Quest #2: The West (Gilded Age 1.1)

Which of the following best describes the Frontier Thesis and the positive contributions of the "West" on the American Identity?

• The contributions of democracy, individualism, and opportunity
• The hardships and failures of frontier life
• A culture that was completely different than that of Europeans
• The image of the Wild West and its lawless frontier and the Cowboys

Which of the following describes the impact of the Homestead Act of 1862?

• The partition of land for Native Americans into 160 acres
• The providing of free land out West in 160 acre allotments to help settle the west
• Providing free land to disadvantaged groups including women and former slaves
• None of the above

Analyze (break down into its most important parts) the building, meaning, and impact of the Transcontinental RR.

The purpose of the Dawes Act of 1887 was to?

• Weaken tribes, give land to individual Native Americans, and promote assimilation
• Disperse tribes to reservations so it would be difficult for them to unite and attack the U.S.
• Increase tribal loyalty while reducing violence by allowing self government on reservations
• Provide a practical way of live in comparison to the nomadic way of life that was threatened by the loss of the Buffalo

Analyze (see definition above) and Evaluate the 2nd Native American Removal of the late 1800s.

The West is part of the Gilded Age, a phrase coined by Mark Twain that is defined as "to cover with a thin layer of gold, to give an attractive but deceptive appearance"; how exactly does the West fit this description and time period?