wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

NEW

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

Westward Expansion

Total questions: 30

Worksheet time: 3600secs

Name
Class
Date
1.
What geographical obstacles did pioneers face while moving west?
a)
Mountain ranges, rivers, and deserts  
b)
Sickness or disease 
c)
Fighting with Native Americans 
d)
Bad weather or storms
2.
How did most people travel to the west?
a)
Boat
b)
Horseback
c)
Car
d)
Covered Wagon
3.
What were Boom Towns?
a)
Towns that were developed when gold and silver was found in a particular place. 
b)
Towns that were abandoned after the gold and silver mines were depleted.
c)
Towns where dynamite was found
d)
Towns where loud sounds were often heard.
4.
Who did President Thomas Jefferson send to explore the land of the Louisiana Purchase?
a)
Washington and Adams
b)
Madison and Monroe
c)
Lewis and Clark
d)
John Smith and John Rolfe
5.
Which President made the Louisiana Purchase?
a)
Madison
b)
Adams
c)
Jefferson
d)
Monroe
6.
When President Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory, how did that change our country?
a)
More people to feed
b)
Doubled the size of our country
c)
Started a war
d)
Got Jefferson fired.
7.
List an obstacle that settlers faced traveling west.
a)
mountains
b)
crossing rivers
c)
the great plains
d)
all of the above
8.
What nickname was given to the forced removal of Cherokee from Georgia?
a)
The Trail of Tears
b)
The U.S Indian Removal Act
c)
The Oklahoma Caravan
9.
Who were the 49ers?
a)
Gold miners
b)
Locals of California during the gold rush.
c)
Football tram
d)
The boom-town
10.
What was the Alamo?
a)
The train that traveled through Texas
b)
A city in Texas
c)
A fort that was used by the Americans
11.
In 1830, before the annexation of Texas, Texas was a part of _________.
a)
Canada
b)
Mexico
c)
United States
12.
Why were many Americans moving out West?
a)
To be with their families 
b)
Better weather conditions
c)
Good, cheap farmland
13.
Why did people move to California in 1849 for the gold rush?
a)
To strike it rich
b)
To sell tools 
14.
A town whose population grows very quickly is called a ____________.
a)
Pop town
b)
Fast  town
c)
Boomtown
15.
Where did the Oregon Trail begin?
a)
Independence, Missouri 
b)
Oregon City, Oregon
c)
Rocky Mountains 
16.
Where does the Oregon Trail end?
a)
Independence, Missouri
b)
Oregon City, Oregon
c)
Rocky Mountains
17.

What area does G represent?

a)

Mexican Cession

b)

Louisiana Purchase

c)

Oregon Territory

d)

Texas Annexation

18.

Which of the following was a social effect of westward expansion on the Native Americans?

a)

NA could not get enough supplies and this led to poverty

b)

NA were forced to live on reservations, which separated them from white pioneers

c)

NA could no longer access the rich mineral deposits found in the Black Hills

d)

NA culture became widely accepted by white settlers

19.

How were the Native Americans economically affected by displacement?

a)

They profited from gold found on their reservations

b)

Their families were separated from their children

c)

They lived comfortably on reservations

d)

Many suffered from poverty and starvation

20.
What was the Indian Removal Act?
a)
All NA had to move to Europe
b)
All NA had to move to Canada
c)
all NA east of the Mississippi are forced to move to a territory in Oklahoma
d)
All NA west of the Mississippi River had to move to Oklahoma
21.

Which of the following is one reason the United States and Great Britain fought during the War of 1812?Which of the following is one reason the United States and Great Britain fought during the War of 1812?

a)

The United States was trying to take over British colonies in North America.

b)

The United States wanted Europeans to stay out of the Western Hemisphere.

c)

Great Britain was making it hard for the United States to trade with other countries.

d)

Great Britain was trying to gain control of all trade on the Mississippi River and in the Louisiana Territory.

22.

Why did General George Custer and the US Army attack the Lakota, the Cheyenne, and other American Indians during the Battle of The Little Bighorn?

a)

The US government wanted to end a war between the Lakota and the Cheyenne.

b)

The American Indians would not give up their land and move onto reservations.

c)

The US government wanted the American Indians to move from Little Bighorn to Georgia.

d)

The American Indians took over the town of Little Bighorn and forced the settlers to leave.

23.

Use the graph to answer the question.

What led to the growth shown on the graph?

a)

The discovery of gold in California.

b)

The battle of the Alamo in California.

c)

The expedition of Lewis and Clark to California.

d)

The relocation of American Indians to California

24.

Use the information to answer the question.

“My family and I have talked a lot about moving out West. We have a very nice house, and my kids like their school a lot here in New York. However, moving to The West could be adventurous, and we could find a lot of land on which to start our dream farm.”

-Dan Brown of Albany, New York

1830

Which economic concept BEST describes the decision making process necessary for this family?

a)

Specialization

b)

Price Incentive

c)

Opportunity Cost

d)

Voluntary Exchange

25.

Use the chart to answer the questions.

What is MOST LIKELY the cause of these changes?

a)

The invention of the cotton gin.

b)

The opening of the Erie Canal for trade.

c)

The new farms at the end of the Oregon Trail.

d)

The removal of Native Americans from their lands.

26.

What role did price incentive play in the changes shown in the chart?

a)

As the cost of cotton production increased, plantation owners purchased less land and cotton.

b)

As the cost of cotton production decreased, plantation owners bought more land and planted more cotton.

c)

As the cost of cotton production decreased, plantation owners planted less cotton in order to focus on crop rotation.

d)

As the cost of cotton production increased, plantation owners purchased more land and planted more cotton.

27.

Which of the following is one reason why was The South specialized in cotton production?

a)

The region’s mild climate and fertile soil

b)

Gold Miner’s need for new mining clothes

c)

The region’s dry winters helped with production

d)

Pioneers’ need for new clothes to move westward

28.

Use the situation to answer the question

A new miner in California broke his shovel digging for gold. He went to the nearest mining town and purchased a new one from the owner of the hardware store.

Who benefited from this voluntary exchange?

a)

Only the miner benefited

b)

Only the store owner benefited

c)

Both the miner and store owner benefited

d)

Neither the miner nor the store owner benefited

29.

Which of the following is one way the telegraph could help a business owner in the 1800s?

a)

The owner can ship more heavier loads of goods up the Mississippi River

b)

The owner can quickly communicate with customers across the country

c)

The owner can transport more goods to multiple cities to reach a lot more customers

d)

The owner can specialize in producing one item and expect to make a lot more money

30.

Which of the following was one impact of the invention of the cotton gin?Which of the following was one impact of the invention of the cotton gin?

a)

It increased the number of small farms.

b)

It increased the number of slaves in The South

c)

It decreased the number of slaves in The South

d)

It decreased the size and number of plantations