American History — 1800s · Question 89 of 128
What was the Underground Railroad?
Practice answer: A secret network that helped enslaved people escape to freedom
Why this is the answer
The Underground Railroad was a secret network of people, routes, and safe places that helped enslaved people seek freedom. It was not an actual railroad.
On the 2026 citizenship test, a USCIS officer asks up to 20 questions from the official 128-question pool — answering 12 correctly passes.
Study translations and question index
Practice index: 89. This is not the official 2025 syllabus question number. Translation indices share the same practice ID and answer-option order.
Español — practice:89:es
¿Qué fue el Ferrocarril Subterráneo?
Una red secreta que ayudó a las personas esclavizadas a escapar a la libertad
العربية — practice:89:ar
ماذا كانت السكك الحديدية تحت الأرض؟
شبكة سرية ساعدت العبيد على الهروب إلى الحرية
Official syllabus and legal sources
M-1778 (09/25) — 2025 USCIS syllabus. Retrieved 2026-10-15. Check current USCIS answers.
- 8 U.S.C. § 1423 — English, history and civics requirements
- 8 C.F.R. § 312.2 — Knowledge of history and government
These laws establish testing requirements; they are not individual legal advice or a citation for every historical answer. Practice questions and study translations are editorial learning aids, not official USCIS translations. Confirm the test version that applies to your filing date.
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