Rising Tensions over Slavery
The Louisiana Purchase
Manifest Destiny
The Mexican-American War
Random
100
When Texas entered the Union as a slave state, it became the 28th State further tipping the scales outnumbering the 13 states that outlawed slavery, totaling the number of slave states to...
What is 15?
100
This French Emperor was in great need of money due ot the size of his Empire, as well as an all-out war with England.
Who is Napoleon?
100
Manifest Destiny was an inspiring belief that the United States had been destined by God to exist and to rule over North America from this to this.
What is the Pacific to the Atlantic/"Sea to Shining Sea"?
100
This President ran on the promise of bringing Texas into the Union as well as further expansion west into the Arizona and California territories.
Who is James K. Polk?
100
Meet the Aye Aye, an endangered species of lemurs on the Island of Madagascar. They are endangered, unfortunately, because locals hunt them and kill them, believing them to be this type of vile spirit.
What is a demon?
200
Our continent's history with slavery is tenuous at best, and in truth is quite despicable. Take for example the War of Independence in Mexico. Mexico's wealthy families and large plantation owners fought against this nation that ruled over Mexico, in order to keep slavery legal in Mexico.
What is Spain?
200
President Jefferson wanted not only good relations with France, but wanted to purchase New Orleans in the Mississippi Delta for financial stability. He even sent James Monroe and Richard Livingston to negotiate its purchase for this much money.
What is $10 million dollars?
200
The Gold Rush drew thousands of Americans west to California and Nevada, all because this carpenter and few others found a large gold deposit around a mill owned by John Sutter in 1848.
Who is James Marshall?
200
President Polk needed a battle with Mexico to get Congress to declare war. So, he sent American soldiers under this General with orders to defend the border with Mexico. Issue was, he sent them into disputed territory, which the Mexicans also claimed as theirs.
Who is Zachary Taylor?
200
While we may blame Dante Alghieri's Inferno for creating the misconception of Hell being a place of fire and flame, the Latin word Inferno does not mean or refer to fire or heat, but where most ancient myths put the place of the dead.
What is underground?
300
As America expanded west, Americans from all walks of life, from every State and territory, wished to bring as much of their property along with them. For some this meant furniture, jewelry, clothing, or musical instruments. The problem was that for others, property meant slaves. Western expansion saw Americans unifying in this belief of the supremacy of the United States, while Slavery divided Americans, polarizing and increasing animosity on both sides.
What is American Exceptionalism?
300
Lewis and Clark would be sent out by President Jefferson to map the Louisiana Territory, along with many other expeditions into a territory that doubled the size of the United States, with the Louisiana Territory rounding up to this many square miles.
What is 828,000?
300
The first great destination of Westward Expansion towards the Pacific was this treacherous path from St Louis, Missouri. Depending on the time of year and the size of one's wagon train, settlers encountered bad weather, diseases, difficult terrain, and violent attacks from some native tribes.
What is the Oregon Trail?
300
The final blow of the Mexican-American War was the conquest of Mexico City by a joint task-force of the US Army and the US Marine Corps under this General, whom Polk preferred, fearing General Taylor was becoming a political rival.
Who is Winfield Scott?
300
In The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins defeats this creature in a game of riddles by finally asking, "What do I have in my pocket?"
Who is Gollum?
400
One of the great compromises the Free States made with the Slave States was the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which actually molified some tensions between the North and South at first, only for this secret organization partially named after train tracks to cause further divide as they smuggled slaves to freedom in Canada.
What is the Underground Railroad?
400
President Jefferson agonized how he was going to get the American people to accept the Louisiana Purchase, as he knew that the Constitution was mostly silent on the President's powers to 'purchase' land or expand the nation. Instead, he used an ingenious loophole in the law that acknowledged the President could create and enter into treaties with foreign nations with this Federal Branch's approval.
What is the Legislature/Congressional Approval?
400
A novel about a tropical island captured the hearts and minds of an entire generation of Spaniards. They were in awe of the idea of tropical forests and beaches with clear blue water and dangerous heathen natives. So, when Spanish explorers discovered the southwestern portion of the Pacific Coastline in North America, they named the land after this fictitious island.
What is California?
400
President Jefferson originally wanted to purchase the city of New Orleans for $10 million dollars, and Napoleon counteroffered purchasing the whole Louisiana Territory. Jefferson could not refuse in the end, and the United States ended up buying the territory for this much more than they'd offered for New Orleans.
What is $5 million dollars more?
400
The Blues Brothers is a movie that celebrates the Blues genre and showcases some of their greatest artists such as Aretha Franklin all while centering itself on the comedic hijinks of a two brothers raised in Catholic Orphanage in Chicago and grow up to be criminals and musicians. Who would have thought that John Belushi and Dan Akroyd would create the idea of the Blues Brothers on this weekend sketch comedy show.
What is SNL?
500
As slavery became a bigger and bigger issue, the political divide between Americans widened. The Democratic Party entrenched and argued slavery was a foundational institution of the United States. The Whig Party collapsed into the Constitutional Party (which would split multiple times) and this Grand Ole Party, that sought an end to slavery and a redistribution of wealth to create a Middle Class.
What is the Republican Party?
500
Not often mentioned in the History books is the Louisiana Purchases overall effect upon the Native Tribes. As America expanded, it expanded into territories often left alone by the Spanish, Mexicans, and French, leading to wars with entire Indigenous Nations. The Louisiana Purchase sparked the Indian Wars of the 19th Century. Up until this moment, the Native issue had been cruelly resolved by giving the native tribes in the US land west of Ohio and east of this river.
What is the Mississippi?
500
Many Americans fled westward for religious purposes, as they sought to escape some of the mainline Protestant churches. One such group followed their prophet from Rochester, New York all the way to Illinois, where his successor Brigham Young would lead this religious group into the territory west of Arizona, where they'd establish a large following that lasts to this day!
Who are the Latter Day Saints (Mormons)?
500
This opening line of the Marine Corps Hymn, their official anthem cites the Marines presence in the Battle of Mexico City, as they were personally responsible for capturing this Aztec King's Palace and routing the Mexican Army.
What is "In the halls of Montezuma..."?
500
Of the 10 US States with two word names, this one stretches farthest south.
What is New Mexico?