WorksheetsWhite Americans Megaquiz, 1789-1860
Total questions: 50
Worksheet time: 29mins
What is the name given to the set of laws outlining the main rules all citizens and States within the USA must follow?
US Common Law
The Declaration of Independence
Magna Carta
The Constitution of the United States
What are the 2 parts of the Houses of Congress?
The US Senate
The House of Commons
The Supreme Court
The House of Representatives
Who was the first President of the USA?
Thomas Jefferson
George Washington
Abraham Lincoln
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Johnson
Which of the following states was not one of the original 13 founding States of the USA?
Missouri
Virginia
Massachusetts
Maryland
How much land was ceded to the USA by Britain, after the British had lost the American War of Independence?
130 million acres
180 million acres
230 million acres
280 million acres
330 million acres
What name was given to the settlers who moved out of the former British Colonies and later on the 13 original States of the USA to set up farms in Indian-held land?
Homesteaders
Mountain Men
Pioneers
Frontiersmen
What percentage of the US budget did George Washington devote to defeating the Indians in the Northwest Indian Wars?
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
What did the Treaty of Greenville agree to?
It allowed the Indians in the Northwest territory to apply for US citizenship as long as they gave up control of their land
It agreed that the Indians could live in the Northwest Territory if they agreed to 'civilise' and live as white farmers
It agreed that the USA could take control of the Northwest territory, and allow settlers to move there; the Indians would have to move west.
Which 2 of the following were States added to the USA and formed out of the lands of the former Northwest Territory?
Michigan
Alabama
Mississippi
Illinois
Which 2 of the following were States added to the USA and formed out of the lands of the former Southwest Territory?
Michigan
Alabama
Mississippi
Illinois
What size were the initial plots in the Northwest and Southwest Territories, that settlers could purchase?
160 acres
300 acres
440 acres
640 acres
What was the name given to people who settled land in the Northwest territory without paying, hoping they could raise the money and pay later?
Carpet-baggers
Vagabonds
Squatters
Vagrants
Scallywags
What was the date of the Louisiana Purchase, and which President secured the deal?
1803, George Washington
1803, Andrew Jackson
1803, Thomas Jefferson
1805, George Washington
1805, Thomas Jefferson
What was the French Territory of Louisiana purchased for, and how much land was purchased?
$15 million, 230 million acres
$15 million, 530 million acres
$160 million, 230 million acres
$160 million, 530 million acres
What was the name of the expedition that Thomas Jefferson sent out to find a trade route to the Pacific?
The Jefferson Expedition
The Trans-Continental Expedition
The Louisiana Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition
Which President was key in removing Native Americans from the Southwest Territory, allowing settlers to set up new farms and slave plantations?
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Ridgely
Thomas Jefferson
George Washington
Why were Native Americans able to live alongside white settlers in the Southwest Territory from 1815-1830?
The Native Americans had accepted that they would need to adapt their lives to fit into the USA and had become 'civilised', living and working like white citizens
The Native Americans had accepted that they would need to adapt their lives to fit into the USA and had agreed to move to Reservations
The Native Americans had accepted that they would not be able to adapt their lives to fit into the USA and agreed to move West
The Native Americans had accepted that they would need to give up some land and had signed treaties dividing up the land, allowing them to keep their way of life
What date was the Indian Removal Act and which President enacted it?
1828, Andrew Jackson
1828, Andrew Johnson
1830, Andrew Jackson
1832, Andrew Jackson
1832, Andrew Johnson
Which statement below is incorrect with regards to the settlement of the Southwest Territory?
The United States allowed any Native American in the Southwest who agreed to live in a 'civilised way' to continue living on their land after 1830
The United States repeatedly went to war with tribes who did not agree to move West, until all of the tribes had been moved out of the Southwest Territory
The United States ignored any treaties agreed with Native Americans, allowing white settlers to take their lands, and killed Native Americans if they resisted
The United States used the USA Army to force Native Americans into concentration camps, before forcibly marching them west over the winter. Thousands of Native Americans died.
