Vocabulary
What is an acre?
A large area of land equal to 43,560 square feet.
Name one reason people moved West.
Cheap land, freedom from persecution, new business, or gold.
Name one famous trail pioneers used to travel West.
Santa Fe, Oregon, California, or Mormon Trail.
Name one hardship pioneers faced on their journey.
Bad weather, wagon breakdowns, running out of food, or wild animals.
What is a corral?
An area surrounded by a fence for keeping livestock.
What event in 1848 caused more people to move West?
The California Gold Rush.
Where did many trails West begin?
Missouri.
What dangerous diseases spread along the trail?
Cholera and smallpox.
What does obsolete mean?
No longer in use because it is outdated.
Besides gold, what else were pioneers hoping to find in the West?
Land, business opportunities, or freedom from persecution.
Why did pioneers travel in wagon trains instead of alone?
It was safer to travel in groups with a wagon master.
Why did Native Americans resent the pioneers?
Settlers took land that Native Americans considered their own.
What does resented mean?
Feeling angry because you were treated unfairly.
What did the Homestead Act of 1862 offer settlers?
160 acres of land if they farmed it for at least five years.
Who usually led a wagon train?
A wagon master.
What year was the First Transcontinental Railroad completed?
1869.
What is persecution?
Being treated badly or unfairly because of your beliefs.
Why did cheap land encourage so many people to risk the journey West?
It gave families the chance to own farms and start a new life.
Why did pioneers circle their wagons at night?
For protection and to form a corral for livestock.
Why did covered wagons become obsolete after the railroad was built?
The railroad made travel faster and easier.