Texas Citizenship Examination Form TX‑1836

Study guide

All 168 questions

Every question the Texas Citizenship Test can ask, by topic. Open one to try it and see the answer. Each test draws 20 of these, and you need 12 right to pass.

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The Republic of Texas

  1. What nickname did Texans give the Republic's paper money issued in 1839?
  2. Which country was the first to recognize the Republic of Texas?
  3. Which was the first European country to recognize the Republic of Texas?
  4. What Austin building was built for France's diplomat to the Republic of Texas?
  5. Which London street had a legation of the Republic of Texas?
  6. What was the Republic of Texas's most valuable asset?
  7. Off which coast did the Texas Navy fight Mexico's steam warships in 1843?
  8. What did the Republic of Texas pass in 1839 to protect a family's home from creditors?
  9. The Texas Declaration of Independence faults Mexico's government for failing to set up what?
  10. Which right does the Texas Declaration of Independence say Mexico failed to secure?
  11. The Texas Declaration of Independence says Mexico demanded Texans give up what?
  12. Where does the Texas Declaration of Independence say a government's legitimate powers come from?
  13. According to the Texas Declaration of Independence, when may a people change their government?
  14. About how long after signing its Declaration of Independence did Texas win at San Jacinto?

History

  1. Where was the Texas Declaration of Independence signed?
  2. On what date did Texas declare its independence?
  3. Where was the first battle of the Texas Revolution fought?
  4. What did the Texians' flag say at the Battle of Gonzales?
  5. On what date did the Alamo fall?
  6. Who commanded the regular troops at the Alamo and wrote the letter signed "Victory or Death"?
  7. Which battle won Texas its independence?
  8. About how long did the fighting at San Jacinto last?
  9. What was the Texian battle cry at San Jacinto?
  10. Where were about 340 Texian prisoners executed on Palm Sunday, 1836?
  11. Who was the first elected president of the Republic of Texas?
  12. Who is called the Father of Texas?
  13. What were Stephen F. Austin's first 297 colonists called?
  14. Who was the last president of the Republic of Texas?
  15. Which president of the Republic set aside land to fund public schools and colleges?
  16. About how long was Texas an independent republic?
  17. Which of these did the Republic of Texas have?
  18. How did Texas join the United States in 1845?
  19. What did Texas keep when it joined the union, unlike most new states?
  20. When the war with Mexico began in 1835, what did many Texians first fight to restore?
  21. Which Tejano signed the Texas Declaration of Independence and became the Republic's first vice president?
  22. Which Tejano captain carried a message out of the Alamo and later fought at San Jacinto?
  23. What was the Archive War of 1842 about?
  24. How did Texas pay for its capitol building, finished in 1888?
  25. The Texas Capitol is taller than which building?
  26. Where did the Spindletop oil gusher come in on January 10, 1901?
  27. In what city was freedom for enslaved Texans announced on June 19, 1865?
  28. Which of these countries has NOT flown its flag over Texas?
  29. When did the Republic of Texas adopt the Lone Star Flag?
  30. The Texas Rangers trace their start to which year?
  31. Who drafted most of the Texas Declaration of Independence?
  32. What did Texas give up in the Compromise of 1850 in exchange for $10 million?
  33. In which city does the Alamo stand?
  34. Which Texas city served as the Republic's capital from 1837 to 1839?
  35. The deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history struck which Texas city in 1900?

Annexation and the terms of union

  1. In October 1845, how did Texans decide whether to join the United States?
  2. What else did Texas voters approve in the October 1845 annexation vote?
  3. The 1845 annexation resolution lets Texas do what, with its own consent?
  4. Under the terms of annexation, who kept responsibility for the Republic of Texas's debts?
  5. Why did the 1844 treaty to annex Texas fail?
  6. On what date did a Texas convention vote to accept annexation?

Where power comes from

  1. Finish the first line of the Texas Bill of Rights: "Texas is a free and independent ..."
  2. Article 1, Section 1 of the Texas Constitution says what must stay "unimpaired to all the States"?
  3. Which amendment to the U.S. Constitution reserves to the states or the people the powers not given to the federal government?
  4. The Texas Constitution says all free governments are founded on whose authority?
  5. What does the Texas Constitution say happens to a law that conflicts with its Bill of Rights?

