The Wild West Quiz

What was the role of popular culture in shaping the mythology of the Wild West?

• It accurately portrayed the life of a cowboy

• It exaggerated the life of a cowboy

• It ignored the life of a cowboy

• It had no influence on the mythology of the Wild West

What percentage of cowboys on the Great Plains were African American or Mexican?

• 10%

• 20%

• 30%

• 40%

What was the reality of the work of a cowboy?

• Well-paid and exciting

• Poorly paid and boring

• Dangerous and adventurous

• Easy and relaxing

What was the Homestead Act of 1862?

• An act that allowed Americans to gain free land in the West

• An act that encouraged Native Americans to move to reservations

• An act that restricted African Americans from moving west

• An act that promoted mining in the West

What was the purpose of the Exodusters?

• To establish their own towns in the West

• To work as cowboys on the Great Plains

• To seek a new life free of discrimination in the West

• To mine for gold and silver in the West

What were some of the challenges faced by farmers in the Great Plains?

• Lack of wood and isolation

• Lack of water and overcrowding

• Lack of food and pollution

• Lack of technology and education

What was the role of cowboys in the cattle industry?

• To protect small towns from outlaws

• To drive cattle to cow towns for slaughter

• To mine for gold and silver in the West

• To establish ranches and breed cattle

What was the purpose of boomtowns in the West?

• To provide entertainment for cowboys

• To accommodate gold seekers

• To promote farming and ranching

• To establish Native American reservations

What was the Dawes Severalty Act of 1887?

• An act that divided reservations into land allotments for Native Americans

• An act that encouraged assimilation of Native American children

• An act that provided financial support for Native American farmers

• An act that restricted Native Americans from leaving reservations

What did historian Frederick Jackson Turner's frontier theory focus on?

• The importance of Native American culture in the West

• The role of women in settling the West

• The significance of white settlement and expansion in the West

• The impact of mining on the development of the West