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Westward Expansion

Total questions: 12

Worksheet time: 12mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which correctly describes Westward Expansion?

a)

when Native Americans were forced to move West

b)

when American pioneers began to settle in the West

c)

when Lewis and Clark discovered the West

2.

What natural resource was discovered in in the early 1800s that caused people to move West?

a)

oil

b)

lumber

c)

gold

d)

fur

3.

Which idea would best complete the Bubble Map?

a)

to start a factory

b)

to own cheap, rich farmland

c)

to avoid conflict

4.

Americans began moving West because they felt it was their God-given right to claim lands in the West. What is this idea called?

a)

Divine Expansion

b)

Manifest Destiny

c)

Westward Revolution

5.

Which image shows how most settlers traveled into the West?

a)
b)
c)
6.

How did most settlers travel during the Westward Expansion period?

a)

locomotive trains

b)

wagon trains

c)

horses and camels

d)

canoes and boats

7.

Some settlers began to travel West...

a)

for religious freedom

b)

to escape a war with the Native Americans

c)

to become fishermen

8.

Why did settlers move into the western terrories? Hint: there is more than one answer!

a)

to buy cheap farmland

b)

President Jefferson forced them to move

c)

to find gold and become rich quickly

d)

to start a new life

e)

to find oil in California and sell it

9.

Traveling West was simple and quick for all settlers.

a)

true

b)

false

10.

Which describes how traveling West was for some of the settlers?

a)

It was simple and easy to travel because they received help from all Native Americans.

b)

It was difficult because of bad weather, limited food, and dangerous river crossings.

11.

Which statement below is true?

a)

Many Americans moved west to expand slavery.

b)

Traveling west was easy on Americans, especially large families.

c)

Americans moved west because they believed it was their destiny to spread their culture from coast to coast.

12.

Traveling to the west was long and tiring. Which phrase best supports this statement?

a)

Cheap, rich land in the west was used for farming.

b)

Many Mormons moved to the Utah territory to escape religious persecution.

c)

The California Gold Rush motivated many Americans to move west.

d)

Dangerous river crossings and diseases were common hardships during westward expansion.