6 .2 Westward Expansion: Economic Development

What was the primary effect of the mechanization of agriculture in the West from 1877 to 1898?

• C. Increase in crop production

• D. Decrease in large-scale mechanized farming

• B. Increase in small farmers' competitiveness

• A. Decrease in crop production

What was the main purpose of the National Grange Movement?

• A. Socialization and education of isolated farmers

• D. Regulation of railroad rates for carrying freight

• B. Political resistance against the federal government

• C. Promotion of industrial trusts

What was the significance of the Commerce Act of 1886?

• D. Required railroad rates to be reasonable and just

• C. Regulated prices of manufactured goods

• B. Granted free land to potential migrants

• A. Established a federal agency to enforce railroad rates

What facilitated mass migration of Americans for settlement in the western lands?

• A. Oregon Trail-style transportation

• D. Discovery of precious metals

• B. Expansion of the Homestead Act

• C. Completion of transcontinental railroads

What was the main reason why many farmers who received land under the Homestead Act of 1862 went bust?

• C. Mechanization of agriculture

• A. Lack of farming skills

• B. High railroad rates

• D. Insufficient land for making a living

What led to the influx of over 100,000 migrants into the Kansas and Nebraska territories in 1869?

• A. Completion of the transcontinental railroad

• B. Discovery of gold in Pike's Peak

• C. Expansion of the Homestead Act

• D. Regulation of railroad rates

What were the boomtowns of Denver City and Boulder City primarily associated with?

• A. Large-scale mechanized farming

• D. Socialization and education of isolated farmers

• B. Regulation of railroad rates

• C. Discovery of precious metals

What was the main purpose of the Pacific Railroads Acts?

• A. Regulation of railroad rates

• B. Granting land to railroad companies for building transcontinental railroads

• C. Promotion of industrial trusts

• D. Facilitation of mass migration westward