Westward Expansion in America Quiz

What was one reason many pioneers wanted to move west in America?

• To find colder weather

• To escape from freedom

• To look for a better life and new opportunities

• To avoid farming

Which valuable resource was discovered in California in 1848 that led to a mass migration of settlers?

• Oil

• Gold

• Coal

• Diamonds

What was the belief called that Americans were destined by God to spread across the North American continent?

• American Dream

• Manifest Destiny

• Westward Hope

• Pioneer Spirit

What did the Homestead Act of 1862 offer to Americans who moved west?

• Free transportation

• 160-acre plots of public land for a small fee

• Guaranteed gold mines

• Free houses in cities

Who were the Exodusters?

• Native Americans who moved east

• African Americans who moved west after the Civil War

• Miners searching for silver

• Settlers from Europe

Explain how the discovery of gold in California influenced westward migration. Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

• It made people want to stay in the East.

• It sparked a mass migration because people hoped to find wealth.

• It caused people to move to Europe.

• It stopped people from farming.

What was one way settlers tried to weaken Native Americans and force them off their lands?

• By building schools for them

• By slaughtering bison herds for recreation

• By giving them more land

• By helping them farm

Why were people called '49ers' during the Gold Rush?

• They were born in 1949

• They traveled in groups of 49

• They went to California in 1849 for gold

• They found 49 pieces of gold

How did the population of California change by the end of the year during the Gold Rush?

• It decreased by 100,000

• It stayed the same

• It grew by almost 100,000

• It doubled

What was the main goal of building the Transcontinental Railroad?

• To connect north and south

• To connect east and west

• To build more towns

• To find gold