Gaining Land
Traveling West
Maps
Economic Factors
Mystery
100
Look at the map of the United States.
How did the United States gain the territory highlighted on the map?
A. It gained it in the War of 1812.
B. It bought it from American Indians.
C. It bought it in the Louisiana Purchase.
D. It gained it in the American Revolution.
C. The Louisiana Territory was purchased from France by Thomas Jefferson.
100
Why did a large amount of settlers choose to move to the American West in 1848 and 1849?
The discovery of gold in California.
100
Which letter on the map represents the location of the Gulf of Mexico?
X. The Gulf of Mexico is located at the mouth of the Mississippi River.
100
What is an example of voluntary exchange that would have taken place during the Gold Rush?
A. Merchants were required to pay a fee to the government before opening a store.
B. Merchants received gold that they wanted and miners received tools they wanted.
C. Miners planted crops and grew all the food they needed on farms near their mines.
D. Miners dug up gold that they wanted and paid taxes on the gold to the government.
B. Voluntary exchange is the act of buyers and sellers freely and willingly engaging in trade. If a merchant and a miner traded gold for tools, that would be an example of voluntary trade.
100
What is the name of the law that authorized the Trail of Tears?
The Indian Removal Act
200
What was the MOST common cause of violent conflicts between American Indians and American settlers west of the Mississippi?
A. conflicting religious beliefs
B. disagreements over land ownership
C. disagreements over farming practices
D. conflicting beliefs over who should lead the tribes
B. American settlers and the American Indians most often argued over land ownership.
200
How did the idea of Manifest Destiny motivate Americans to settle the West?
A. Settlers believed that it was their duty to civilize the American Indians in the West.
B. Settlers believed that it was the destiny of the United States to expand west to the Pacific Ocean.
C. Settlers believed that it was necessary to erase the influence of Mexican culture on the West.
D. Settlers believed that it was important to build ports in the West to expand trade with Asia.
B. Settlers believed that it was the destiny of the United States to expand west to the Pacific Ocean.
200
What is our nations capital and where is it located on the map?
Washington, D.C. is located at the 'I' symbol.
200
If David decides to go to New York City, what is his opportunity cost?
A. He might get hurt building houses.
B. He won't be able to mine for gold.
C. He will have a steady job and income.
D. He will be able to use his carpentry skills.
B. He has the opportunity to move to New York City, but it costs him the chance of finding Gold in California.
200
Look at the picture of Washington, DC, during the War of 1812. Then answer the question that follows.
Why did the British burn the Capitol as shown in the picture?
A. The US Army stored its weapons and ammunition there.
B. The US government stored its gold and printed money there.
C. The Capitol was a symbol of the independence of the United States.
D. The Capitol was a military base where the United States trained soldiers.
C. The British really wanted to hit us where it would hurt, so they attacked our Capitol. Washington, D.C. was a symbol of our independence and freedom. This attack led to a sense of nationalism across the country.
300
Why did George Custer lead his troops against the Lakota and other American Indians at the Battle of Little Bighorn?
A. to protect the farms of white settlers
B. to recapture territory lost to American Indians
C. to force the American Indians to move onto reservations
D. to end a conflict between the Lakota and the Cheyenne tribes
C. The American Lieutenant, George Custer, led his troops to Montana to remove the American Indians from their land. This act turned violent when the Americans were outnumbered by the Natives.
300
In 1803, a special unit of the US Army called the Corps of Discovery, led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, set off for the West Coast. What were their aims?
A. They wanted to stake a claim and pan for gold.
B. They wanted to find religious freedom and found settlements.
C. They wanted to build forts and open a trading post.
D. They wanted to map new territory and study natural history.
D. They wanted to map new territory and study natural history. They were also looking for a "westward passage" to the Pacific Ocean, but this was never found (because it doesn't exist).
300
What was the importance of the South Pass on the Oregon Trail?
A. The South Pass led across the Great Basin Desert.
B. The South Pass led over the Great Plains.
C. The South Pass led over the Missouri River.
D. The South Pass led through the Rocky Mountains.
D. The purpose of this passage was to get through one of the physical barriers when traveling West... the Rocky Mountains.
