Westward Expansion STAAR Review

What was the primary purpose of the Oregon Trail in the 19th century?

• To serve as a trade route with Asia

• To facilitate the spread of Christianity

• To provide a route for settlers moving westward

• To establish military bases across North America

What does the term "Manifest Destiny" refer to?

• The belief in the inevitable expansion of the U.S. across the North American continent

• The legal process for acquiring land from Native Americans

• The strategy for developing the U.S. military

• The economic policy for trading with European countries

What was a major effect of the California Gold Rush?

• Decrease in the population of California

• Increase in Native American land ownership

• Rapid population growth in California

• Expansion of the cotton industry

Which of the following was a significant challenge faced by travelers on the Oregon Trail?

• Indian attacks

• Boredom

• Disease and starvation

• Lightning

What was the primary goal of the Transcontinental Railroad?

• To increase trade with Asia

• To connect the Eastern U.S. with the Western U.S. by rail

• To transport gold from California to New York

• To provide a faster route to the Oregon Trail

Who were the primary laborers that built the Central Pacific portion of the Transcontinental Railroad?

• African American slaves

• Irish immigrants

• Chinese immigrants

• Native Americans

What was one of the main reasons people were motivated to move westward during the era of Manifest Destiny?

• To escape persecution

• To find employment in the industrial sector

• To acquire land and wealth

• To establish new universities

How did the California Gold Rush affect the indigenous populations of California?

• It led to an increase in their population

• It had no significant effect on them

• It resulted in the loss of their lands and a decline in their population

• It improved their economic status

What was a significant impact of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad?

• It decreased trade between the East and West coasts

• It made travel and shipping across the continent much faster and cheaper

• It led to a decline in the U.S. economy

• It increased the isolation of Western states

Which president is most associated with the term "Manifest Destiny"?

• Abraham Lincoln

• James K. Polk

• George Washington

• Thomas Jefferson