APUSH 6.2 Westward Expansion: Economic Development | Heimler

What was the primary means of planting and harvesting crops during the period of westward expansion from 1877 to 1898?

• Hand tools and horse-drawn plows

• Water irrigation and manual labor

• Human sweat and animal muscle

• Mechanical reaper and combine harvester

What effect did the mechanization of agriculture have on crop production between 1870 and 1900?

• Crop production decreased

• Crop production increased tenfold

• Crop production remained the same

• Crop production roughly doubled

What was the impact of decreasing crop prices on small farmers during the period of westward expansion?

• They were able to expand their farms

• They were forced to sell their farms at high prices

• They struggled to compete in the market

• They received government subsidies

What was the purpose of the National Grange Movement during the period of westward expansion?

• To bring isolated farmers together for socialization and education

• To organize resistance against railroad owners

• To advocate for government intervention in agriculture

• To promote industrialization in farming

Which legislation granted potential migrants 160 acres of free land out west on the condition that they would farm it and settle it?

• Interstate Commerce Commission Act

• Commerce Act of 1886

• Pacific Railroads Acts

• Homestead Act of 1862

What was the impact of the Homestead Act of 1862 on small farmers in the midwest?

• It provided enough land for farmers to make a living

• It encouraged sustainable farming practices

• It led to the expansion of small family farms

• It resulted in many farmers going bankrupt

What was the purpose of the Pacific Railroads Acts during the period of westward expansion?

• To provide financial aid to small farmers

• To grant huge swaths of land to railroad companies

• To establish a federal agency to enforce railroad regulations

• To regulate railroad rates for carrying freight

What was the significance of the Commerce Act of 1886 in relation to railroad rates?

• It required railroad rates to be reasonable and just

• It granted free land to potential migrants

• It established a federal agency to enforce farming regulations

• It provided subsidies to small farmers

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

• Discovery of gold in the region

• Completion of the transcontinental railroad

• Passage of the Homestead Act

• Establishment of boomtowns in the area

Which event led to the establishment of boomtowns like Denver City and Boulder City in the Pike’s Peak region?

• Completion of the transcontinental railroad

• Discovery of gold in the region

• Influx of railroad workers

• Passage of the Homestead Act