Railroads, Miners, and Ranchers
Who are the forty-niners?
Gold miners that went to California in hopes of becoming rich
Describe the Homestead Act
Each settler received 160 acres of land for $18. They were required to build a home within 6 months and stay on their land for 5 years before owning the land.
What type of homes did the Plains Indians live in? Why?
Tepees made of bark and animal skins. These homes were easily movable to follow migrating buffalo.
Why was the building of the Panama Canal important?
It made trade between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans easier and faster.
What are the three reasons for imperialism?
1. New resources and markets
2. Belief in cultural superiority
3. Competition
What immigrants came to the United States to help build the Transcontinental Railroad (there are 2)
Chinese and Irish
Name 4 problems for farmers in the Great Plains.
1. Drought
2. Grasshoppers
3. Crop and animals disease
4. Tornadoes
5. Expensive railroad shipping costs
Name two Sioux leaders.
Chief Sitting Bull
Crazy Horse
President William McKinley
Why did crop prices fall for farmers?
New technology and the use of more productive farming techniques meant that farmers were producing much larger quantities of crops, leading to low prices.
What was the main job of the cowboy?
Drive cattle to the plains for grazing and taking them to the railroads.
How did farmers adapt to their environment in the late 19th century?
Irrigation and dry farming
What event led to the Trail of Tears?
The Indian Removal Act was passed, American Indians were forced to leave their homelands and live on reservations location in Indian Territory (Oklahoma)
Why was the Treaty of Kanagawa important?
It opened Japan to trade with the U.S. This treaty marked the beginning of Japan's modernization and increased interaction with the rest of the world.
What was the goal of the Populist Party?
They supported the Free Silver Standard. They believed that using both silver and gold to back money would increase the money supply, making it easier for farmers and working people to pay off their debts.
Explain the concept of Manifest Destiny.
The belief that the U.S. was meant to spread across North America. People thought it was their duty to spread American culture and democracy. This idea led to westward expansion and eventually overseas expansion.
What type of homes were built by settlers in the Great Plains? Why?
Sodhouses. They built homes with the materials they could find.
Which event marked the end of the wars between the federal government and the Plains Indians?
Massacre at Wounded Knee
Explain the policy of isolationism.
the policy of staying out of other countries political affairs
Name the three territories the United States gained as a result of winning the Spanish-American War.
Philippines, Guam, Puerto Rico
Name the two railroad companies that helped to build the Transcontinental Railroad.
Union Pacific
Central Pacific
What invention contributed to the end of the Open Range?
Barbed wire
What was NOT central to the life and culture of the Plains Indians?
Private land ownership
Who led the expedition that opened Japan to trade with the U.S.?
Commodore Matthew Perry
Explain the policy of the Monroe Doctrine.
A U.S. foreign policy that warned European countries not to interfere with the Western Hemisphere, as it would be a threat to U.S. security.