American West Quiz

What was one of the main reasons for the economic development of the American West after the Civil War?

• The discovery of gold

• The completion of the railroads

• The invention of the telegraph

• The establishment of new universities

Which group of settlers is mentioned as having come from the Deep South to the West?

• European immigrants

• Asian immigrants

• African-American settlers

• Native American tribes

What transformed the Great Plains during the settlement from the East?

• The introduction of new wildlife

• The building of factories

• The plowing of natural grasses to plant crops

• The construction of schools

What was the fate of the American bison as a result of the settlement from the East?

• They were protected in reservations

• They were virtually wiped out

• Their population increased significantly

• They were domesticated for farming

What was the practical means for getting cattle to market in the American West?

• Horse-drawn carriages

• The railroad

• Riverboats

• Dirt roads

Who were the first cowboys that introduced cattle to Mexico centuries earlier?

• American settlers

• Black cowboys

• Spanish vaqueros

• Native American tribes

What is a common myth about the cowboy figure in the American West?

• Cowboys were primarily law enforcers

• Cowboys were mainly entertainers

• Cowboys were seen as glamorous or heroic figures

• Cowboys were wealthy landowners

According to some historians, what is a more accurate description of the West as opposed to the traditional view of it being a frontier?

• A place of peace and cooperation

• A crossroads of cultures where various groups struggled for dominance

• An uninhabited wilderness

• A land of unlimited resources