American Pioneers and the Westward Expansion

Who led a group of men through the Cumberland Gap to explore the western wilderness?

• Daniel Boone

• Lewis and Clark

• Jedediah Smith

• George Donner

Which expedition discovered a route through the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean?

• Daniel Boone's expedition

• Lewis and Clark's expedition

• Jedediah Smith's expedition

• George Donner's expedition

What valuable commodity did the fur trappers in the Rockies hunt?

• Gold

• Silver

• Beaver pelts

• Woolly mammoth

What was the greatest danger faced by the pioneers traveling to the West?

• Grizzly bears

• Native American tribes

• Lack of food and water

• Snowstorms in the Sierra Nevada

What tragic event occurred to the Donner Party in the Sierra Nevada?

• They were attacked by Native Americans

• They were trapped in a blizzard

• They ran out of supplies

• They encountered a deadly disease

What battle cry became a rallying call for Americans during the Texas Revolution?

• Remember the Alamo

• Remember the Donner Party

• Remember the Gold Rush

• Remember the Lewis and Clark Expedition

What natural resource was discovered in California in 1848?

• Oil

• Coal

• Gold

• Silver

What was the main reason for the westward expansion of the United States?

• To find new trade routes

• To establish colonies

• To escape religious persecution

• To acquire new land and resources

Which group of people played a significant role in opening up the West for fur trapping profits?

• Native Americans

• Mexican settlers

• European immigrants

• Mountain men

What was the nickname given to the shortcut that George Donner took on his journey to California?

• The Oregon Trail

• The California Trail

• The Hastings Cutoff

• The Donner Pass