Trails & Travel
What famous trail was used by pioneers heading to the Pacific Northwest?
Oregon Trail
What was the battle where Texans fought to the death against the Mexican army in 1836?
The Battle of the Alamo
What territory was purchased from France in 1803, doubling the size of the U.S.?
Louisiana Purchase
In what year was gold discovered in California?
1848
Who was the U.S. president who oversaw the Mexican-American War?
James K. Polk
What was the main cause of death for settlers traveling west?
Disease – like cholera and dysentery
What war resulted in the U.S. gaining California and much of the Southwest?
Mexican-American War
What agreement with Britain gave the U.S. the Oregon Territory?
Oregon Treaty of 1846
What nickname was given to those who rushed to California in search of gold?
Forty-Niners
What Native American leader led resistance against U.S. expansion into the Great Plains?
Sitting Bull or Crazy Horse
What trail was primarily used by traders between Missouri and New Mexico?
Santa Fe Trail
What treaty ended the Mexican-American War?
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
How much did the U.S. pay Russia for Alaska?
7.2 million dollars
What was the largest city to boom due to the California Gold Rush?
San Francisco
Who was a famous explorer of the Louisiana Territory?
Meriwether Lewis or William Clark
What were "prairie schooners" and why were they used?
Covered wagons – lightweight for long travel
What conflict between Missouri settlers and anti-slavery settlers foreshadowed the Civil War?
Bleeding Kansas
What was the final piece of land acquired that completed the continental U.S.?
Gadsden Purchase
Besides gold, name another industry that expanded due to westward expansion
Railroads, farming, cattle ranching, etc.
What group of people faced discrimination during the Gold Rush, leading to unfair taxes?
Chinese immigrants
Name two major rivers pioneers had to cross on their journey west.
Missouri River, Platte River, Snake River, etc
What was the main reason Native American tribes resisted westward expansion
Loss of land, resources, and way of life
What was the name of the philosophy that justified U.S. expansion across the continent?
Manifest Destiny
What law gave settlers 160 acres of land if they lived on and improved it?
Homestead Act of 1862
What happened to most Native American tribes as a result of westward expansion?
Forced onto reservations, lost land and culture, many died from conflict and disease