2008 civics test · Question 69 · Colonial Period and Independence
Who is the "Father of Our Country"?
Official answer
- (George) Washington
What this means
George Washington is called the “Father of Our Country.” He was also the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797.
Before the presidency he commanded the Continental Army that won independence from Britain, and he presided over the Constitutional Convention in 1787 where the Constitution was written.
He is remembered as much for what he chose not to do: he stepped down after two terms when he could have stayed in office, setting a precedent that every president followed for nearly 150 years, until Franklin Roosevelt.
Depending on the wording of the question, any of these is accepted: “Father of Our Country,” “first president,” “general of the Continental Army,” or “president of the Constitutional Convention.”
Why this is on the test
Washington answers several different questions on the test (Father of Our Country, first president, and commander of the Continental Army), so one name covers a lot of ground.
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.
Related questions
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?
- 61 Why did the colonists fight the British?
- 62 Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
- 63 When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?