Manifest Destiny & Trail of Tears
What is the name given to the belief that was used to justify westward expansion of America's borders in the 1800s?
Manifest Destiny
Why did people in the South depend heavily on slavery?
They grew a lot of cash crops and had large plantations. They felt they needed more manual labor to manage their plantations and for them, that meant increasing the slave population.
The U.S. National Road connected what two states?
Maryland and Illinois
In 1846, the population of San Francisco, California, was only 200. By 1852, the city's population was 36,000.
Which contributed the most to San Francisco's population change?
a. Gold Rush
b. Mexican-American War
c. Monroe Doctrine
d. Trail of Tears
a. Gold Rush
Which document gave Florida to the United States?
a. Monroe Doctrine
b. Manifest Destiny
c. Convention of 1818
d. Adams-Onís Treaty
d. Adams-Onís Treaty
Describe how the Fugitive Slave Act affected enslaved individuals.
The Fugitive Slave Act mandated that all escaped enslaved people be returned to their owners, forcing federal marshals and local authorities in free states to assist in capturing them. They did not have the right to a jury trial and their chances of escaping from slavery were much less as a result.
Describe how wildlife were affected by railroads and American westward expansion
Unfortunately, many wildlife, such as bison were killed. Development in the East meant that by the 1800s, almost all bison lived west of the Mississippi River. The development of railroads in the mid-1800s cut through the bison's homeland. It also brought more hunters into contact with the bison, which were killed for their hides. Transporting the hides to buyers in the East was easy and cheap thanks to the railroads. Some railroads offered passengers the chance to shoot bison from the train. One record was set by killing 120 bison in 40 minutes. The bison population began to shrink with some estimates of over a million lost per year. By 1885, commercial hunting had ended and historians believe that less than one thousand bison survived.
Which of the following best describes the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo?
a. Mexico paid the U.S. two million dollars and gave up California, but it was able to keep Texas.
b. The U.S. paid fifteen million dollars to Mexico in exchange for nearly half a million square miles of land.
c. The U.S. gained access to Mexican seaports and paid Mexico five million dollars, but Mexico kept its territory.
d. Mexico paid eight million dollars to the U.S. and kept the rest of their land, and the U.S. gained all of the territory north of the Rio Grande.
b. The U.S. paid fifteen million dollars to Mexico in exchange for nearly half a million square miles of land.
What is the definition of assimilation?
When one group of people takes on the cultural traits of a larger group
What was the ruling given by the Supreme Court in Dred Scott v. Sandford?
In 1857, enslaved man Dred Scott lost his Supreme Court case. He argued that because his owner brought him on travels into free areas that he was now free. The Supreme Court ruled in Dred Scott v. Sandford that he was property, not a citizen. He could not bring a case to court. U.S. citizens could bring property wherever they chose, even if that property was an enslaved person. The justices also ruled that the federal government could not ban slavery in the territories. Dred Scott returned to slavery.
Who was elected as the President of Texas? He was the same person who asked the U.S. to make Texas an American territory.
Sam Houston
Which answer best describes why towns and cities were built around railroads and canals?
a. The government and transportation companies planned to build the cities.
b. The canals and railroads were designed to pass through areas well suited for towns.
c. People who worked on the trains and canal boats needed places to stay when they traveled.
d. Land was cheap, and the railroads and canals brought inexpensive goods to the newly settled areas.
d. Land was cheap, and the railroads and canals brought inexpensive goods to the newly settled areas.
Which five Native American tribes had to go through the Trail of Tears?
The Choctaw, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Seminole, and Creek
What was one of the main reasons people flocked to California? (hint: something very valuable)
Another reason for moving west was gold. In 1848, James Marshall was building a mill in California. He saw gold flecks in the water running off the mill's wheel. This discovery at Sutter's Mill led to the California Gold Rush in 1849. Stories of the riches in California traveled eastward, and people, especially young men, rushed to the West in hopes of striking it rich. These men became known as "forty-niners."
How did the outcome of the Mexican-American War affect trade in the United States?
a. it made trade with Asian countries easier
b. it provided a trade route between the U.S. and Canada
c. it prohibited trade between the U.S. and South America
d. it had very little impact on trade, since the area gained was mountainous.
a. it made trade with Asian countries easier
What was the purpose of the Monroe Doctrine?
To keep Europe from further colonizing the Western Hemisphere
Describe what life was like for those who did end up surviving the Trail of Tears.
For those who survived the Trial of Tears, arrival meant new challenges. Tribes accustomed to large areas had less space and depended more on farming. Conflict over leadership caused violence within the tribes. Disputes between tribes over borders also led to violence. Death was still frequent due to outbreaks of smallpox and cholera.
Describe the journey on the Oregon Trail. Was it safe, comfortable, and welcoming?
Pioneers lacked the kind of support they were accustomed to receiving from doctors, schools, and churches in the community. The weather was harsh and they often fell victim to theft, starvation, or illness. Settlers treated their own illnesses as best they could. Still, death was a regular part of pioneer life. They also faced hostile exchanges with Native Americans as both sides saw the other as a threat.
Why was the issue of Texas becoming a state so controversial for some Americans?
Because if it became a state, it would upset the balance between slave states and free states. This was a concern especially for Northerners.
What key issues were at the heart of the arguments over Indian removal?
a. The wealth of a few individuals versus the right of individual freedom
b. The rule of law in a new land and the question of liberty for all people
c. The exploitation of natural resources and the removal of undesirable people
d. The white settlers desire for more land and the Native Americans' independence
d. The white settlers desire for more land and the Native Americans' independence