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Westward Expansion

Total questions: 28

Worksheet time: 14mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

This list describes --

a)

economic motives for Manifest Destiny

b)

reasons for issuing the Monroe Doctrine

c)

reasons for the Gadsden Purchase

d)

economic motives for the Northwest Ordinance

2.

Why did Mormons relocate to Salt Lake City, Utah?

a)

They wanted to pursue new economic opportunities

b)

They were being persecuted due to their religious beliefs

c)

They wanted to discover gold

d)

They wanted to reach the Pacific Ocean

3.

Which immigrant group migrated to California in large numbers to find gold?

a)

Irish

b)

Portuguese

c)

French

d)

Chinese

4.

Identify a major political reason for Manifest Destiny.

a)

religious persecution

b)

expanding the country from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean

c)

for adventure

d)

abolishing slavery throughout the United States

5.

Which reason did the U.S. give for declaring war on Mexico?

a)

to overturn a corrupt Mexican government

b)

to defend U.S territory in Texas from Mexican aggression

c)

to end a Mexican slave rebellion

d)

to respond to attacks from U.S. merchant ships by Mexican pirates

6.

Which of the following best completes the diagram?

a)

slaveholding states

b)

bordered by the Pacific

c)

formerly part of Mexico

d)

dependent of heavy industry

7.

The most popular route people traveled along to move west was?

a)

The Trail of Tears

b)

The Oregon Trail

c)

The Mississippi Expedition

d)

The Rocky Mountain Trail

8.

What happened during the Gold Rush?

a)

People from all over the world moved to California

b)

Prospectors stayed in mining camps to explore an area and hunt for gold

c)

Thousands of people panned for gold hoping to become rich

d)

All of the above

9.

The United States government forced many Native American tribes to relocate to different areas called Indian Reservations so that…

a)

white settlers could move on that land

b)

they to turn the land into National Parks

c)

they could build cabins as rest stops in the mountains

d)

they could sell the land to Mexico

10.

During the Westward Expansion the United States more than doubled in size.

a)

True

b)

False

11.

Millions of people became rich during the Gold Rush in California

a)

True

b)

False

12.
After the Revolutionary War, many settlers moved to the western frontier and beyond. Which term best describes this group of people?
a)
merchants
b)
pioneers
c)
patroons
d)
soldiers
13.
What was the main cause of death along the trails to the West?
a)
sickness and accidents
b)
border disagreements
c)
equipment breaking down
d)
not enough gold was found
14.
Why did Americans move to Texas in the 1830s?
a)

to claim more land on which to grow cotton

b)
to support the government of Mexico
c)
 to stake a claim to gold mines
d)
 to practice their religion freely
15.
What caused the spike in population in San Francisco 1849?
a)
the Mexican War
b)
the admission of California as a state
c)
the discovery of gold
d)
the increased immigration of the Chinese
16.
What did the Mexican government do that made the Texans fight for their independence?
a)
forced Texans to become Catholics.
b)
enforced the law that outlawed slavery.
c)
taxed  the land and property of the Texans
d)
violated their rights to a fair trial.
17.
Why was the annexation of Texas to the United States delayed for 9 years?
a)
 The U.S. wanted to keep the balance between slave and free states.
b)
The U.S. wanted to keep the peace with Mexico 
c)
Texans wanted their independence.
d)
Texans allied themselves with Great Britain
18.

What land did America gain after the Mexican-American War?

a)

Texas

b)

the Mexican Cession

c)

the Louisiana Territory

d)

the Oregon Territory

19.
Which group of Americans followed the "Trail of Tears" when they were forced to leave their homes?
a)
Japanese Americans
b)
Irish Americans
c)
Cherokee Indians
d)
Mormons
20.
How did the Cherokee attempt to protect their rights to their lands?
a)
They fought wars against the U.S. army
b)
They took their case to the Supreme Court
c)
They adopted American customs
d)
They made treaties with the U.S. government
21.
What was the “Trail of Tears?”
a)
It was the Cherokee’s 800-mile journey to Indian Territory.
b)
It was the journey of the Seminole people from Florida to New Orleans
c)
It was a migration of the Chickasaw people from Alabama to Indian Territory.
d)
It was the Cherokee’s traditional land
22.
Where were the Native Americans from the eastern portion of the United States moved to?
a)
Rich farmland in California
b)
 Reservations in Oklahoma
c)
Internment camps in the mountains
23.

After a War with Mexico, the United States received which territories?? (Hint: 2 Answers

a)

California

b)

Oregon

c)

Texas

d)

Florida

24.

The most famous route West was the ---

a)

Oregon Trail

b)

Washington Trail

c)

Missouri Trail

d)

Santa Fe Trail

25.

Which mountains did the Settlers have to cross?

a)

Rocky Mountains

b)

Appalachian Mountains

c)

Andes Mountains

d)

Alps

26.

TRUE or FALSE: The journey was long, but easy for the pioneers moving West.

a)

True

b)

False

27.

Which of the following is NOT a reason people moved West?

a)

Gold

b)

Land ownership

c)

Farming opportunities

d)

Freedom

e)

A stress-free, easy life

28.

What was NOT a result of the Alamo?

a)

No Americans were left alive to be taken as prisoner

b)

"Remember the Alamo" became a battle cry of the Texans

c)

Texas lost its revolution against Mexico

d)

Famous frontiersmen Davy Crockett and David Bowie died