Westward Expansion Quiz

Settlers were able to claim up to 160 acres of public land in the Great Plains as a result of...

• ... the Dawes Act.

• ...the Louisiana Purchase.

• ...the Reconstruction era.

• ...the Homestead Act.

Selected features of the Homestead Act of 1862:

• Adult citizens were granted 160 acres of public land.

• People claiming the land were required to improve the land by building a home and farming the land.

• After 5 years on the land, the person claiming the land paid a registration fee and officially owned the land.

What was one effect of the act described in this list?

• The debt of the federal government increased.

• The population of settlers in the American West increased.

• The number of conflicts with American Indians decreased.

• The demand for natural resources decreased.

All of the following are reasons the Native Americans were involved in Indian wars with settlers EXCEPT:

• destruction of the bison population
• farmers and miners claimed their land
• Native Americans were forced to live on reservations
• Native Americans were forced into slavery on plantations

Which of the following statements most accurately reflect the impact of westward expansion on Native American populations?

• White expansion into the west negatively affected native populations because of removal of native people from their lands and events like the Trail of Tears.

• Events like the Trail of Tears offered opportunities for Native Americans to work together to fight white encroachment on native lands.

• White expansion into the west positively impacted Native Americans because it forced them to develop written language and adopt Christianity.

• The discovery of gold on native lands contributed to an increase in native wealth.

In the late 1800s, the herds of bison were nearly gone from the plains. The Great Plains Indians had been put on reservations. The Indians had to...

• ...hunt deer instead of bison to feed their families.

• ...rely on the government for food, housing, and clothing.

• ...hunt raccoons and bear and sell their furs to the white man.

• ...pay the U.S. government for use of reservation land.

Which of the following was an effect of westward expansion on the American Indians?

• American Indians controlled trade and supplies and this led to settler poverty

• American Indians were forced to live on reservations, which separated from white pioneers

• American Indian tribes were moved East to make way for westward-moving American settlers

• American Indians' culture became widely accepted by white settlers

New technology included the cheap, effective fencing that prevented cattle from roaming. This invention was...

• ...the steel fence.

• ...the wood fence.

• ...barbed wire.

• ...elastic rope.

WHAT 3 THINGS Brought the End of Cattle Drives

• LARGE FARMS

  RAILROADS

  LOW DEMAND FOR BEEF

• RAILROADS

  BARBWIRE

  BUFFALO SOLDIERS

• SHIPS

  TRAINS

  HIGH DEMAND FOR BEEF

What was the primary reason for the establishment of cattle trails in the American West?

• To facilitate the movement of settlers

• To connect cattle ranches with mining camps

• To provide a direct route for cattle drives to railheads

• To avoid territories controlled by Native American tribes

 How did the railroads affect the cattle drives?

• The railroads in Texas did not affect the cattle drives
• People still chose to do cattle drives because it was cheaper
• There was still a lot of open land so the cattle went around the railroad tracks
• The cattle could now be put directly on the railcars and then sent to market