Unit 1 Topic 1 Vocabulary

Front

What does the term "Manifest Destiny" refer to?

Back

The belief that the United States was destined by God to expand across the North American continent.

Front

What was the purpose of the Homestead Act of 1862?

Back

To provide 160 acres of public land to settlers for a small fee, provided they improved the land by building a dwelling and cultivating crops.

Front

Who were the "exodusters"?

Back

African Americans who migrated from the South to Kansas and other Western states after the Civil War.

Front

What did the Pacific Railway Act of 1862 achieve?

Back

It provided federal support for the construction of a transcontinental railroad from the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean.

Front

What was the goal of the policy of assimilation regarding Native Americans?

Back

To integrate Native Americans into American society by encouraging them to adopt American customs and lifestyles.

Front

What was the purpose of the Carlisle Indian Schools?

Back

To assimilate Native American children into American culture by teaching them English and American customs.

Front

What was the Dawes Act of 1887?

Back

A policy that distributed reservation land to individual Native American owners to encourage farming and assimilation.

Front

What was the Morrill Land-Grant Act of 1862?

Back

Legislation that granted land to states to fund the establishment of colleges focused on agriculture and the mechanical arts.

Front

What was the Ghost Dance movement?

Back

A spiritual movement among Native Americans that hoped to restore their lands and way of life.

Front

What was the significance of the Wounded Knee Massacre?

Back

It marked the end of major Native American resistance to U.S. government policies.