3.2 The West Transformed

What caused the building of the Transcontinental Railroad to be delayed?

• debates over routes

• the Civil War

• need for private investors

• lack of government finance

What contribution did Mexicans make to cattle ranching?

• Mexicans established many western “cow towns.”

• Mexican railroads moved cattle from west to east.

• Mexican vaqueros were experts in working with cattle.

• Mexicans taught cattle ranchers how to round up cattle.

What was the purpose of the Morrill Act of 1862?

• to encourage people to move westward

• to set aside land for future homesteading

• to resettle former slaves on agricultural lands

• to encourage the development of better farming methods

Why did many Mexican Americans in the southwest lose their land in the late 1800s?

• The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo did not protect their property rights.

• Americans of Mexican descent were not allowed to own land after 1882.

• Mexican Americans gained land rights in Mexico in exchange for U.S. claims.

• They were not able to prove legally in the courts that they owned the land.

Which use of western land negatively affected everyone?

• unwise usage of water

• building of railroad lines

• competition for grazing land

• destruction of crops by cattle

From where did many of the miners in the Nevada silver rush come?

• China

• Mexico

• Alaska

• California

Why was mining difficult in the Klondike gold rush?

• The gold was located far from the United States.

• Few of the gold-seekers who set off for the Yukon actually made it to the gold fields.

• The ground under the surface was frozen year round.

• Most of the gold was gone quickly.

In general, who profited the most from these three rushes?

• the businesspeople who sold goods and services to the miners

• miners who sold their claims to mining companies

• the earliest miners to arrive in the gold or silver fields

• miners who went to work for the mining companies

What would have been the biggest challenge of living in a sod house?

• preventing the house from catching fire

• keeping the family and house clean

• finding enough sod to build the house

• having a dirt floor

What effect did this building technology have on the settlement of the Great Plains?

• It made living on the plains more possible.

• It prevented settlement of some plains regions.

• It encouraged a shift from farming to ranching.

• It slowed the growth of cities.