Western Expansion

Which of the following groups benefited the MOST from the Homestead Act of 1862?

• Native Americans who wanted to protect their way of life

• supporters of slavery who wanted its expansion to new territories

• factory owners who wanted to reduce the power of unions

• farmers who wanted to purchase land in western territories

How did the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad impact the economy of the West?

• 
  It provided access to new markets for local goods.

• It contributed to the decline of urban communities.

• It limited the capital available for development.

• .

  It increased competition for local farmers.

Which of the following were skills the Native Americans were forced to learn as a result of the Dawes Act?

• hunting

• mining

• ranching/farming

• fishing

Populists and Democrats endorsed ____________ as a presidential candidate, who supported broad changes to U.S. monetary policy and celebrated the welfare of the common man. 

• William McKinley

• Woodrow Wilson

• Alton Parker

• William J. Bryan

Use the excerpt below to answer the question.

     •   We believe that the time has come when the railroad corporations will either own the people or the people must own the railroads. . . .     •   Transportation being a means of exchange and a public necessity, the government should own and operate the railroads in the interest of the people. . . .     •All land now held by railroads and other corporations in excess of their actual needs . . . should be reclaimed by the government and held for actual settlers only.

—Selections from the People’s Party Platform,Omaha Morning World-Herald, July 5, 1892

Why did the Populist Party promote these beliefs as part of its political platform?

• Unions sought to increase dividends from railroad profits.

• Farmers suffered from unfair charges by railroad companies.

• 
  Reformers wanted territory returned to Native Americans.

• Factory workers sought to limit European immigration.

In the 19^th century, many Americans believed in Manifest Destiny.  Which of the following was NOT a consequence of that idea? 

• expanded regions for Native American settlements

• numerous western railroad lines

• rich mining industries for precious resources like gold, silver, and copper

• 
  large ranches for cattle production

The Homestead Act of 1862 helped the development of the West by

• 
  placing Native American Indians on reservations

• allowing slavery to spread to the territories

• granting land for construction of transcontinental railroads

• providing free land to settlers

How did the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad affect the demographics of the United States during Reconstruction?

• 
  It limited the need for foreign immigrants.

• It encouraged westward expansion.

• It altered the economy in southern rural areas.

• It increased the need for laborers in urban areas.

Advances in farming technology caused large numbers of people to move from rural to urban areas. Which of the following BEST explains why?

• Transportation radically improved.

• Life on the farm became much easier.

• Fewer workers were needed on the farm.

• Comforts of the city became more attractive.

Native American landholdings fell from 138 million acres in 1887 to 48 million acres in 1934. What explains the reduction in the amount of land owned by Native Americans during this time?

• 
  Many Native Americans gave up farming because the Morrill Act provided free training in skilled trades.

• The Dawes Act allowed the federal government to sell surplus land to non–Native Americans.

• The Interstate Commerce Act encouraged entrepreneurs to build factories on land bought from Native Americans.

• The federal government purchased most land owned by Native Americans through the Homestead Act.