What were the hardships western settlers faced traveling west in wagon trains? (Name two)
Some hardships were lack of water (very common), lack of food (forced settlers to hunt), hostile Indians, robbers, and severe weather.
100
True or False: When people first heard about the gold in California, they packed up their whole families and moved West.
False; Mining was typically not a family affair until later. Most men moved out west and lived in mining camps with hundreds of other men.
100
What material was used to make houses on the plains?
Sod (Heavy topsoil)
100
What factors made farming on the great plains the most difficult? (Name 3)
Tornadoes, blizzards, drought, hail, floods, grasshoppers were big problems with farmers.
100
What were nomadic hunters?
Nomadic hunters were groups of people who didn't stay in one place for too long and moved around depending on where food was an available resource.
200
What powered (pulled) wagons to the west?
Oxen (usually 4). Oxen were used for their strength over mules or horses.
200
What is a mining technique that involves using pressurized water jets produced by a nozzle called a "monitor" to obtain gold. This technique became very popular during the Gold Rush and provided employment for 2/3 of the mining population of California?
Hydraulic Mining
200
What was the name for a large scale operation of farms?
A bonanza farm
200
What were the two most important crops on the great plains?
Corn and Wheat, few crops could be grown on the plains.
200
What were the Indians promised if they moved to the Great Plains? Were those promises kept?
Indians were promised land rights on the Great Plains & 30 years supply. The majority of that promise was not kept.
300
What early pioneer of the railroad business also has a famous university named after him?
Cornelius Vanderbilt
300
What ethnic group was the second biggest (besides Americans) in California at the time? They worked very hard, but were not very successful in terms of striking it rich. They were also highly discriminated against by the other settlers, and were not allowed to join many of the miners unions that were formed.
The Chinese
300
DOUBLE JEOPARDY: What was the act was passed in 1862 that gave adults 160 acres of land in the Great Plains?
The Homestead Act
300
What was one of the most important animals to farm that was fattened using corn?
Beef Cattle
300
What was Sitting Bulls' vision?
Sitting Bulls' vision was he saw soldiers and horses descending upon the Native Americans, but they were upside down, signifying death.
400
What act, passed in 1862, gave lands to railroad companies to develop the first transcontinental railroad?
The Pacific Railway Act.
400
What was the year that the first promising discoveries of gold were made that began the California Gold Rush?
1848
400
What insects were a big problem on the plains? They devoured everything in their paths, including the wooden handles of farming equipment. Farmers tried to kill them off, but they were in too strong of numbers.
Grass hoppers
400
What method did they use to plow the thick sod in which at first only corn could be planted because it tolerated the weeds?
Draft animals attached to plows broke up the thick hard sod.
400
What happened at the Sand Creek massacre?
At the Sand Creek Massacre, after a group of Indians had raised an American flag to show peace, American militia showed up and without warning began firing.
500
DOUBLE JEOPARDY: What process increased steel production, leading to a more efficient railroad business?
The Bessemer Process (named after Henry Bessemer)
500
What was the originally predicted profit that would be generated from gold per year during the Gold Rush?
$50,000,000
500
What was the name of Willa Cathers' first published novel in 1931?
"O Pioneers!"
500
What physical asset of the great plains allowed sheep ranchers and cattle baron to make more money ranching than growing crops?
The short grass that covered it which was great for grazing animals.
500
Why did the massacre at Wounded Knee shock so many people?
The Massacre at Wounded Knee shocked many Americans because it was bloody, violent, and unexpected.