Question 77 of 128 American History
Name one reason why the Americans declared independence from Britain.
Answers USCIS accepts
- High taxes
- Taxation without representation
- British soldiers stayed in Americans’ houses (boarding, quartering)
- They did not have self-government
- Boston Massacre
- Boston Tea Party (Tea Act)
- Stamp Act
- Sugar Act
- Townshend Acts
- Intolerable (Coercive) Acts
Give any one of these answers at your interview.
Americans declared independence because of high taxes, taxation without representation, British soldiers in their homes and no self-government, among other reasons.
What it means
Britain taxed the colonies through laws like the Stamp Act and Sugar Act, but the colonists had no vote in Parliament. Events like the Boston Massacre and Boston Tea Party increased the anger.
Any one reason works. “Taxation without representation” is the classic answer.
Memory tip: No taxation without representation!
Quiz yourself
Name one reason why the Americans declared independence from Britain.
Multiple choice is for study only. The real civics test is spoken: the officer asks, you answer out loud.
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Official source: USCIS M-1778 (09/25), 128 Civics Questions and Answers (2025 version). Last checked: .