California Gold Rush Vocabulary Quiz

What does the term "Forty-niner" refer to?

• A type of gold coin used in the 1800s

• People who moved to California in 1849 during the Gold Rush

• A famous ship used by gold miners

• A style of hat worn during the California Gold Rush

What is a "missionary"?

• A person who travels to spread their religious beliefs

• A type of settlement in the Old West

• A tool used for mining gold

• A map used by early explorers

What does "immigrant" mean?

• A person who leaves their own country to settle permanently in another

• A type of currency used in the 19th century

• A law about moving between states

• A famous book about traveling

What is a "rancho"?

• A type of dance popular in the 1800s

• A small village

• A large land grant where cattle and crops were raised

• A tool used by farmers

What does "transcontinental" mean?

• Something that is across a continent

• A type of train used in the early 1900s

• A communication method used before telephones

• A historical treaty

Who were the "Californios"?

• Explorers from Portugal

• Native American tribes in California

• Residents of California who were of Spanish or Mexican descent before it became a U.S. state

• Gold miners who arrived in California in the 1850s

What does "claim" refer to in the context of the Gold Rush?

• A tool used to extract gold

• A type of currency

• A legal assertion to a piece of land for mining

• A popular book about gold mining

What is a "pioneer"?

• A type of wagon used in the 1800s

• A person who is among the first to explore or settle a new country or area

• A large farm animal

• A mapmaker

What does "Latter-day Saint" refer to?

• A modern religious follower of a church founded in the 19th century

• A historical figure from the Middle Ages

• A type of architecture

• A famous painting

What is a "yoke" used for?

• A tool for breaking rocks

• A device to help carry water

• A wooden beam used to join a pair of oxen or other animals to pull a load

• A type of clothing worn by miners