American History Quiz: 1800s Challenges

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

• Cattle could not survive on tough prairie grasses.

• There was no demand for 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 series of floods destroyed several years of crops.

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

• prices for wheat dropped when demand for corn grew

• they needed money to grow cotton instead of wheat

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

• Flooding

• Drought

• Prairie Fires

• Too many trees

Before the Sand Creek Massacre, why did Chief Black Kettle and the Cheyenne go to Fort Lyon?

• To negotiate

• To attack

• To surrender

• To defend their land

The confrontation at Wounded Knee occurred because the Sioux

• Continued hunting buffalo

• Left the reservation

• Performed a ritual

• Raided nearby farms

Many Mexican Americans lost their lands in the West because

• Mexican courts forced them to sell to American settlers

• They decided to leave the area before new settlers arrived

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

• The U.S. Courts would not recognize the Spanish land grants

The Texas ____________________ was a breed of cattle descended from Spanish cattle that had been brought to Mexico two centuries earlier

Many ____________________ became rich when the mines they created generated huge profits