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Westward Expansion before the Civil War

Total questions: 51

Worksheet time: 28mins

Name
Class
Date
1.
He was a western pioneer who explored the Appalachian Mountains, discovered the Cumberland Gap, and developed the Wilderness Road
a)
Robert Livingston
b)
DeWitt Clinton
c)
Daniel Boone
d)
Robert Fulton
2.

What were some reasons people moved west?

a)

Get land

b)

Start a new life

c)

Move away from crowded cities

d)

Manifest Destiny

3.
What made it difficult for early pioneers to move westward?
a)
The Rocky Mountains
b)
The Mississippi River
c)
The Applachian Mountains
d)
Sierra Nevada Mountains
4.
What is the belief that it is our destiny to expand westward and fill the country coast to coast?
a)
Manifest Destiny
b)
The American Dream
c)
Expansionism
d)
World Domination
5.
The USA paid this much for the Louisiana Purchase.
a)
$12 million
b)
$250 million
c)
$15 million
d)
$32 million
6.
Why did Pioneers settle near rivers?
a)
They wanted to ship their crops to market on the rivers.
b)
They needed water for their animals.
c)
They wanted to dam the rivers to build lakes.
d)
They liked to fish.
7.
With the purchase of the Louisiana Territory, the United States could expand ___.
a)
to the north
b)
to the south
c)
to the west
d)
to the east
8.

Who helped guide Louis and Clark through the unfamiliar land?

a)

Thomas Jefferson

b)

Sacagawea

c)

Mountain men

d)

Pioneers

9.

What was the main reason Native Americans resented settlers who moved into the West?

a)

They ate all the corn

b)

They took their land

c)

They stole horses

d)

They had different religious beliefs

10.

What was Tecumseh’s idea to stop settlers?

a)

Impose high taxes on them

b)

Get the Native Americans to unite together

c)

To sink their ships

d)

To derail trains

11.

How did the building of the Erie Canal in New York affect the rest of the country?

a)

Other states also built canals.

b)

It had no effect on other states.

c)

Boats left the other state canals to go to the Erie Canal

d)

No other states wanted canals

12.

What disadvantages did canals have over railroads?

a)

They freeze in winter.

b)

They couldn't travel over mountains.

c)

They were slower than trains

d)

All are correct

13.

What was the biggest advantage of the steamboat compared to other river travel?

a)

They were eco-friendly

b)

They were prettier than flatboats

c)

They can go over mountains

d)

They can travel upstream as well as downstream

14.
The United States purchased the Louisiana Territory from what country?
a)
Great Britain
b)
France
c)
Russia
d)
Spain
15.
What president arranged the Louisiana Purchase?
a)
Thomas Jefferson
b)
George Washington 
c)
Andrew Jackson
d)
William Henry Harrison
16.
Why did pioneers carry rifles and axes with them into the west?
a)
They wanted to trade them with the Native Americans
b)
So they would have them later when they settled
c)
Because they didn't know what else to take with them.
d)
They took rifles for hunting and protection and Axes to clear trees away.
17.

The two people Jefferson sent to explore the Louisiana Territory after it was purchased?

a)

Sacagawea & John Smith

b)

York & Daniel Boone

c)

Franklin & Mason

d)

Lewis & Clark

18.
What is a Conestoga Wagon?
a)
A pull toy children rode in.
b)
A wagon pulled by horses along a canal.
c)
A wagon used to carry coal.
d)
A covered wagon settlers used to carry their supplies.
19.
What was ONE goal Lewis & Clark had on their Expedition?
a)
Record the bird calls of the region.
b)
Become best friends with the Indians
c)
Make camps along the way
d)
Document the Geography of their route
20.
__________ was an important help as guide and an interpreter during the Lewis and Clark expedition
a)
York
b)
Mandan
c)
Sacagawea
d)
Toussaint L'Ouverture
21.
President Jackson sent soldiers to remove the ____ to the Indian Territory.
a)
Cherokee
b)
Iroquois
c)
Souix
d)
Red Hawks
22.
The Indian Removal Act of 1830 forced Indians to move
a)
to Oklahoma
b)
to Florida
c)
to the Louisiana Purchase
d)
to Canada
23.

Which did Lewis and Clark see on their expedition?

a)

Atlantic Ocean

b)

Pacific Ocean

c)

Continental Divide

d)

Rocky Mountains

24.
Which of the following was the Cherokee’s 800 mile march to the indian territory where ¼ of the Cherokee tribe died on the march to the land?
a)
Second Seminole War
b)
Trail of Tears
c)
Blackhawk
d)
Cherokee resistance
25.
Native Americans believed land and resources
a)
belonged to the first to claim it
b)
belonged to the Native American tribe who lived there
c)
belonged to the community, not just one person or family
d)
should be bought and sold at auction
26.
The Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek, Chickasaw and Seminole Indians were knows as the
a)
Five Tribes
b)
Original settlers
c)
Indian Removal
d)
Trail of Tears
27.
Which people provided a safe haven for African Americans who escaped from slavery?
a)
the Chickasaw in Alabama
b)
the Seminole in Florida
c)
the Cherokee in Georgia
d)
the Creek in Mississippi
28.

