2008 test · Question 61 of 100
Why did the colonists fight the British?
Official USCIS answers
- because of high taxes (taxation without representation)
- because the British army stayed in their houses (boarding, quartering)
- because they didn't have self-government
Why this is the answer
The colonists fought because they had no voice in the British government that taxed them, British soldiers forced colonists to house them, and the colonies had no self-rule. These issues led to the American Revolution.
💡 Memory tip: Remember 'Taxes, Troops, and Tyranny' – the three main reasons.
This is the 2008 test, for N-400s filed before October 20, 2025. Filed on or after that date? Use the 2025 test.
More from Colonial Period and Independence
- 58. What is one reason colonists came to America?
- 59. Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
- 60. What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?
- 62. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
- 63. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
- 64. There were 13 original states. Name three.
Español简体中文繁體中文Tiếng ViệtTagalog한국어العربيةKreyòl ayisyenРусскийPortuguês (Brasil)FrançaisPolskiУкраїнськаفارسیاردوहिन्दीবাংলাਪੰਜਾਬੀአማርኛSoomaali
Source: USCIS, Civics (History and Government) Questions for the Naturalization Test (rev. 01/19).