USH Ch.11Settling the West

In the early 1800s, Americans did not think cattle ranches on the Great Plains were practical because

• eastern cattle could not survive on tough prairie grasses.

• there was no one who ate beef in the eastern states.

• there was not enough grass to support large cattle herds.

• wagon trains had stripped the land of needed resources.

The “long drive” was when

• cowboys herded cattle hundreds of miles to a railroad line.

• Lewis and Clark mapped their journey to the Pacific Ocean.

• Native Americans traveled on their forced westward migration.

• wagon trains traveled through the Rocky Mountains.

What effect did the use of barbed wire to fence off land on the open range have on cattle ranching?

• It harmed cattle, reducing the number that made it to market.

• It blocked cattle trails, making it difficult to get cattle to market.

• It prevented cattle from finding food, reducing the number of cattle that survived each year.

• It required too much effort to maintain, so ranchers abandoned their ranches.

In the 1890s, some farmers tried to survive by mortgaging their land because

• a glut of wheat on the world market caused prices to drop.

• a series of floods destroyed several years of crops.

• prices for wheat dropped when demand for corn grew.

• they needed money to grow cotton instead of wheat.

After ore deposits near the surface dwindled, mining corporations began using

• placer mining.

• quartz mining.

• strip mining.

• tunnel mining.

People using the phrase “Pikes Peak or Bust!” were

• cattle ranchers.

• dry farmers.

• gold miners.

• mountain climbers.

Which of the following was a hardship faced by settlers on the Great Plains?

• flooding

• plague

• prairie fires

• too many trees

Before the Sand Creek Massacre, the Cheyenne had come to Fort Lyon to

• attack.

• defend their land.

• negotiate.

• surrender.

The confrontation at Wounded Knee occurred because the chief’s followers

• continued hunting buffalo.

• left their reservation.

• performed a sacred ritual.

• raided nearby farms.

Many Mexican Americans lost their lands in the West because

• A. American courts would not recognize Spanish land grants.

• B. Mexican courts forced them to sell to American settlers.

• C. they decided to leave the area before new settlers arrived.

• D. they fought against U.S. troops during the War with Mexico.