Causes of Westward Expansion
What were 5 things that caused people to begin moving into the west?
The Louisiana Purchase
Manifest Destiny
California Gold Rush
The Homestead Act
Transcontinental Railroad
Who were the first people to explore the land from the Louisiana Purchase?
Lewis and Clark
Where did people travel in hopes of "Striking it rich"?
California
Why were "The Great Plains" difficult to live on?
Lack of grasses, trees, wood, and shelter.
How did The Homestead Act negatively affect Native American tribes?
The Native Americans had to give up their homes so that white Americans could take the land.
What was Manifest Destiny?
The belief that God gave white Americans the right to take over lands that belonged to other people.
After hunters, trappers, and the first settlers traveled through the new lands, what was the path that families travelled named?
The Oregon Trail
Who is James Marshall and why is he considered so important?
James Marshall discovered gold in California on January 24, 1848.
What are two reasons homesteaders would decide to give up their dreams of living in the west?
2. Stress from constant work
What is a reservation?
An area of land set aside by the US government for Native Americans.
Thousands of men decided to move west in hopes of discovering what and where?
Gold in California
What time of year did settlers begin the journey west and why?
Mid-April to avoid the freezing temperatures in the mountains.
Who are "The 49ers"?
People who went west to California to try and find gold.
What were the jobs of men, women, and children once they settled in the west?
Men - farming
Women - cooking, cleaning, childcare
Children - farming and household chores
What are two ways the Native Americans were negatively impacted by westward expansion?
1. Their homes were taken away
2. They were given diseases they couldn't cure
According to "The Homestead Act", if people wanted up to 160 acres of land, what did they have to agree to do?
1. Live on the land for 5 years
2. Start a farm/Raise Crops
3. Build a house
What were three hardships people faced during travel?
1. Slow travel/long distances
2. Expensive
3. Running out of supplies/Being far from an outpost
What were 3 problems a miner would face?
1. Never finding gold/No money to survive
2. Horrible shelters with mice/lice
3. Long hours panning for gold
What happened during "The Battle of Little Bighorn"?
Colonel George Custer and his army were killed by Sioux Native Americans.
How did the transcontinental railroad improve the economy (money/resources)?
2. Quicker and cheaper shipping of goods
3. More towns and factories were built by the tracks
What were four leading causes of death on the Oregon Trail?
1. Cholera
2. Starvation
3. Freezing to death
4. Injuries from accidents, humans, or animals
What happened to the population of settlers and Native Americans from 1846 - 1860? Why?
The population of settlers began to increase, and the Native American population began to decrease because settlers took the land and forced Native Americans to move elsewhere.
What was the reason The Civil War started?
Northern states wanted to end slavery, but the South wanted slaves for free workers. The government needed to decide if slavery would be allowed in new states.
The United States started as ______ colonies and by 1912, there were _________ states.
13 colonies
48 states