2008 civics test · Question 68 · Colonial Period and Independence

What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for?

Any one of these answers is accepted

  • U.S. diplomat
  • oldest member of the Constitutional Convention
  • first Postmaster General of the United States
  • writer of "Poor Richard's Almanac"
  • started the first free libraries

What this means

Benjamin Franklin is famous for many things, and naming one answers the question:

  • U.S. diplomat who won France’s help during the Revolution
  • Oldest member of the Constitutional Convention
  • First Postmaster General of the United States
  • Writer of “Poor Richard’s Almanac”
  • Founded the first free public libraries
  • Inventor and scientist, known for his experiments with electricity

Franklin also helped write the Declaration of Independence. He was never president, but he shaped the country in almost every other way.

The 2008 and 2025 tests ask this the same way. An easy answer is “U.S. diplomat” or “first Postmaster General.”

Why this is on the test

Benjamin Franklin was one of the most important Founding Fathers, and both tests ask you to name one thing he is famous for.

How this question is asked

On the 2008 civics test, the officer asks up to 10 of the 100 questions out loud and you pass by answering 6 correctly. You answer in your own words. There is no multiple choice and nothing to write down for the civics portion.

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