Quiz 2.1 Exodusters, Homestead Act & Transcontinental Railroad

What was the primary purpose of the Homestead Act of 1862?

• To provide free land to Native Americans

• To encourage the settlement of the western United States

• To establish national parks

• To promote industrialization in the East

Which two companies were responsible for the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad?

• Union Pacific and Central Pacific

• Northern Pacific and Southern Pacific

• Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe

• Great Northern and Western Pacific

What was one significant economic effect of the Transcontinental Railroad?

• It decreased the cost of shipping goods across the country

• It led to the decline of the steel industry

• It reduced the need for labor in the agricultural sector

• It caused a decrease in the population of the western states

Who were the Exodusters?

• European immigrants who settled in the Midwest

• African Americans who migrated to Kansas after the Civil War

• Native Americans who were relocated to reservations

• Chinese laborers who worked on the Transcontinental Railroad

What was a major reason for the migration of the Exodusters to the West?

• To escape the harsh winters of the North

• To find employment in the mining industry

• To escape racial discrimination and seek economic opportunities

• To join the gold rush in California