Environmental Impact of U.S. Westward Expansion

The video discusses the environmental impacts of US Western expansion in the 1880s, focusing on the near extinction of the buffalo and the passenger pigeon. It highlights the transformation of Native peoples' status and the role of overhunting and ecosystem changes, such as deforestation and conversion of plains into farms, in these extinctions.

What period is noted for significant environmental effects due to US Western expansion?

• 1860s

• 1880s

• 1900s

• 1920s

Which two species faced near extinction in the 1880s?

• Buffalo and passenger pigeon

• Bald eagle and gray wolf

• Elk and prairie dog

• Grizzly bear and mountain lion

What major change happened to Native peoples in the 1870s and 1880s?

• They gained new territories

• They were transferred to reservations

• They formed new alliances

• They migrated to the East

What was one of the main causes of the passenger pigeon's extinction?

• Transformation of forest lands

• Overhunting

• Climate change

• Introduction of new predators

How did the transformation of forest lands affect the passenger pigeon?

• It provided more food

• It reduced their food sources

• It created new nesting areas

• It increased their population

What happened to the plains in the Great West during the environmental transformation?

• They became national parks

• They were left untouched

• They were transformed into farms

• They were turned into industrial zones