300
During the 1800s, why did people in large cities in the United States specialize in certain trades during the 1800s?
A. because they did not have anyone to trade with
B. because they wanted to be successful farmers
C. so they could make everything they needed
D. so they could find work and earn a living
D. People specialized in a trade (career field) to guarantee themselves a good job in which they could earn a living. Specialization means that the opportunity cost of production is lower, which means that globally more goods are produced and prices are lower. Consumers benefit from these lower prices and greater quantity of goods.
300
Look at the graph showing US cotton production from 1790–1860. Then answer the question that follows.
What led to the increase in cotton production shown on the graph?
A. Congress stopped taxing the export of cotton.
B. Southern plantations started using cotton gins.
C. Congress passed a law that freed all slaves.
D. Southern states started building more factories.
B. The bales of cotton produced rapidly increased because of the use of the Cotton Gin. Farmers were able to grow and sell a lot more cotton in a shorter amount of time!
400
Why was it so important for the United States to control the Port of New Orleans?
Controlling the port of New Orleans was necessary for American trade. It gave us control of the Mississippi River and allowed our country to import and export without traveling across the country by land.
400
As settlers traveled west they came across both physical barriers and physical gateways. Name one of each.
Physical Barrier: Mountains
Physical Gateways: Great Plains (flat land)
400
The Continental Divide of the Americas is a line that marks the separation of the flow of water between which two bodies of water?
The Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean
400
How did the invention of the cotton gin create a price incentive for farmers?
A. by raising the cost of producing cotton
B. by lowering the cost of producing cotton
C. by raising the price cotton consumers would pay
D. by lowering the price cotton consumers would pay
B. The invention of the cotton gin made it cheaper to produce cotton. This machine helps clean the seeds out of cotton much faster, so farmers didn't have to pay for expensive labor (workers).
400
Technological advancements helped encourage the growth and development of the United States by _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
Technological advancements helped encourage the growth and development of the United States by... increasing the productivity of farmers and businesses and improving transportation and communication.
500
What was the importance of the Battle of the Alamo?
At the time, Texas was part of Mexico and Mexico had a government similar to the United States. Many Americans moved to Texas and became Mexican citizens. In 1832, a powerful Mexican general named Santa Anna took control of the government. The Texans didn't like the new ruler. The Alamo was the site of a battle that took place during Texas's bid for independence from Mexico: All defenders were killed, but within six weeks the opposition leader Santa Anna was captured.
500
How did many pioneers travel west?
Canals, steamboats, and railroads made it easier and cheaper to get part of the way west. But pioneers traveled the rest of the way in wagons on paths like the Oregon Trail. The Oregon Trail crossed physical gateways like the Great Plains and physical barriers like the Continental Divide.
500
What was the significance of the highlighted portion of the map?
As Americans moved west, they started settling in the Northwest Territory and claiming the land. This made the Native Americans quite angry because the new settlers were also killing their most valuable resource (the buffalo). The Americans began trading with the French and this made the British angry. Because of these disputes, the British started supplying the Natives with weapons to fight the Americans. This dispute over trade was one of the causes of the War of 1812.
500
Read the text. Then answer the question that follows.
Sarah hears rumors that gold has been discovered in California. She wants to make the difficult journey to California, but she does not think that her children will be able to handle the trip. She would also be moving far away from her brothers and sisters. Sarah decides not to move to the American West.
What is Sarah's opportunity cost?
A. spending time with her brothers and sisters
B. the chance to become rich by finding gold
C. making sure her children stay safe
D. the long and difficult journey to the West
B. She is choosing the opportunity to stay home, but it is costing her a chance to become rich by finding gold.
500
Why were steam locomotives better than steamboats?
Steam locomotives had several advantages over steamboats. A locomotive could travel much faster than a steamboat. Also, a locomotive’s routes were not limited to waterways. Steamboats continued to be popular, but steam locomotives provided improved transportation to many more areas.