What was the name given to men who went West to hunt furs and animal skins?
Skinny men
Furry men
Mountain men
Frontiersmen
What was the name given to the groups of early migrants who crossed the Plains to live on the west coast?
Homesteaders
Pioneers
Mountain men
Frontiersmen
Who was key in acting as guides to the early migrants/Pioneers who moved westwards?
Frontiersmen
Homesteaders
Cowboys
Mountain men
What was the term that was used to show that it was fated or that it was God's plan for the USA to settle the whole continent?
Definite Destiny
Manifest Destiny
Holy Destiny
Manifest Outcome
What was the name of the 2 territories out west, where Pioneers travelled to and settled?
Texas
Oregon
Kansas
California
What was the 'Pre-emption Act'?
This decreed that before anybody travelled to Oregon, if they declared what their purpose was before traveling they would be given the automatic right to a plot of land.
This decreed that before anybody travelled to California, if they declared what their purpose was before traveling they would be given the automatic right to a plot of land.
This decreed that anybody who travelled to Oregon, cleared land and built a house would be given the right to buy that land.
This decreed that anybody who travelled to California, cleared land and built a house would be given the right to buy that land.
What year was there a financial crash in the USA, with people losing their jobs and savings, resulting in many trying again in the west?
1827
1837
1847
1857
Which one of the following was not a reason why people moved to the West before 1860?
Gold
Religious persecution
Financial problems
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It was an easy journey
Approximately how far, and on average how long was the Pioneer's journey westwards?
1400 miles, 6 months
1400 miles, 8 months
2000 miles, 6 months
2400 miles, 8 months
2400 miles, 12 months
Which 3 of the following geographical features were hazards to get across for the Pioneers?
The Rocky Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains
The Sierra Nevada Desert
The Great Plains
The Great Lakes
Which 3 of the following were also serious hazards for the Pioneers?
Cholera
Typhus
Hostile Indians
The Winter
Hurricanes
What was the name of the Treaty signed in 1851 allowing the Pioneers to cross the Plains as long as they stuck to agreed trails and did not encroach on Plains Indians hunting grounds?
The Treaty of Greenville
The Fort Sumner Treaty
The Fort Laramie Treaty
The Fort Fetterman Treaty
What did the Californian 'Act for the Government and Protection of Indians' decree?
It said that Indians should not be killed or harmed in any way, and should be allowed to live peacefully on agreed Reservations.
It said that any Indians could be forced and used as slaves, if they could not prove they had a job
The law said that Native Americans were the original settlers of California and should be protected and governed fairly
The law said that all Indians could be shot on site, or used as slaves, if they refused to leave California immediately
Who was the founder of the Mormons?
Brigham Young
Brigham Old
Joseph Smith
Adam Smith
Which 2 statements below are incorrect as regards to the beliefs of the Mormons?
The Mormons believe that Joseph Smith was a reincarnation of Jesus Christ, sent to America to spread God's word
The Mormons believe that God had shown Joseph Smith a secret book written on golden plates, that showed God's plan
The Mormons believe that the bible is the one and only word of God
The Mormons believed that Jesus had come to America after his resurrection to start his true Church there
Which of the statements below are correct as regards to why many people in the USA were hostile to the Mormons? (Tick all that apply)
The Mormons were opposed to slavery and were therefore unpopular with slave holders
The Mormons were aggressive in trying to convert people which made them unpopular
Mormon beliefs were seen to be anti-Christian and blasphemous
The Mormons practised polygamy, which many Christians saw as unholy
Joseph Smith believed in the equal and shared ownership of land and property, which the rich in particular disagreed with
Which 2 statements below are correct about Joseph Smith?
Joseph Smith led the Mormons westwards to the Salt Lake to help the Mormons escape religious persecution
Joseph Smith banned polygamy in the Mormons, as it was making them so unpopular
Joseph Smith was murdered by a mob who hated Mormonism who broke in and attacked him in jail where he was awaiting trial
Joseph Smith had 55 wives in his lifetime
Joseph Smith had took the USA to the Supreme Court to guarantee the religious rights of the Mormons
After Joseph Smith's death, who took over the leadership of the Mormons?
