker, and Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson mp3


• Feb 07 USCIS 100:71 Louisiana Territory, Missouri River, and York mp3


• Feb 08 USCIS 100:09 Life, Liberty, and La Amistad mp3


• Feb 09 USCIS 100:77 Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, and Civil Rights mp3


• Feb 10 USCIS 100:99 July 4th, Slavery, and Fredrick Douglass mp3


• Feb 11 USCIS 100:74 Slavery, the Supreme Court, and Dred Scott mp3


• Feb 12 USCIS 100:75 Abraham Lincoln, Harriet Tubman, and the Underground Railroad mp3
  
  More to come!

Tuskegee Airmen visit the White House

wh.gov: Tuskegee Airmen visit the White House

The President and the First Lady host Tuskegee Airmen along with cast and crew members of the movie Red Tails for a screening at the White House.

West Wing Week: 2/24/12 or "West Wing Week 100!"

wh.gov: West Wing Week: 2/24/12 or "West Wing Week 100!"

Welcome to the 100th episode of West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. It's hard to believe that when West Wing Week was born Don't Ask Don't tell was still around, American troops were still fighting in Iraq, the American Auto Industry was on the brink of collapse, and nobody knew The President could sing? Wow! what a difference 694 days makes. We've got a great week for you - BB King is here, the Boeing Dreamliner, the extension of the Payroll Tax Cut, and musical guest Keb Mo. That's February 17th to February 23rd or West Wing Week 100.

Mt. Vernon Celebrates Washington's Birthday

VOAVideo: Mt. Vernon Celebrates Washington's Birthday

This year, on Feb. 22, marks the 280th birthday of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Visitors from around the country joined in the celebration at Mount Vernon, Washington's mansion outside Washington D.C., where the 18th century met and mingled with the 21st. VOA's June Soh reports.

US Civil Rights History Spawns Tourism

VOANews: US Civil Rights History Spawns Tourism

In Birmingham, Alabama, once a battleground for African American equality, some are capitalizing on so-called heritage tourism (read more) (watch the video)

New Presidents' Day Quiz from USCitizenPod

Download New Presidents' Day Quiz 2012

More quizzes for Presidents' Day 2011:

• Presidents’ Day Quiz 2011 Part A: Washington and Lincoln


• Presidents’ Day Quiz 2011 Part B: Executive Branch & Federalist Period


• Presidents’ Day Quiz 2011 Part C: The 1800s


• Presidents’ Day Quiz 2011 Part D: Recent History
• Listen to Interview 15: Angelica Mendoza (recorded on Presidents' Day 2011)

uscitizenpod: Citizenship Interview 15--Angelica Mendoza

Other recent appropriate quizzes:

• Presidents' Day Quiz 2010


• The Founders Quiz


• Coin Quiz

US 13th Amendment on Display in New York

VOAVideo: US 13th Amendment on Display in New York

February is observed as Black History Month in the United States and Canada. The original goal was to educate Americans about African-American history, focusing on African Americans' cultural backgrounds and achievements. In New York, the month began with a rare look at the 13th Amendment, the amendment to the U.S. Constitution that freed the slaves. One of only 14 copies signed by President Abraham Lincoln is on loan to the New York Historical Society. VOA's Bernard Shusman reports.

West Wing Week: 2/17/12 or "Go Big!"

wh.gov: West Wing Week: 2/17/12 or "Go Big!"

Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. This week, the President made a major announcement on a policy, to guarantee access to free preventative health care services, unveiled next year's budget, pushed Congress to extend the Payroll Tax cut, awarded the National Medals of Arts & Humanities, met with China's Vice President Xi, and traveled west to Wisconsin and California. That's February 10th to February 16th, or "Go Big!"

USCIS Chinese-Language Public Meeting Feb 16

USCIS - Chinese-Language Public Engagement invites you to attend the first national Chinese-language public engagement at the San Francisco Field Office on Thursday, February. 16, 2012 at 10:30AM - 12:00 PM (PST). See: www.uscis.gov/jiaoliu or video.

