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100
Why did the settlers in the Great Plains build sod houses?
Wood was hard to get because there were no trees. Sod was everywhere.
100
What encouraged pioneers to move to the Great Plains?
The Homestead Act
100
What is a "sodbuster"?
Pioneers who broke up the sod for planting. It took up much of their time.
100
How did barbed wire help solve the problem of a lack of wood on the Great Plains?
It made it possible for farmers to build long fences without using a lot of wood.
100
What was the nickname for the Great Plains?
"Great American Desert"
200
Who were the exodusters? A. german religious community that built farms on the plains B. Jewish community of new settlers C. A group of African American pioneers D. Former slaves who had escaped from the South through the Underground Railroad
C. A group of African American Pioneers
200
After the sod was removed, what was the soil of the Great Plains like? A. Extremely fertile B. Full of clay and difficult to farm C. Very dry and unlikely to produce good crops D. Too rocky to farm
A. Extremely fertile
200
Describe the winter weather in the Great Plains
Bitter cold and deadly blizzards
200
Describe the spring weather in the Great Plains
Tornadoes, hailstorms, and flooding
200
Describe the summer weather in the Great Plains
Blazing heat and little rain
300
Describe what happened in the fall in the Great Plains
Grasses dried and settlers had to watch out for fires
300
Which of these statements best describes life on the Great Plains in the late 1800s? A. People lived far away from each other. B. Most people worked in large factories. C. There was a high level of air pollution. D. There was no land available for farming.
A. People lived far away from each other.
300
What was the Homestead Act of 1862?
A law that offered free land for farms on the Great Plains to women who were the head of a family and to men over the age of 21 who were either U.S. citizens or immigrants
300
What helped make life easier for Great Plains farmers?
Technology
300
African American pioneers call themselves___________, after a book in the Bible that tells the story of Moses leading the Israelites out of slaver.
Exodusters
400
What material was commonly used by Great Plains settlers in the late 1800’s to build their home?
Sod
400
Why were fences made from the invention of barbed wire more practical than wooden fences on the Great Plains?
Wood was scarce, making it difficult and expensive to build fences to protect crops. They were cheap, easy to build, and kept animals away from crops.
400
What challenges made life difficult for homesteaders?
Harsh weather and grasshoppers
400
In the late 1800’s from what country did thousands of immigrants come to build farms in California? A. Russia B. Japan C. China D. Ireland
B. Japan
400
Name some technology that helped farmers in the Great Plains?
Steel plows Windmills Barbed Wire Dry Farming
500
Who are homesteaders?
Settlers who claimed land through the Homestaed Act
500
Who founded the town of Nocodemus, Kansas?
African American pioneers
500
Why do you think people in Europe developed “American Fever”?
The U.S. and the Great Plains offered opportunities that were unavailable in Europe.
500
What did the pioneers discover when they were able to plant their crops?
The soil was rich and supported crops very well.
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