Exploring the Impact of Westward Expansion on America's Growth

The video discusses the westward expansion in the United States after the Civil War, highlighting government incentives like land grants and the Homestead Act that encouraged people to move west. It covers the construction of railroads, the allure of the California Gold Rush, and the opportunities for land ownership. The concept of Manifest Destiny is explored, along with its negative impacts, such as the Indian Removal Act and the Mexican-American War, which led to territorial expansion at the expense of Native American tribes and Mexico.

What major event had just ended, leading to the encouragement of westward expansion?

• The War of 1812

• World War I

• The Civil War

• The Revolutionary War

What was the purpose of the land grants given to railroad companies?

• To establish banks

• To build railroads

• To create parks

• To build schools

What was the primary goal of the Transcontinental Railroad?

• To connect the East and West coasts

• To transport gold

• To create jobs

• To build new cities

Which act allowed people to claim over 160 acres of free land in the West?

• The Land Act of 1850

• The Railroad Act of 1865

• The Homestead Act of 1862

• The Gold Rush Act of 1849

What did the Homestead Act require people to do with the land they claimed?

• Sell it within a year

• Use it for mining

• Leave it untouched

• Develop it for at least five years

What was one of the main reasons Americans moved westward?

• To escape the cold

• To find new jobs

• To strike it rich with the California Gold Rush

• To avoid taxes

Which event from the 1840s and 1850s inspired many to move west in hopes of striking it rich?

• The Mexican-American War

• The Texas Revolution

• The California Gold Rush

• The Oregon Trail

What doctrine stated that the expansion throughout the United States was America's god-given right?

• The Roosevelt Corollary

• The Monroe Doctrine

• The Manifest Destiny

• The Truman Doctrine

What was the Indian Removal Act?

• A policy to relocate Native American tribes

• A law to protect Native American lands

• An act to grant citizenship to Native Americans

• A treaty with Native American tribes

Which war was inspired by the doctrine of Manifest Destiny and resulted in the acquisition of territories like California and Texas?

• The Spanish-American War

• The Mexican-American War

• The War of 1812

• The Civil War