Brigham Young
Brigham Old
John D. Lee
Lee D. Johns
Where did Brigham Young lead the Mormons to, so that they could escape religious persecution?
The Great Salt Sea
The Great Lakes
The Great Plains
The Great Salt Lake
Which of the following 3 statements are true about the Mormon settlement at the Great Salt Lake?
The Great Salt Lake was an ideal place to settle as the lake contained a ready supply of drinking water
The Mormon Church decided how much land each family would receive based on the size of the family and their needs
Each family automatically received 160 acres of land to settle when they arrived at the Great Salt Lake
Irrigation channels were dug to bring water from distant mountain streams, as the water from the Salt Lake could not be drunk or used on the farmland
Missionaries were sent across the USA and overseas to encourage and assist people to convert to Mormonism and move to the Salt Lake
Eventually the Mormons were absorbed by the USA as it expanded and grew. What was the name of the state that became the home of the Mormons?
California
Arizona
Colorado
Utah
Oregon
What year did the US Government send troops to bring the Mormons and the State of Utah into line with US laws?
1855
1856
1857
1858
1859
What was the name of the massacre where over 120 settlers who were thought to be army spies were murdered?
Mountain Meadows Massacre
Wounded Knee Massacre
Sand Creek Massacre
Massacre of the Little Bighorn
Fort Pillow Massacre
Why did Utah and the Mormons eventually agree to follow the laws of the USA?
Brigham Young died in 1857 and the new leader, John D. Lee agreed to follow US law to prevent any conflict
Brigham Young stepped down in 1857 after the Mountain Meadows Massacre of innocent settlers, with Utah agreeing to follow US law so as to prevent an armed invasion by US soldiers
Brigham Young decided to adopt US laws without argument to prevent any conflict in 1857 with the US Government
Brigham Young was voted out as Mormon leader in 1857 by the Mormons who were fed up with his leadership
Which President announced the discovery of Gold in December 1848, sparking the 'California Gold Rush' of 1849?
James Madison
Thomas Jefferson
James K. Polk
Abraham Lincoln
James Buchanan
Approximately how many Americans headed to California in 1849 to prospect for gold?
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
Which 2 of the following were not impacts of the California Gold Rush?
California became a US State in 1850
California brought in a law allowing white settlers to enslave any Indians without a job
California became a US state in 1849
Native Americans were allowed to become US citizens in California, living peacefully alongside white settlers
Mining methods caused huge environmental damage, such as chemicals poisoning the rivers, or rivers being blocked causing serious flooding, with some towns being washed away
What is the name of the Californian City that grew rapidly as a result of the Californian Gold Rush?
San Diego
San Jose
San Francisco
San Antonio
Santa Monica
What is the name of the mountain summit where gold was discovered in 1858?
Mike's Peak
Spike's Peak
Bike's Peak
Hike's Peak
Pike's Peak
Which statement is incorrect as regards to the impact of the Pike's Peak Gold Rush?
It led to a growth in population in these territories, which then led to new states such as Kansas in 1861,
The settlers in Kansas were convinced they would be able to live in peace with the Native Americans, making treaties with them to preserve their culture and way of life
The growth of mining settlements subsequently led to farming on the eastern part of the Plains, when failed miners saw other opportunities
There was increased conflict with Native Americans as miners and other settlers took over the land
Which 2 statements are correct below with regards to the California and Pike's Peak gold rushes?
There were more rail lines by the time of the Pike's Peak gold rush, that transported prospectors part of the route westwards
There were more rail lines at the time of the California gold rush, that transported prospectors part of the route westwards
Twice as many people came to Pike's Peak than California as it was an easier journey and less distance for prospectors to travel to Pike's Peak
Twice as many people came to California than Pike's Peak as it was an easier journey for prospectors to travel to California
