Unit 6 Study Guide "The Gilded Age"

Front

A town whose population rose rapidly after news of a mineral discovery was known as

Back

a boomtown.

Front

The open range contributed to the rise of cattle ranching in the open plains because

Back

cattle could graze there for free.

Front

The purpose of long drives in which ranchers would herd cattle across great distances was to

Back

get the cattle to the nearest railway station so they could be sold in the East.

Front

How did the invention of barbed wire help end the "range wars" and the cattle drives in the Great Plains?

Back

Farmers could fence off property, preventing grazing cattle from coming through.

Front

How did the U.S. government encourage the settlement of the Great Plains? Options: by giving cheap loans to farmers, by giving free land to the railroads, by passing the Homestead Act, by selling land to prospectors

Back

by passing the Homestead Act

Front

Which of the following was a hardship faced by settlers on the Great Plains? Options: prairie fires, flooding, too many trees, loose soil

Back

prairie fires

Front

_______ was a practice in which a farmer planted seeds deep in the ground where moisture was present.

Back

Dry farming

Front

Which innovation allowed farmers to harvest large crops quickly? Options: the thresher, the plow, the automatic spindler, the mechanical reaper

Back

the mechanical reaper

Front

Which crop thrives in the harsh conditions of the Great Plains? Options: corn, wheat, beans, barley

Back

wheat

Front

The farming area that stretched throughout the Great Plains and encompassed much of the Dakotas and Kansas was known as

Back

the Wheat Belt.