Westward Expansion

How did the Homestead Act of 1861 impact the ability of the average American to own land?

• It prevented native Americans from owning land.
• It allowed people who built on western land to keep the land.
• It gave Native Americans Acres of free land.
• It allowed the wealthy to buy land from the government.

Which group of people were most hurt by the destruction of the buffalo herds.

• railroad company owners
• buffalo hunters
• Native Americans
• Pioneers

How did the Transcontinental Railroad impact westward expansion in the West.

• It provided a protective barrier between the east and west coast.
• It proved to be a dangerous means of transportation.
• It cut the east coast off from the west coast.
• It provided a new and easier means of transprortation.

In what years did the TR have the most tracks constructed?

• 1851-1860
• 1861-1870
• 1881-1890
• 1901-1910

Which best describes the treatment of Mexican Americans and Asian Immigrants in the west?

• They were accepted into communities by white settlers.
• They were honored for introducing new skills and technology.
• They were given land and treated the same as white settlers.
• They were victims of prejudice, discrimination, and sometimes violence.

How did the discovery of gold impact settlement in the West?

• It inspired people to leave the West coast and move to eastern cities.
• The discover of gold caused boomtowns to be built across the US.
• The discovery of gold caused eastern cities to disappear.
• The discover of gold caused the government to make it illiegal for freedmen.

How did the invention of the barbed wire shape the future of the great plains?

• It was used to close off cattle fields and establish farms.
• It was used to block roads and stop expansion.
• It was used to mark military training fields.
• It was used to create a protective border with Mexico.

What caused Native Americans to be driven off their reservations in the Black Hills?

• the demand for more farmland by white settlers.
• the discovery of gold on the land
• the need for land for the transcontinental railroad
• the destruction of the buffalo

How would you describe the experience of Native Americans on the reservation?

• poverty and stavation
• freedom and independence
• security and satisfaction
• wealth and prosperity

how did the construction of railroads impact the life of Native Americans on the Great Plains?

• They lost a major source of food when buffalo were killed.
• They used the trains to move to eastern cities for jobs.
• They rode on the trains rather than walking from place to place.
• They were hired by the railroad companies to build tracks.