A
How did the opportunities for land make people want to move west?
Eastern cities were crowded.
land in the East was expensive.
Fertile land in the West was cheap/free.
Describe some physical gateways and how they benefited westward expansion.
Rivers, canals, and plains acted as gateways. Rivers and canals helped people move more easily; the plains were easy to cross.
What was the purpose of the Corps of Discovery's expedition?
To survey the territory and see if the Columbia River could be used as a trade route from the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean.
How did the U.S. gain Florida?
Through a treaty made with Spain in 1819
What did Texas leaders do after Mexico took power away from the regional governments and stopped following the Mexican Constitution?
They declared Texas independent from Mexico.
What country did the U.S. buy the Louisiana Purchase from?
France
Who was the leader the U.S. bought the Louisiana Purchase from?
Napoleon
What president encouraged the annexation of Texas, and when did Texas become a state?
James Polk; December 29, 1845
What country did the U.S. share the Oregon Territory with after the Treaty of 1818?
Great Britain
Why did Mexico and the United States go to war in 1846?
Mexico and the U.S. disagreed on the southern border of Texas; Mexican soldiers attacked American soldiers who went there to protect their claim.
How did the opportunities for money make people want to move west?
How did the opportunities for freedom make people want to move west?
There were new opportunities to work jobs besides farming such as jobs logging, building roads, and building railroads.
The discovery of gold led prospectors to move West which led to mining towns and led to more opportunities.
Enslaved people saw the opportunity for freedom in the West.
Describe some physical barriers that hindered westward expansion.
Mountain ranges were difficult to cross and acted as barriers and slowed progress.
What effect did the Corps of Discovery's expedition have on potential settlers?
Lewis and Clark's descriptions made people excited to move into the new frontier to start a new life and make a living off the area's natural resources.
Texas was originally a colony of what country?
Spain
What is the name of the battle in the Texas Revolution where Mexican forces killed almost all of the defenders of this fort?
Alamo
doubled the size
Who were the leaders of the expedition that explored the Louisiana Purchase?
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark
Why did the U.S. decide not to accept Texas as a state after Texas won independence?
Mexico threatened to declare war on the U.S. if it was admitted as a state, and the U.S. did not want a war with Mexico. Also, many Northerners did not want Texas to be admitted as a slave state.
What was the result of the Mexican-American war and what are four present-day states that were part of the territory the U.S. bought from Mexico?
The Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo ended the war and allowed the U.S. to purchase two million acres from Mexico for $15 million dollars.
Any four of the following: California, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming
How did the California Gold Rush impact the West?
The population of California increased by 10 times between 1848 and 1853. New towns developed all over California. Many people who went to look for gold stayed and found jobs or started businesses.
What was the result of the Oregon Treaty of 1846?
What was the Oregon Trail? How was it used?
It split the Oregon Territory at the 49th parallel, giving Great Britain the northern part and the U.S. the southern part.
It was a wagon trail that crossed the plains and the Continental Divide; settlers used the trail to cross into Oregon territory.
What natural features marked the western boundary of the U.S. prior to the Louisiana Purchase?
The Mississippi River
What country did the U.S. acquire Florida from?
Spain
Why did American settlers move to Texas?
They wanted to farm new lands and the Spanish government gave them permission to settle there. After Mexico won its independence from Spain, the Mexican government sold large pieces of Texas land to American settlers for a cheap price.
What is the name of the battle in the Texas Revolution where this Texan victory ended the war and won Texas its independence?
San Jacinto