Manifest Destiny
What belief said the United States was meant to expand from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean?
Manifest Destiny
What 1803 land deal doubled the size of the United States?
Louisiana Purchase
What trail did settlers use to travel to Oregon?
Oregon Trail
What battle became a symbol of Texas independence?
The Alamo
What happened to many Native American tribes as settlers moved west?
They were forced off their lands / removed
Which president strongly supported westward expansion and led the U.S. during the Mexican-American War?
James K. Polk
What territory did the United States gain after the Mexican-American War?
Mexican Cession
What were settlers searching for during the California Gold Rush?
Gold
What river was at the center of the border dispute between the U.S. and Mexico?
Rio Grande
What 1862 law gave settlers 160 acres of land if they farmed it?
The Homestead Act
What issue became more intense as new western territories were added to the United States?
Slavery
What land was annexed in 1845, increasing tensions with Mexico?
Texas
What were people who rushed to California in 1849 called?
Forty-Niners
Who was the Texas leader who later became a President?
Sam Houston
What discovery in 1848 led to rapid population growth in California?
Gold at Sutter’s Mill
What form of government did many Americans believe they were spreading through expansion?
Democracy
What territory was peacefully negotiated with Great Britain in 1846?
Oregon Territory
Name one major danger pioneers faced on westward journeys.
Disease, harsh weather, lack of supplies, accidents (any acceptable answer)
What treaty ended the Mexican-American War in 1848?
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
What long-term conflict grew worse because of westward expansion?
Sectional conflict over slavery
Which two groups were most negatively impacted by the belief in Manifest Destiny?
Native Americans and Mexicans
What 1853 purchase completed land for a southern railroad route?
Gadsden Purchase
What major railroad project connected the eastern and western United States in 1869?
Transcontinental Railroad
What country lost nearly half its land after the Mexican-American War?
Mexico
How did westward expansion change the size of the United States overall?
It greatly increased/doubled, and expanded the nation’s territory