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WorksheetsWestward Expansion
Total questions: 35
Worksheet time: 18mins
Why did families build sod houses on the Great Plains?
It allowed pioneers to save their money for other expenses.
There were not many trees and sod was a useful building material.
The Homestead Act required homes to be built of sod.
It was too expensive to transport logs from pulpwood companies.
Which of the following impacted the settlement of the West?
rivers and mountains
climate and government
English and Germans
goats and deserts
How did the transcontinental railroad aid in the development of the West?
It discouraged new immigrants from settling in the West.
It limited the development of towns along the railroad routes.
It allowed white settlers to stay in the East and leave the Native Americans alone.
The ranchers and farmers could transport crops and cattle on the trains.
How did the decisions of the US government impact many Native American tribes during Westward Expansion?
The Native Americans were left alone by the government.
The Native Americans were protected by the government.
The Native Americans all died fighting in battles against white settlers.
The Native Americans lost their homelands and were forced to move onto reservations.
Why did the U.S. government displace Native Americans onto reservations?
Native Americans built fences.
Buffalo crowded the farms.
Their former lands were valuable for mining and railroads.
The Native Americans asked them to leave.
Which of the following best describes NEGATIVE effects of the railroad in the West?
Bison population was decimated, increase in mining, air pollution, Native Americans were forced onto reservations
Faster and safer travel, transported crops and cattle to the East, population boom
Why did all miners not become rich?
There was no gold to be found.
Native Americans hid all the gold from the miners.
Large gold discoveries were rare.
Large companies took all the gold.
Which invention helped farmers gather their crops at harvest?
Mechanical reaper
Barbed wire
Steel plow
Windmill
Which is NOT an example of an economic opportunity that influenced Westward Expansion?
Booming mining
New technology
Expanded railroad
Severe drought
Why did the railroad have the greatest impact on the bison?
The railroad became an opportunity for passengers to observe wildlife.
Herds of bison disappeared due to expanding railroad lines.
Settlers brought disease with them.
There was no room for bison on the reservations.
Why did many “exodusters” move to the Great Plains?
They were paid extra money.
They were forced to leave the South.
They were seeking religious freedom.
They faced discrimination and lack of opportunity in the South.
Which grouping of natural environments impeded travel of the West?
Sahara Desert, Blue Ridge Mountains, Lake Erie
Hudson River, Great Lakes, Catskills Mountains
Great Plains, Snake River, The Rocky Mountains
The Great Lakes, Mississippi River, Appalachian Mountains
Which of the following did NOT take place during Westward Expansion
Chinese immigrants came to work on the railroads
Native Americans were forced onto reservations
The Transcontinental Railroad was completed
Native Americans were happy to receive money for land
Homesteaders faced all these challenges except-
Grasshoppers and locust
Hard sod
A mild climate
Tornadoes
What nickname was given to former slaves that moved to places like Nicodemus, Kansas?
Homesteaders
Exodusters
Settlers
Pioneers
Why were cattle drives profitable for Texas ranchers?
Cattle grew larger as they traveled the trails
People paid to watch the cattle drives
Cattle could be sold for more money in the East
Railroads paid ranchers to use their services
Each of these statements describes the Central Pacific railroad (the one that started in California) except-
Irish immigrants made up the majority of the workforce
Chinese immigrants made up the majority of the workforce
Workers faced difficulty blasting through the Sierra Nevadas
Work began in California and moved east
The Chinese were often paid lower wages for their work on the transcontinental railroad. What can you infer from this practice?
The Chinese asked to be paid less.
The quality of the work done by the Chinese was inferior.
The Chinese did not work as fast as the European immigrants.
The Chinese were discriminated against because of their culture.
Which of the following explains the significance of the Battle of Wounded Knee?
The Battle of Wounded Knee convinced the U.S. government to stop relocating Native Americans.
The Battle of Wounded Knee ended Native American resistance to the reservation policy.
The Battle of Wounded Knee was the largest Native American victory over U.S. troops.
The Battle of Wounded Knee led to the Native American migration to Canada.
The U.S. government divided reservation land into farms for individual Native Americans. What was the MAIN reason that many of these farms failed?
The soil was bad for farming and it went against the Native American beliefs and traditions.
The government did not give the Native Americans enough seeds to successfully grow crops.
There was not enough rain and the farms suffered because of drought.
The tools and equipment provided by the U.S. government were old and outdated.
Why did reformers support removing Native American children from their homes and sending them to boarding schools?
It was cheaper living in the Eastern boarding schools so the children would have better lives.
They thought the children would be happier with other families that could give them a better life.
They wanted the Native American children to learn the ways of the white man.
The government was trying to punish the Native Americans for the Indian wars.
Why is the Battle of Little Bighorn also known as “Custer’s Last Stand”?
Custer resigned after witnessing the brutal Lakota defeat.
Custer was seriously injured as he led his forces to victory.
Custer was killed along with his entire forces.
Custer surrendered after his forces were surrounded by the Lakota.
Explain the relationship between cowboys and ranchers.
Conflict - The cowboys wanted to be paid more money to transport cattle across the West.
Cooperation - The ranchers hired cowboys to transport cattle across the West.
Explain the relationship between cowboys and farmers.
Cooperation - Cowboys and farmers worked together to plant crops.
Conflict - Farmers fenced in their farms and cowboys did not want the land fenced in.
Based on the image, in what year were the most acres of land “proved up” under the Homestead Act?
1910
1913
1916
1901
What does this picture show?
The soldiers that are about to go hunt bison.
The soldiers after Custer's Last Stand
The two railroad companies celebrating after finishing the Transcontinental Railroad.
The mining companies and the small prospectors deciding where to look for gold.
Which group of people would have been most offended (upset) by this picture?
African Americans
Native Americans
Homesteaders
Asian Immigrants
According to the map, which letter represents the Appalachian Mountains?
F
H
L
J
According to the map, which letter represents the Mississippi River?
D
E
F
G
According to the map, which letter represents the Great Plains?
H
D
E
F
According to the map, which letter represents the Transcontinental Railroad?
G
D
E
H
According to the map, which letter represents the Rocky Mountains?
G
H
J
L
Review: Why was Reconstruction needed in the United States?
The Civil War destroyed a lot of land in the South
The Revolutionary War destroyed parts of the country.
Slaves had to be divided among northern states.
The Industrial Revolution meant new building materials.
Review: Which of the following was a major role of the Freedmen's Bureau?
to enforce the black codes
to help write new state constitutions
to help former slaves (freedmen) after the war
to encourage African Americans to run for office
Review: What was a major goal of subversive groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan, during Reconstruction?
to intimidate, spread fear, and terrorize freedmen
to support the 15th amendment
to build schools across the South
to help Confederate soldiers find homes