Sequoyah is famous for...

a)

creating a legal system

b)

develop a written language

c)

urging an alliance with the Patriots

d)

urging peace between settlers and Cherokees

29.

_______________ is a large rectangular boat that was partially covered by a roof.

a)

expansion

b)

flatboat

c)

ferry

d)

frontier

30.
What do you call people who made their living exploring, trapping animals and pushing into the wilderness?
a)
Mountain Bars
b)
Mountain Lions
c)
Mountain Men
d)
Mountain Dudes
31.
What were the difficulties of the Oregon Trail?
a)
Length of the journey
b)
Disease
c)
Weather
d)
All of the above
32.
Why would people head West on the Oregon Trail?
a)
Free pizza at the end of the trip.
b)
They win a million dollars.
c)
New land, opportunities & life.
d)
The Oregon coast was prettier than the East coast.
33.

Why did President Polk decide to go to war with Mexico to get California and New Mexico?

a)

he wanted to make them both slave states

b)

Mexico wouldn't sell the land to the U.S.

c)

he wanted the gold mines

d)

he wanted to move the Capitol to California

34.

The U.S. claimed that the boarder of Texas was at the

a)

Mississippi River

b)

Rio Grande River

c)

Nueces River

d)

Los Angeles River

35.
Where was gold first discovered in California? 
a)
Comstock Lode
b)
Sutter's Mill
c)
San Francisco
d)
Lowell Mills
36.

What was the nickname for people who moved to California during the gold rush?

a)

Raiders

b)

Carpet Baggers

c)

Surfers

d)

Forty Niners

37.
Some store owners became rich selling gold prospectors their supplies.
a)
True
b)
False
38.
Why did Mormon pioneers migrate to Utah?
a)
better climate
b)
bigger population
c)
economic opportunity
d)
religious freedom
39.

___________________ offered to start a colony of American settlers in Texas in exchange for land, the Mexican government gladly accepted.

a)

Stephen Austin

b)

Sam Houston

c)

General Santa Anna

d)

William Travis

40.

The settlers in Texas had made a number of promises to the Mexican government.


>>>>> Mark all the promises that they made. !!!

a)

They promised to adopt the Roman Catholic religion.

b)

They promised to learn Spanish

c)

They promised to become loyal Mexican citizens

d)

They promised to fight the British

e)

They promised to free any enslaved workers they brought to Texas

41.

The settlers in Texas kept their promises to the Mexican government.

a)

True

b)

False

42.

William Travis and his men could have safely retreated from San Antonio. Instead,

a)

they decided to run back to the United States

b)

go to Mexico and attack the Mexicans there

c)

use fighter planes to shoot at the Mexicans.

d)

they decided to take shelter behind the thick walls of the Alamo

43.

Texans elected _________________ to be the first president of their new country.

a)

Stephen Austin

b)

Sam Houston

c)

General Santa Anna

d)

William Travis

44.

Americans were interested in Oregon because of the animals that lived there.

a)

True

b)

False

45.

The United States insisted that _________ should give up its claim to the area. Oregon—all of it, right up to the southern boundary of Alaska at 54° 40’ north latitude.

a)

Great Britain

b)

Canada

c)

Mexico

d)

France

46.

The Oregon Trail started in

a)

Chimney Rock, Nebraska

b)

Independence, Missouri

c)

Oregon City, Oregon

d)

Mexico

47.

When the Mexican government refused to sell California and New Mexico, the US President

a)

sent American troops onto the disputed area of land between the two rivers.

b)

offered more money

c)

asked Britain to help pay for the land

d)

did nothing

48.

________________ decided to protest the war by refusing to pay his taxes. He was put in jail overnight, but then his aunt paid the tax for him.

a)

Abraham Lincoln

b)

Sam Houston

c)

Henry David Thoreau

d)

President Polk

49.

When people believe their government is doing evil, as a matter of conscience they should peacefully refuse to join in that evil. This is called

a)

absolute defiance

b)

libertarian policy

c)

civil disobedience

d)

criminal acts of war

50.

Young and his exploring group of about 150 Mormons reached the top of a range of mountains near _____________

a)

the Great Salt Lake

b)

California

c)

New Mexico

d)

Texas

51.

Why was travel so bad in the 1700s

a)

Airplane tickets were too expensive.

b)

Maps were hard to read.

c)

Trains were too full.

d)

Few roads and roads were bad

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