Westward Expansion

Which city was called "The Gateway to the West" during Westward Expansion?

• Columbus, Ohio

• Kansas City, Kansas

• St. Louis, Missouri

• Omaha, Nebraska

In what way(s) did the transcontinental railroad help the pioneers? (Choose more than one)

• It made it easier to circumnavigate the globe.

• Travel to the West was faster and safer

• It helped get their crops to markets all over the country

Why were the Great Plains nicknamed the “Great American Desert”?

• The weather was dry and the land was flat

• There were a lot of desert type animals living in the area

• You could get any kind of cake you wanted

• It was bigger than other deserts

Which of the following describes what the windmill did to assist pioneers living on the Great Plains?

• Brought electricity to the Great Plains

• Powered generators for the farmers

• Pumped water to the surface for use on crops

• They did not have windmills out West

Which of the following is a major river that pioneers had to traverse on their journey west?

• Cooper River

• Mississippi River

• Carolina River

• all of the above

After the Civil War, the _____________________ provided a faster, safer, and less expensive way for those who could afford it to travel to the West.

• Pony Express

• Covered Wagon

• Transcontinental Railroad

• Stagecoach

Which is not a weather condition that pioneers had to prepare for on their journey West?

• heavy spring rains and flooding

• tornadoes and dust storms

• blue skies and sunshine

• severe thunderstorms

What did the Homestead Act of 1861 state?

• Any pioneer willing to farm land on the Great Plains for 5 years could have that land for free

• Any Native American could move onto a reservation

• Any Chinese immigrant could come to America

• Any European immigrant could work on the railroads

Railroad owners hired riflemen to shoot the bison that came too close to the rails.

• true

• false

Native Americans were forced to relocate to areas of land called ________________.

• farms

• ranches

• compounds

• reservations