Honoring Unsung Heroes During Black History Month

wh.gov: Honoring Unsung Heroes

During Black History Month, we pause to salute and reflect on the contributions African Americans have made to the rich fabric that makes up the United States. There are many untold stories that reveal the best of Americans who stepped up when duty called, broke color barriers, or quietly made their communities better one person at a time.

In tribute, President Obama recently invited six special senior citizens to visit the White House to honor as unsung heroes. These unsung heroes are individuals who strengthen their communities through extraordinary everyday acts of service done with reliability and commitment, but who seldom receive recognition.

Among those who visited with President Obama were pioneers in the struggle for racial equality, educators who changed their communities through the classroom, and people who believe that a lifetime serving others is a life well spent.

The honorees were:

Theodore Peters, one of the first African Americans to enter the U.S. Marines and train at Montford Point, NC, after the corps desegregation and a community leader in his South Side Chicago neighborhood.

Gladys Reid, a Cleveland, OH, volunteer who feeds the hungry twice a week and volunteers at local hospitals, often caring for patients who are 20 years her junior.

Velma Lois Jones, the first black classroom teacher elected to serve as president of the Tennessee Education Association and a local leader in the areas of civil rights, politics, community service, and education.

Columbus Preston Holmes, a former class valedictorian, World War II veteran, postmaster, sports commissioner, Selective Service board member, community leader, and active member of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Mound Bayou, MS, since joining the church 84 years ago.

James "Alley Pat" Patrick, a member of the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II, radio and television broadcaster, and Atlanta bail bondsman who came to the aid of many jailed activists during the Civil Rights movement, including Martin Luther King Jr.

Marguirette Levere, a church missionary, volunteer, adviser, and role model to her rural Maryland community -- roles she filled while tending to daughter Barbara, who has cerebral palsy and has been severely disabled since her birth 77 years ago. Remarkably, Marguirette doesn't wear glasses or take any medicines at the age of 106.

USCIS 100:75 Abraham Lincoln, Harriet Tubman, and the Underground Railroad

Portraits of Abraham Lincoln and Harriet Tubman by Robert Shetterly

Happy African-American History Month!

Today we continue our exploration of the USCIS History and Government questions and African American History. Today we will talk about USCIS 100:75. What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did?*. We will first read about Q75 from the USCIS M638 quick civics lesson. Then we will talk about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. Let's get started!

DOWNLOAD MP3

USCIS 100:75. What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did?*

++ freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation)
++ saved (or preserved) the Union
++ led the United States during the Civil War

USCIS 100:74 Slavery, the Supreme Court, and Dred Scott

Happy African-American History Month!

Today we will continue our exploration of the USCIS History and Government questions and African American History. Today we will talk about USCIS 100:74. Name one problem that led to the Civil War. We will read about Q74 from the USCIS M638 quick civics lesson. Then we will talk about Dred Scott who went to the US Supreme Court to sue for his family's freedom. We will also have two pop quizzes, so pay attention. Let's get started.

DOWNLOAD MP3

USCIS 100:74. Name one problem that led to the Civil War.

+ slavery
+ economic reasons
+ states’ rights

West Wing Week: 2/10/12 or "Don't Be Bored...Make Something"

wh.gov: West Wing Week: 2/10/12 or "Don't Be Bored...Make Something"

Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. This week, the President happily kicked off the Second Annual Science Fair at the White House and continued to call for an all-hands-on-deck approach to educating our kids in the fields of math, science, technology and engineering. He also spoke about putting our veterans back to work at Fire Station #5 in Arlington, announced a $25 billion agreement to help homeowners and hold big banks accountable, and unveiled yet another We Can't Wait initiative to encourage states to raise standards and reform schools. That's February 3rd to February 9th, or "Don't Be Bored...Make Something."

