Westward Expansion

The belief that the US had a right and duty to expand from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Hint: This belief was a significant motivation for the U.S. westward expansion in the 19th century.

• The Great Expansion

• Manifest Destiny

• Oregon Fever

• The Monroe Doctrine

What caused a rush of people to California?  This event happened in the mid-19th century and led to a significant increase in population due to the discovery of a precious metal.

• Immigration to Mexico

• Gold

• Silver

• Farmland

Which group of immigrants came to California to help build the railroad and risked death or injury blasting through the mountain?

Hint: Think about the major immigrant group that was involved in the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad during the 19th century.

• Chinese

• Mexicans

• Irish

• Whites

Adopting the customs and practices of the dominant culture. This process often involves individuals or groups of people who are absorbed into the social structure of the dominant society, losing their original identity and culture in the process.

• Nativism

• Ethnic Enclaves

• Assimilation

Linked east and west; created markets!; created economic boom.
Hint: Think about a major infrastructure project in the 19th century that connected two coasts of a continent.

• barbed wire

• transcontinental railroad

• telegraph

• steamboats

What piece of legislation distributed free land in the Great Plains and primarily attracted farmers?

Hint: This act was signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862 to accelerate the settlement of the western territories.

• The Homestead Act

• The Interstate Commerce Act

• The Dawes Act

• The American Indian Citizenship Act

What precious metal was found in California in 1848, and in Klondike(Alaska) in 1896?

Hint: This metal is often associated with wealth and is used in jewelry.

• Platinum

• Coal

• Silver

• Gold

Most Americans who settled the western territories during the 1800s were hoping to.

Hint: Think about the main reasons why people moved to the western territories during the 1800s. What were they looking for?

• gain land

• industrialize

• learn how to sail

• join the army

What was the main purpose of the Homestead Act?
Hint: Think about the policies that were designed to promote the development of the Western territories.

• to bring an end to cattle drives

• to encourage settlement on the Great Plains

• to build the Transcontinental Railroad

• to provide a market for steel plows

What was the nickname for people who moved to California during the gold rush?  Here's a hint: The nickname is related to a significant year during the gold rush.

• Surfers

• Coasters

• Forty Niners

• Raiders