Founding Documents and Government
What was the United States' first constitution called?
The Articles of Confederation
What was a major cause of the War of 1812?
British impressment of American sailors and interference with American trade
impressment = force American sailors to join British Navy
The Homestead Act primarily encouraged settlement in which geographic region?
The Great Plains
What was the main motivation that drove most pioneers and settlers to travel west during the 1800s?
Economic opportunity (such as land ownership, gold, and farming)
The belief that the U.S. was destined to expand across the continent from coast to coast
Why did the authors of the Articles of Confederation intentionally create a weak national government?
They feared a strong national government like the British monarchy would abuse its power.
What was one important outcome of the War of 1812 for the United States?
American nationalism increased, and the country gained a stronger sense of national identity
What natural challenge did settlers on the Great Plains often face?
Lack of wood and water
Who coined the term “Manifest Destiny” in 1845?
John L. O’Sullivan
A gold prospector during the 1849 Gold Rush?
Forty-Niner or 49'er
Why was the Constitutional Convention held in Philadelphia in 1787?
To create a new government that could address the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
What was the primary purpose of the Monroe Doctrine, announced in 1823?
It declared that any attempt by European nations to recolonize or interfere with independent nations in the Western Hemisphere would be viewed as a hostile act against the United States.
Which state saw its population grow rapidly due to the discovery of gold in 1848?
California
Which major overland trail was most commonly used by pioneers traveling to the Pacific Northwest in search of fertile farmland?
The Oregon Trail
(Don't mix this with the California trail! This is the trail people took to...well... California!)
What nickname was given to African Americans who moved west to claim homestead land?
Exodusters
Which major weakness of the Articles of Confederation did delegates want to address in 1787?
The national government lacked the power to effectively tax and regulate interstate commerce
True or False: The War of 1812 resulted in the United States gaining control of all of Canada.
False
What invention made it easier for settlers to cut through tough prairie turf to farm on the Great Plains?
The Steel Plow
The Homestead Act was signed into law by which U.S. President in 1862?
Abraham Lincoln
What does it mean to annex a territory, such as when the United States annexed Texas in 1845?
To officially add or incorporate a territory into an existing country or state.
True or False
Under the Articles of Confederation, the federal government had a strong President and a national court system
False (There was no executive branch or national judicial system)
How did the Monroe Doctrine influence later U.S. foreign policy?
It became a basis for later U.S. claims of influence and intervention in the Western Hemisphere.
Which group of people was most negatively affected by American expansion across these regions?
Native Americans
How many acres of public land could settlers claim for a small filing fee under the Homestead Act?
160 acres
What is a reservation in the context of 19th-century Westward Expansion?
An area of land set aside by the federal government for Native American tribes to live on after being forcibly moved from their ancestral homelands.