USCIS 100:99 July 4th, Slavery, and Fredrick Douglass

Frederick Douglass Quilt by the Negro History Club of Marin City & Sausalito, 1953

Happy African-American History Month! Today we continue our exploration of the USCIS History and Government questions and African American History. Today we will talk about USCIS 100:99. When do we celebrate Independence Day?*.

We will first read about Q99 from the USCIS M638 quick civics lesson. Then we will discuss the Declaration of Independence, the Compromise of 1850, and abolitionist Fredrick Douglass. Then we will listen to a short reading from Fredrick Douglass speech: “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro.” Note that Negro was a common term for Black or African-Americans, but it is not often used today. Let's get started.

DOWNLOAD MP3

exerpt from The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro by Fredrick Douglass

What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July?

I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelly to which he is the constant victim.

To him, your celebration is a sham;
your boasted liberty, an unholy license;
your national greatness, swelling vanity;
your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless;
your denunciations of tyrants, brass fronted impudence;
your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery;
your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings,
with all your religious parade, and solemnity, are, to him, mere bombast,
fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy—a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages...

For more info:

See zinnedproject.org: Frederick Douglass Fights for Freedom

Watch actor Danny Glover read abolitionist Frederick Douglass's "Fourth of July Speech, 1852" on October 5, 2005 in Los Angeles, California. Part of a reading from Voices of a People's History of the United States (Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove.)

USCIS 100:77 Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, and Civil Rights

Sojourner Truth and Susan B. Anthony by Maira Kalman in May It Please the Court

Happy African-American History Month!

Today we continue our exploration of the USCIS History and Government questions and African American History. Today we will talk about USCIS 100:77. What did Susan B. Anthony do?*.

We will first read about Q71 from the USCIS M638 quick civics lesson. Then we will learn about Susan B. Anthony's friend, Sojourner Truth, who worked with Susan B. Anthony against slavery and for equal treatment of women. Sojourner Truth was an escaped slave who sued her former master because he tried to sell Sojourner's son into slavery. Then we will listen to a short reading from Sojourner Truth's speech: “Ain't I a Woman?” Let's get started!

DOWNLOAD MP3

from "Ain't I a Woman?” by Sojourner Truth

That man over there
says that women needs to be helped into carriages,
and lifted over ditches,
and to have the best place everywhere.
Nobody ever helps me into carriages,
or ober mud-puddles,
or gives me any best place!
And ain‘t I a woman?
Look at me!
Look at my arm!
I have ploughed,
and planted, a
nd gathered into barns, a
nd no man could head me!
And ain’t I a woman?
I could work as much and eat as much as a man
—when I could get it—
and bear the lash as well!
And ain‘t I a woman?
I have borne thirteen chilern,
and seen them most all sold off to slavery,
and when I cried out with my mother’s grief,
none but Jesus heard me!
And ain’t I a woman?

...Where did your Christ come from?
From God and a woman!
Man had nothin’ to do with Him.

If the first woman God ever made
was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone,
these women together ought to be able to turn it back,
and get it right side up again!
And now they is asking to do it,
the men better let them.

USCIS 100: 77. What did Susan B. Anthony do?

++ fought for women’s rights
++ fought for civil rights

USCIS 100:09 Life, Liberty, and La Amistad

USCIS 100:09. What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?

Hale Woodruff, The Amistad Mutiny, 1839: Panel 1: The Mutiny Aboard the Amistad, 1839, oil on canvas, 1939. Talladega College

Happy African-American History Month! Today we continue our exploration of the USCIS History and Government questions and African American History. Today we will talk about USCIS 100:09. What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?

Hale Woodruff, The Amistad Mutiny, 1839: Panel 2: The Amistad Slaves on Trial, 1840 (detail), oil on canvas, 1939. Talladega College

We will first read about question 09 from the USCIS M638 quick civics lesson. Then we will talk about a slave revolt on a slave ship, La Amistad. We will also talk about the leader of the slaves Singbe Peh, also known as Joseph Cinque, and the abolitionistist who supported the Amistad Africans.

