Manifest Destiny
Which group moved west to escape religious persecution and settled in Utah?
a) The Mormons
b) The Quakers
c) The Puritans
d) The Forty-Niners
a) The Mormons
What was a major reason why the U.S. was interested in annexing Texas?
a) Texas had valuable farmland and resources.
b) Texas was an important center for shipbuilding.
c) Texas had large supplies of gold and silver.
d) The U.S. wanted to use Texas as a military base against Britain.
a) Texas had valuable farmland and resources.
What was a major impact of the California Gold Rush?
a) It led to a decrease in population in the East.
b) It caused inflation in the U.S. economy.
c) It brought a diverse population to California, including immigrants.
d) It led to the creation of the first national park.
c) It brought a diverse population to California, including immigrants.
What was the Fugitive Slave Act?
a) A law that allowed escaped slaves to settle in the North
b) A law that required escaped slaves to be returned to their owners
c) A law that abolished slavery in the U.S.
d) A law that encouraged the spread of slavery into the West
b) A law that required escaped slaves to be returned to their owners
What was the purpose of the Compromise of 1850?
a) To maintain peace between free and slave states
b) To allow all states to vote on slavery
c) To expand slavery into the North
d) To end the Civil War
a) To maintain peace between free and slave states
What role did railroads play in westward expansion?
a) They made it easier for settlers and goods to move west.
b) They prevented settlers from reaching the frontier.
c) They only connected cities in the North.
d) They were mostly used to transport gold from California.
a) They made it easier for settlers and goods to move west.
What was one cause of tension between American settlers and the Mexican government in Texas?
a) Mexico wanted to allow slavery, but Americans opposed it.
b) Mexico required settlers to follow Mexican laws, including bans on slavery.
c) American settlers were given too much political power in Mexico.
d) Mexico refused to sell Texas to the U.S.
b) Mexico required settlers to follow Mexican laws, including bans on slavery.
Who were the "forty-niners"?
a) Settlers who moved west on the Oregon Trail
b) Immigrants who built the Transcontinental Railroad
c) People who moved to California in search of gold in 1849
d) Soldiers in the Mexican-American War
c) People who moved to California in search of gold in 1849
How did the Dred Scott decision impact the debate over slavery?
a) It declared that African Americans were not U.S. citizens.
b) It ended slavery in the North.
c) It ruled that states could decide on slavery independently.
d) It made the Missouri Compromise stronger.
a) It declared that African Americans were not U.S. citizens.
According to the Missouri Compromise, which imaginary line divided free and slave territories in the Louisiana Purchase?
a) 36°30’ North latitude
b) 49° North latitude
c) The Mississippi River
d) The Mason-Dixon Line
a) 36°30’ North latitude
Which of the following best describes how Manifest Destiny impacted Native American groups?
a) They were given new lands in the West.
b) They benefited economically from trade with settlers.
c) They were often forced off their land and relocated.
d) They gained new political power in the U.S. government.
c) They were often forced off their land and relocated.
What was one of President James K. Polk’s main goals?
a) To expand U.S. territory westward
b) To end slavery in all states
c) To increase trade with Europe
d) To reduce the power of the federal government
a) To expand U.S. territory westward
Which group faced discrimination and harsh treatment during the California Gold Rush?
a) Irish immigrants
b) Asian immigrants, particularly the Chinese
c) European settlers from Britain
d) Former Confederate soldiers
b) Asian immigrants, particularly the Chinese
What role did Henry Clay play in the Compromise of 1850?
a) He strongly opposed it and helped defeat it in Congress.
b) He proposed and negotiated the compromise to ease tensions between North and South.
c) He led the opposition against California’s statehood.
d) He refused to support the Fugitive Slave Act.
b) He proposed and negotiated the compromise to ease tensions between North and South
How did Abraham Lincoln’s position on slavery during the Lincoln-Douglas Debates differ from Stephen Douglas’s?
a) Lincoln supported the immediate abolition of slavery in all states, while Douglas wanted to expand it.
b) Lincoln opposed the expansion of slavery into new territories, while Douglas supported popular sovereignty.
c) Lincoln believed slavery should be protected under federal law, while Douglas wanted it banned.
d) Lincoln supported popular sovereignty, while Douglas wanted Congress to decide the issue of slavery.
b) Lincoln opposed the expansion of slavery into new territories, while Douglas supported popular sovereignty.
Which trail was the most commonly used route for settlers moving to Oregon?
a) Santa Fe Trail
b) Oregon Trail
c) California Trail
d) Mormon Trail
b) Oregon Trail
What did the U.S. gain as a result of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo?
a) Oregon and Washington
b) The Mexican Cession, including California and New Mexico
c) Texas and Florida
d) The Louisiana Territory
b) The Mexican Cession, including California and New Mexico
How did the California Gold Rush impact the economy of the United States?
a) It helped boost economic growth by increasing trade and business opportunities.
b) It caused inflation and led to a financial depression.
c) It led to the immediate collapse of the banking system.
d) It had little impact on the U.S. economy.
a) It helped boost economic growth by increasing trade and business opportunities.
Why was the Missouri Compromise controversial?
a) It allowed all new states to decide on slavery.
b) It prohibited slavery in the entire Louisiana Territory.
c) It banned slavery in the South but allowed it in the North.
d) It temporarily settled the issue of slavery but did not solve it permanently.
d) It temporarily settled the issue of slavery but did not solve it permanently.
Why did the Dred Scott decision increase tensions between the North and the South?
a) It declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional, allowing slavery in all U.S. territories.
b) It abolished slavery in the South, angering slave owners.
c) It granted full citizenship to enslaved people, giving them voting rights.
d) It ruled that free African Americans could never be enslaved again.
a) It declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional, allowing slavery in all U.S. territories.
What was the biggest factor that led to an increase in westward migration during the 1840s and 1850s?
a) The development of new farming technology
b) The construction of the Transcontinental Railroad
c) The promise of free land and economic opportunity
d) The discovery of oil in Texas
c) The promise of free land and economic opportunity
Why was the Rio Grande River significant in the Mexican-American War?
a) It was where gold was discovered in 1848.
b) It was the boundary disputed between the U.S. and Mexico.
c) It was the location of the final battle of the war.
d) It was used as a trade route between Texas and California.
b) It was the boundary disputed between the U.S. and Mexico.
How did most people who traveled to California during the Gold Rush actually make their money?
a) By finding and mining large amounts of gold
b) By working as cowboys and cattle ranchers
c) By opening businesses that provided goods and services to miners
d) By receiving government payments for moving west
c) By opening businesses that provided goods and services to miners
What was a key issue debated between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas in 1858?
a) The expansion of slavery into new territories
b) The annexation of Texas
c) The right of women to vote
d) The role of Native American tribes in government
a) The expansion of slavery into new territories
What is the concept of popular sovereignty, as it related to the Kansas-Nebraska Act?
a) The idea that the federal government should decide the issue of slavery in all states
b) The belief that the president alone should determine whether slavery was allowed
c) The principle that residents of a territory should vote to decide whether to allow slavery
d) The requirement that all new states enter the Union as either free states or slave states
c) The principle that residents of a territory should vote to decide whether to allow slavery