Unit 2 Test

Account of John G. Burnett, Cherokee Messenger 

…I saw the helpless Cherokees arrested and dragged from their homes, and driven at the bayonet point into the stockades. And in the chill of a drizzling rain on an October morning I saw them loaded like cattle or sheep into six hundred and forty-five wagons and started toward the west… …One can never forget the sadness and solemnity of that morning. Chief John Ross led in prayer and when the bugle sounded and the wagons started rolling many of the children rose to their feet and waved their little hands good-by to their mountain homes, knowing they were leaving them forever. Many of these helpless people did not have blankets and many of them had been driven from home barefooted… …On the morning of November the 17th we encountered a terrific sleet and snow storm with freezing temperatures and from that day until we reached the end of the fateful journey on March the 26th, 1839, the sufferings of the Cherokees were awful. The trail of the exiles was a trail of death. They had to sleep in the wagons and on the ground without fire. And I have known as many as twenty-two of them to die in one night of pneumonia due to ill treatment, cold, and exposure. Among this number was the beautiful Christian wife of Chief John Ross. This noble hearted woman died a martyr to childhood, giving her only blanket for the protection of a sick child. She rode thinly clad through a blinding sleet and snow storm, developed pneumonia and died in the still hours of a bleak winter night, with her head resting on Lieutenant Greggs saddle blanket… 

Which answer choice best describes the central idea of the passage above?

• The Cherokee Indians were forced to move west.

• The Cherokee Indians moved west.

• Many Cherokee Indians endured horrible conditions and inhumane treatment during their forced relocation.

• Many Cherokee Indians were exposed to diseases when moving west.

Which of the following best describes Manifest Destiny?

• The belief that the U.S. was destined to be the best country in the world

• The idea that God gave permission to the U.S. to fight anyone they wished

• The belief that the U.S. was the most powerful country, and everyone has to respect that

• The idea that the U.S. had permission from God to expand west

How did so many Americans end up in Mexico’s state known as Texas?

• Americans invaded the area believing it their right to do so

• Mexico invited Americans in to keep their claim on the area

• Americans slowly pushed into Mexico and Mexico never noticed

• Mexico refused to let Americans in, but they came in anyway

Which of the following is NOT a requirement United States citizens had to do to become Mexican citizens?

• Learn Spanish

• Pay a Fee

• Convert to Catholicism

• Possibly change their religion

How did former U.S. citizens bring slaves to Mexico, when Mexico outlawed slavery?

• They snuck them in illegally

• They ignored the law and brought them openly

• They converted their slaves to "indentured servants"

• Most never brought slaves

Mexican President when Texas started to fight for independence was:

• Antonio López de Santa Anna

• Benito Juárez

• Miguel de la Madrid

• Porfirio Díaz

What is the name of Texas’ first President?

• Sam Houston

• Miles Austin

• Antonia Lopez de Santa Anna

• James Dallas

Who or what is a Tejano?

• An American who moved into the Texas region

• Another name for a Mexican

• Someone born in Texas before 1845 (the year it became a state)

• Someone born in Texas after 1845 (the year it became a state)

What causes fighting to break out, which leads to the U.S. declaring war on Mexico?

• Mexico claims the Texas border is the Rio Grande River, but the U.S. claims the border is the Nueces River

• Mexico starts to build forts on disputed land

• The United States orders an invasion of Mexico and 11 Mexicans are killed

• The U.S. claims the Texas border is the Rio Grande River, but Mexico claims the border is the Nueces River

Who first discovers gold in California?

• James Marshall

• Sam Brannan

• Zachary Taylor

• Brigham Young