Hale Woodruff, The Amistad Mutiny, 1839: Panel 2: The Amistad Slaves on Trial, 1840 (detail), oil on canvas, 1939. Talladega College

Finally we will discuss their Supreme Court case in which John Quincy Adams, son of President John Adams, defended the actions of Amistad Africans based on the inalienable rights of life and liberty as stated in the Declaration of Independence. Let's get started!

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USCIS 100:09. What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?

++ life
++ liberty
++ pursuit of happiness

Hale Woodruff, The Amistad Mutiny, 1839: Panel 3: The Return to Africa, 1842, oil on canvasa, 1939. Talladega College

For more info, see:

Amistad: The Slave Uprising Aboard the Spanish Schooner by Helen Kromer
Ardency: A Chronicle of the Amistad Rebels by Kevin Young (poetry)
The Voyage of La Amistad: A Quest for Freedom (DVD documentary)
Amistad (DVD Hollywood film)

If you enjoy Asian films, checkout our contributor Jon Jung's podcast & blog: VCinema

USCIS 100:71 Louisiana Territory, Missouri River, and York

USCIS 100:71. What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?


"York" by Ed Hamilton in the Riverfront Plaza/Belvedere in Louisville, Kentucky

Happy African-American History Month!

Today we continue our exploration of the USCIS History and Government questions and African American History. Today we will talk about USCIS 100:71. What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803? We will first read about Q71 from the USCIS M638 quick civics lesson. Then we will talk about the African-american slave York, member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. We will also talk about the Missouri River, the Missouri territory, the Missouri Compromise, and Missouri state. We will also pause and ask several USCIS bonus questions during the podcast so listen carefully and answer the questions based on the information you hear. Let's get started!

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USCIS 100:71. What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?

++ the Louisiana Territory
++ Louisiana

USCIS 100:94 Washington DC, Benjamin Banneker, and Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson

Happy African-American History Month!

Today we continue our exploration of the USCIS History and Government questions and African American History. Today we will talk about USCIS 100:94. What is the capital of the United States?*. We will first read about Q94 from the USCIS M638 quick civics lesson. Then we will learn about Benjamin Banneker, who surveyed Washington DC, published an almanac, and then sent the almanac along with ab anti-slavery letter to the then Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson.

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USCIS 100:94. What is the capital of the United States?*.

• Washington DC
  

This is an exerpt from a letter a letter in which Benjamin Banneker challenged Thomas Jefferson's ideas about the inferiority of African-Americans.

This, Sir, was a time in which you clearly saw into the injustice of a State of Slavery, and in which you had Just apprehensions of the horrors of its condition...you publickly held forth this true and invaluable doctrine...“We hold these truths to be Self evident, that all men are created equal, and that they are endowed by their creator with certan inalienable rights, that amongst these are life, liberty, and the persuit of happiness.”

...you were then impressed with proper ideas of the great valuation of liberty,
and the free possession of those blessings to which you were entitled by nature;
but Sir how pitiable is it to reflect,
that although you were so fully convinced
of the benevolence of the Father of mankind,
and of his equal and impartial distribution of those rights and privileges
which he had conferred upon them,
that you should at the Same time counteract his mercies,
in detaining by fraud and violence
so numerous a part of my brethren under groaning captivity and cruel oppression,
that you should at the Same time be found guilty of that most criminal act,
which you professedly detested in others, with respect to yourselves.

Sir, I suppose
that your knowledge of the situation of my brethren
is too extensive to need a recital here;
neither shall I presume to prescribe methods
by which they may be relieved,
otherwise than by recommending to you, and all others,
to wean yourselves from those narrow prejudices
which you have imbibed with respect to them,
and as Job proposed to his friends
“Put your Souls in their Souls’ stead,”
thus shall your hearts be enlarged with kindness and benevolence towards them,
and thus shall you need neither the direction of myself or others
in what manner to proceed herein.

