WESTWARD EXPANSION PART 1

In 1846 the United States and Great Britain negotiated the boundary of the disputed territory shown in this map.
Which factor made the negotiations more challenging?

• Supporters of Manifest Destiny argued for "Fifty-four forty or fight."

• The American Indians in the territory were hostile to settlers.

• President James Polk opposed westward expansion to the Pacific Ocean.

• Hazards along the Oregon Trail limited American settlement of the Northwest.

Why was the Mexican Cession a significant event?

• It united different cultural groups living in western areas.

• It intensified the debate over the expansion of slavery. 

• It created a temporary southern border.

• It led to the development of canal systems to move goods. 

Which statement explains one of the motivations behind Manifest Destiny?

• These are the times that try men’s souls: the summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country. . . .”

• “I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated States, and parts of States, are, and henceforward shall be free. . . .”

• “And that claim is by the right . . . to overspread and to possess the whole of the continent which Providence has given us. . . .”

• “That it is the duty of the women of this country to secure to themselves their sacred right to the elective franchise.”

Which numbered area did the United States acquire in 1846 after negotiations with Great Britain?

• A

• B

• C

• D

The names on this map best reflect which of the following?

• Family names of early pioneers in the West

• The impact of American Indian culture on southwestern states

• The influence of Spanish colonial heritage on the United States

• Religious beliefs brought by immigrants to the United States

How did the United States acquire the territory marked with the X?

• By purchasing the land from Spain

• By winning a war against Great Britain

• By purchasing the land from France

• By winning a war against Mexico

Which effect did the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo have on the United States?

• It decreased the debate over civil disobedience.

• It increased the debate over the spoils system.

• It decreased the debate over immigration.

• It increased the debate over slavery.

What reason did President James K. Polk give when he asked Congress to declare war against Mexico?

• To stop Mexican attacks against U.S. territory

• To prevent human rights abuses in Mexico

• To preserve religious freedom within Texas

• To ensure slavery would continue in Texas

Which factor contributed most to the population change shown in this table?

• Completion of the Erie Canal

• Discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill

• Completion of the Transcontinental Railroad

• Relocation of American Indians to reservations

According to the excerpt above, the Gadsden Purchase was intended to

• support settlement of U.S. territory gained through the U.S.-Mexican War

• encourage commerce among U.S. states formed from the Louisiana Purchase

• allow the United States and Mexico to share railroad construction costs

• encourage the sale of U.S. government land in Florida