How Texas governs itself

  1. How many members serve in the Texas Senate?
  2. How many members serve in the Texas House of Representatives?
  3. How often does the Texas Legislature meet in regular session?
  4. How long can a regular session of the Texas Legislature last?
  5. Who can call a special session of the Texas Legislature?
  6. How long can a special session last?
  7. What is a Texas legislator's base salary?
  8. Who presides over the Texas Senate?
  9. How is the Speaker of the Texas House chosen?
  10. How long is a Texas governor's term?
  11. How many terms can a Texas governor serve?
  12. What is the minimum age to serve as governor of Texas?
  13. What is the minimum age to serve in the Texas Senate?
  14. Why is the Texas executive branch called a plural executive?
  15. Why did the framers of the 1876 constitution weaken the governor's office?
  16. Which of these statewide officials is appointed, not elected?
  17. Which statewide official collects taxes and estimates how much money the Legislature can spend?
  18. Which Texas agency, despite its name, regulates oil and gas?
  19. Which statewide office manages the state's public lands and takes care of the Alamo?
  20. How many members sit on the elected State Board of Education?
  21. What veto power does the Texas governor have that the U.S. president does not?
  22. What vote does the Legislature need to override a governor's veto?
  23. Texas has two highest courts. What are they?
  24. How many judges sit on the Texas Supreme Court?
  25. How are most Texas judges chosen?
  26. What year was the current Texas Constitution adopted?
  27. What does it take to amend the Texas Constitution?
  28. What role does the governor play in amending the Texas Constitution?
  29. Why is the Texas Constitution so long?
  30. The Texas Bill of Rights is found where?
  31. According to the Texas Bill of Rights, where does all political power come from?
  32. The Texas Bill of Rights says the people have what right, "at all times"?
  33. Under the U.S. Constitution, where do powers not given to the federal government go?
  34. Who holds the police power, the broad power over health, safety, and daily life?
  35. How does Washington most often get Texas to follow federal rules on things like schools and highways?
  36. Does Texas have a state personal income tax?
  37. What is the Texas Economic Stabilization Fund better known as?
  38. Which body reviews state agencies on a schedule and can recommend abolishing them?
  39. Can Texans put a new statewide law on the ballot by gathering signatures?

Elections and campaign money

  1. How many days before an election must you register to vote in Texas?
  2. Do Texans register to vote by political party?
  3. When are Texas party primaries held?
  4. What happens if no candidate wins a majority in a Texas primary?
  5. When does Texas usually vote on constitutional amendments?
  6. Who is the lowest elected official in a Texas political party?
  7. Which agency enforces Texas campaign finance and lobbying rules?
  8. Who is barred from giving money directly to Texas candidates?
  9. How much can an individual give to most Texas legislative candidates?
  10. How does someone become a party precinct chair in Texas?
  11. Where do the Texas party platforms start?
  12. In a typical Texas primary runoff, about how many registered voters turn out?

Counties and cities

  1. How many counties does Texas have?
  2. What is a Texas county's governing body called?
  3. Who sits on a Texas commissioners court?
  4. Does a Texas county judge have to be a lawyer?
  5. What population lets a Texas city adopt a home-rule charter?
  6. How is a Texas county sheriff chosen?
  7. Which elected local official handles small claims, evictions, and minor offenses?
  8. Who may speak at a Texas city council or commissioners court meeting about an item on the agenda?
  9. Which Texas law gives the public the right to see most government records?
  10. Which Texas law requires most government bodies to meet in public?
  11. Who decides whether alcohol can be sold in a Texas city or county?

What Texas produces

  1. Which state has led all the others in exports every year for more than two decades?
  2. Which state produces the most crude oil?
  3. Which state generates the most electricity from wind?
  4. Which state has the most cattle?
  5. What started the Texas Permanent School Fund in 1854?
  6. If Texas's economy were measured against the world's countries, where would it rank?
  7. Which U.S. port handles the most foreign cargo by weight?
  8. Which Texas city is home to the largest medical complex in the world?

State symbols and culture

  1. What is the Texas state motto?
  2. The name Texas comes from a Caddo word meaning what?
  3. What is the Texas state flower?
  4. What is the Texas state bird?
  5. What is the Texas state tree?
  6. What is the official state dish of Texas?
  7. What do the colors of the Texas flag stand for?
  8. What is the Texas state song?
  9. What is the official small mammal of Texas?
  10. What is the Texas state reptile?
  11. What is the official state sport of Texas?
  12. What is the official state pepper of Texas?
  13. What is the official state dog of Texas?
  14. What is the official state large mammal of Texas?
  15. What is the official state snack of Texas?
  16. Which soft drink was invented in Waco in 1885?
  17. Which Texas ranch covers more land than the state of Rhode Island?
  18. Where does Big Tex stand?
  19. Which Texas city calls itself the Live Music Capital of the World?
  20. Buddy Holly came from which Texas city?

Geography

  1. What is the capital of Texas?
  2. What is the largest city in Texas?
  3. Which river forms the border between Texas and Mexico?
  4. Which river forms most of the border between Texas and Oklahoma?
  5. What is the highest point in Texas?
  6. What is the largest county in Texas by area?
  7. What is the smallest county in Texas by area?
  8. Which Texas county has the fewest people?
  9. What is the longest river entirely within Texas?
  10. Which of these Mexican states does NOT border Texas?
  11. How many time zones does Texas have?
  12. What is unusual about most of Texas's electric grid?
  13. Texas is larger by area than which of these countries?
  14. What is the high, flat plain of the Panhandle and West Texas called?
  15. Which park sits in the big bend of the Rio Grande?
  16. Which river winds through the San Antonio River Walk?
  17. What does the name Amarillo mean in Spanish?
  18. On a Texas road sign, what does FM stand for?