USCIS 100:65 The Constitutional Convention, the Great Compromise, and Slavery

100:65. What happened at the Constitutional Convention?

Happy African-American History Month!

Today we will study USCIS 100:65. What happened at the Constitutional Convention?

We will first read about Q65 from the USCIS M638 quick civics lesson. Then we will talk about the Constitutional convention, the Great Compromise, the 3/5ths clause, and the 1808 Prohibition of the Importation of African slaves. We will also learn about the Northwest Ordinance and will read about a slave mother's daring escape across an icy Ohio River

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The Northwest Ordinance prohibited slavery in the new states and established the Ohio River as the border between slave and free states between Appalachian mountains and east of the Mississippi river. Here is a scene from a famous novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. To save her child from being sold away from her, a slave mother carries her child across an icy Ohio River .


To escape across the Ohio river carrying the child, were the first hurried outline of her plan of escape; beyond that, she could only hope in God.

An hour before sunset, she entered the village of T——, by the Ohio river, weary and foot-sore, but still strong in heart. Her first glance was at the river, which lay, like Jordan, between her and the Canaan of liberty on the other side.

It was now early spring, and the river was swollen and turbulent; great cakes of floating ice were swinging heavily to and fro in the turbid waters...Eliza stood, for a moment, contemplating this unfavorable aspect of things...

A thousand lives seemed to be concentrated in that one moment to Eliza. Her room opened by a side door to the river. She caught her child, and sprang down the steps towards it. The trader caught a full glimpse of her just as she was disappearing down the bank; and throwing himself from his horse, and calling loudly on Sam and Andy, he was after her like a hound after a deer. In that dizzy moment her feet to her scarce seemed to touch the ground, and a moment brought her to the water's edge. Right on behind they came; and, nerved with strength such as God gives only to the desperate, with one wild cry and flying leap, she vaulted sheer over the turbid current by the shore, on to the raft of ice beyond. It was a desperate leap—impossible to anything but madness and despair; and Haley, Sam, and Andy, instinctively cried out, and lifted up their hands, as she did it.

The huge green fragment of ice on which she alighted pitched and creaked as her weight came on it, but she staid there not a moment. With wild cries and desperate energy she leaped to another and still another cake; stumbling—leaping—slipping—springing upwards again! Her shoes are gone—her stockings cut from her feet—while blood marked every step; but she saw nothing, felt nothing, till dimly, as in a dream, she saw the Ohio side, and a man helping her up the bank.

"Yer a brave gal, now, whoever ye ar!" said the man.

USCIS 100:69 George Washington, Phillis Wheatley, and Columbia

USCIS 100:69. Who is the “Father of Our Country”?

Happy African American History Month! Today we continue our new series about the USCIS 100qs and African-American History. Today we will study USCIS 100:69. Who is the “Father of Our Country”?

We will first read about USCIS 100:69 from the USCIS M638 quick civics lesson. Then We will talk about General George Washington, an African-American poet Phillis Wheatly, and we will find out who is Columbia. Let’s get started!

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To His Excellency General Washington
by Phillis Wheatley

