Westward Expansion Quiz

Which area of land did the U.S. gain as a result of the treaty that ended the war with Mexico?

• Area A

• Area B

• Area C

• Area D

What were the effects of the discovery of gold in California? (Choose 3)

• Land became too expensive so people stopped moving west.

• Cities began to spring up throughout the west.

• The Mexican government wanted some of the gold too.

• California’s population grew quickly.

• Miners modified the environment to mine for gold.

Which statement best explains the reason the United States built the Transcontinental Railroad?

• The U.S. wanted to control the transportation system to make more money.

• The U.S. wanted a fast way to send weapons during the Mexican-American War.

• The U.S. wanted a way to travel more quickly and safely from the east to the west.

• The U.S. wanted to use the railway as a boundary between the north and the south.

Explorations of the west often began in St. Louis, Missouri. What did this location become known as?

• “The Gateway to the West”

• “The Gateway to the Oregon Trail”

Under the Homestead Act, what did settlers have to do in order to get 160 acres for free? (Choose 3)

• They had to be at least 21-years-old.

• They had to work on the railroad for five years.

• They had to fight in the Mexican-American war.

• They had to live on and develop the land for five years.

• They had to be a U.S. citizen or plan to be a U.S. citizen.

Which group modified the Great Plains to meet their needs?

• Settlers moved here to work in mines to find gold.

• Mormons used this land to build a trail to Oregon.

• Pioneers used this land to build an arch in St. Louis.

• Cowboys used this land to raise cattle and for cattle drives.

The number of buffalo in the United States ________ between 1870 and 1889.

• decreased

• increased

Decide whether each statement describes Native American reservations in the 1800s or reservations today: Tribes and nations on reservations have their own governments, businesses, and schools.

• reservations in the 1800s

• reservations today

Decide if each statement refers to the Indian Removal Act or Manifest Destiny. Led to people wanting to migrate West.

• Indian Removal Act

• Manifest Destiny

• Oregon Trail

• Gold Rush

Decide if each statement refers to the Indian Removal Act or Manifest Destiny. Led to people being forced to migrate West.

• Indian Removal Act

• Manifest Destiny

• Oregon Trail

• Gold Rush