American History: Westward Expansion Quiz

What was the main idea behind 'Manifest Destiny'?

• None of the above

• Europeans had the right to American lands

• Americans should focus on the eastern territories

• Americans had the right to spread across the continent

What did the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo accomplish in 1848?

• Ended the Mexican War and gave the U.S. control of Texas, New Mexico, and California

• Started the Mexican-American War

• The U.S. purchased Alaska from Russia

• Mexico gained control of Texas

What was the significance of the Gadsden Purchase in 1853?

• It initiated the American Revolution

• It marked the end of the Civil War

• The U.S. sold parts of Arizona and New Mexico to Mexico

• The U.S. bought southern Arizona and southern New Mexico from Mexico

Who were the 'Forty-Niners'?

• Soldiers in the Mexican-American War

• Explorers who mapped the western territories

• Politicians who supported the annexation of Texas

• People who went to California looking for gold in 1849

What was the slogan '54-40 or Fight!' about?

• A protest against British taxation

• A presidential campaign slogan in 1844

• A battle cry during the Civil War

• A demand to set the Oregon border at latitude 54 40'

What triggered the Mexican-American War?

• The discovery of gold in California

• The annexation of Texas by the U.S.

• The Louisiana Purchase

• The signing of the Treaty of Paris