People
President who encouraged the Gold Rush during his State of the Union address
James Polk
Trail that started in Independence, Missouri and led travelers to the west coast, going through the Rocky Mountains
Oregon Trail
An independent republic that was annexed by the US in 1845
Texas
A man-made waterway that connect the Hudson River to the Great Lakes
Erie Canal
Travelers who got lost and stranded in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and resorted to cannibalism
Donner Party
California businessman who sold the first denim pants to 49ers in the gold rush
Levi Strauss
Trail that started in Independence, Missouri and led travelers to New Mexico for trade
Santa Fe Trail
What treaty ended the Mexican-American War?
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Device that sent coded messages over wires using electricity and Morse code
Telegraph
First man to discover gold in California
John Sutter
Who was Brigham Young
Mormon leader who led his people to modern-day Utah to escape persecution
What was the Homestead Act
A law that gave settlers land in the west under the agreement they would live on and work it for five years
What was the Ghost Dance
A Native American religious movement that signaled the return of traditional Native life and the end of white settlers moving west
Engine powered by steam that ran large machines like boats and trains
Steam engine
Credited with bringing British industrialization to America
Samuel Slater
Native American war leader who led resistance against the US army at the Battle of Little Bighorn
Crazy Horse
Path used by frontiersmen to open access to Kentucky and Tennessee through the Appalachian Mountains
Cumberland Gap
What was the Texas Revolution?
Conflict where Texans fought against Mexico for their independence
Drive created by Eli Whitney that quickly removed seeds from cotton, boosting southern cotton production and expanding slavery
Cotton gin
Creator of the Mormon religion
Joseph Smith
Who was Stephen Austin
Led American settlers into Mexican-controlled Texas, considered the Father of Texas
What was the Transcontinental Railroad
A railroad connecting the East and West coasts, boosting trade and transportation
1890 killing of over 150 Lakota Sioux by the US Army in South Dakota, putting an end to the Indian Wars
Massacre at Wounded Knee
Factory that spun cotton into thread and wove it into cloth
Textile mill
Who was Sitting Bull
A Lakota Sioux leader who encouraged Natives at Little Bighorn