flash card set 8

Front

What was the Compromise of 1850?

Back

Introduced by Henry Clay to settle the slavery issue in new territories; it allowed California to enter as a free state but included a stricter Fugitive Slave Act.

Front

What was the Gadsden Purchase (1853)?

Back

The U.S. paid Mexico $10 million for a small strip of land in southern Arizona and New Mexico to provide a flat route for a transcontinental railroad.

Front

Why did the Mormon Migration occur?

Back

The religious group moved west to the Utah Territory to set up an independent community and escape religious persecution.

Front

What role did Chinese immigrants play in the 19th century?

Back

Many arrived in California following the Gold Rush and found work in the mining sector and building the railroads.

Front

What was the Erie Canal and its significance?

Back

A man-made waterway completed in 1825 that connected the Atlantic Ocean (via the Hudson River) to the Great Lakes, lowering shipping costs and facilitating westward migration.

Front

How did steamboats impact transportation?

Back

An invention that increased the efficiency of river travel, allowing goods and people to move faster against the current, which led to the growth of cities like St. Louis and New Orleans.

Front

What was the Transcontinental Railroad?

Back

A nationwide transportation network that united the East and West coasts, facilitating settlement and access to new markets.

Front

What was the significance of the telegraph?

Back

Invented by Samuel Morse, this allowed for nearly instant communication across long distances, supporting the settlement of the West.

Front

What was the Homestead Act (1862)?

Back

A law that granted 160 acres of public land to heads of families for a small fee if they improved the land by building a home and farming it in the west.

Front

How did the Rocky Mountains influence U.S. settlement?

Back

A major physical geographic barrier that influenced settlement patterns and necessitated the Gadsden Purchase for easier railroad construction.