Video Exploring the Westward Exploration

What did Frederick Jackson Turner argue was a key characteristic of American culture developed in the West?

• Urbanization

• Belief in individualism

• Technological innovation

• Industrialization

Why were railroads crucial for settlers in the West?

• For transportation of people only

• To bring crops and goods to market

• Only for mail delivery

• For decorative purposes

What was the main reason for moving Native Americans off their land?

• To build schools

• For recreational parks

• To create nature reserves

• White settlers wanted the land

What did the Dawes Act of 1887 do?

• Gave land back to Native Americans

• Allotted lands to individual Native American families

• Established new reservations

• Built railroads

What was the goal of Indian boarding schools?

• To provide free education

• To teach farming techniques

• To preserve Native American culture

• Cultural assimilation of Native Americans

What ended the era of open range ranching?

• A ban on cattle driving

• Ranchers moving closer to railroads

• The invention of the car

• The disappearance of cows

What was a major challenge for farming in the Great Plains?

• Overpopulation

• Need for massive irrigation projects

• Too much rainfall

• Lack of sunlight

Who worked on the giant commercial farms in California by 1900?

• Only American citizens

• Robots

• Migrant farm laborers from Asia and Mexico

• Local families

What did the massive agricultural surplus enable?

• Modern conveniences and technologies

• Time travel

• The creation of YouTube

• Global peace

How did the Wild West contribute to the ethos of industrial capitalism?

• By isolating itself from the rest of the country

• By increasing productivity and embracing the market

• By resisting change

• Through its myths and stories