Celestial choir! enthron’d in realms of light,
Columbia’s scenes of glorious toils I write.
While freedom’s cause her anxious breast alarms,
She flashes dreadful in refulgent arms.
See mother earth her offspring’s fate bemoan,
And nations gaze at scenes before unknown!
See the bright beams of heaven’s revolving light
Involved in sorrows and veil of night!
The goddess comes, she moves divinely fair,
Olive and laurel bind her golden hair:
Wherever shines this native of the skies,
Unnumber’d charms and recent graces rise.
Muse! bow propitious while my pen relates
How pour her armies through a thousand gates,
As when Eolus heaven’s fair face deforms,
Enwrapp’d in tempest and a night of storms;
Astonish’d ocean feels the wild uproar,
The refluent surges beat the sounding shore;
Or thick as leaves in Autumn’s golden reign,
Such, and so many, moves the warrior’s train.
In bright array they seek the work of war,
Where high unfurl’d the ensign waves in air.
Shall I to Washington their praise recite?
Enough thou knw’st them in the fields of fight.
Thee, first in peace and honours,—we demand
The grace and glory of thy martial band.
Fam’d for thy valour, for thy virtues more,
Hear every tongue thy guardian aid implore!
One century scarce perform’d its destined round,
When Gallic powers Columbia’s fury found;
And so may you, whoever dares disgrace
The land of freedom’s heaven-defended race!
Fix’d are the eyes of nations on the scales,
For in their hopes Columbia’s arm prevails.
Anon Britannia droops the pensive head,
While round increase the rising hills of dead.
Ah! cruel blindness to Columbia’s state!
Lament thy thirst of boundless power too late.
Proceed, great chief, with virtue on thy side,
Thy ev’ry action let the goddess guide.
A crown, a mansion, and a throne that shine,
With gold unfading, WASHINGTON! be thine.

Also check-out VOA Learning English: Phillis Wheatley, 1753-1784: Early African-American Poet

Born in West Africa, she was kidnapped and brought to North America on a slave ship PEOPLE IN AMERICA (download mp3)

USCIS 100:62 the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, and Sally Hemings

USCIS 100:62. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

Happy African American History Month! Today we continue our new series about the USCIS 100qs and African-American History. Today we will study USCIS100:62. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

We will first read about Q62 from the USCIS M638 quick civics lesson. Then we will talk about Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings—life, liberty, happiness, and the on going creation of equality.

USCIS 100:62. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

▪ (Thomas) Jefferson

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PHOTO: A Declaration of (In)Dependence: The Story of Sally Hemings, a dance/theatre performance by Gesel Mason Performance Projects

West Wing Week: 2/03/12 or "Riding the Advanced Technology Superhighway"

wh.gov: West Wing Week: 2/03/12 or "Riding the Advanced Technology Superhighway"

Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. This week, the President made history by holding the first completely virtual interview on Google +. He also tackled the rising cost of tuition at the University of Michigan, welcomed the President of Georgia, convened a cabinet meeting, stopped by the Auto Show, announced a major refinancing plan for responsible homeowners, and attended the National Prayer Breakfast. That's January 27th to February 2nd or "Riding the Advanced Technology Superhighway."

USCIS 100:61 Colonists, Taxes, Crispus Attuks, Lemuel Haynes, and the American Revolutionary War

USCIS 100:61. Why did the colonists fight the British?

Crispus Attuks died during the Boston Massacre

Happy African American History Month! Today we continue our new series about the USCIS 100qs and African-American History. Today we will study USCIS 100:61. Why did the colonists fight the British? We will study about the colonists, taxes, Crispus Attuks, the Boston Massacre. We will read a poem by Lemuel Haynes about the Minutemen at the Battle of Lexington and Concord. Finally we will talk about the American Patriots, 1st Rhode Island Regiment, the British Loyalists, and the Ethiopian Regiment.

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USCIS 100:61. Why did the colonists fight the British?

• because of high taxes (taxation without representation)
• because the British army stayed in their houses (boarding, quartering)
• because they didn’t have self-government

USCIS 100:60 Slaves, Slavery, and Olaudah Equiano

USCIS 100:60. What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?

Olaudah Equiano was kidnapped from Africa and sold as a slave.

He wrote about a slave woman who had to an iron muzzle and other horrors of slavery.

Happy African American History Month! Today we begin a new series about the USCIS 100qs and African-American History. Today we will study USCIS 100:60. What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves? and read a description about slavery from Olaudah Equiano.

• download mp3

Learn more about African American History Month at AfricanAmericanHistoryMonth.gov