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Westward Settlement Test (Summer 2023)

Total questions: 83

Worksheet time: 44mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What was a typical job for a cowboy in the American West?

a)

 Herd cattle

b)

Take care of horses

c)

Repair fences

d)

All choices

e)

No choices

2.

What was it called when a large herd of cattle was moved from the ranch to the market?

a)

Wrangling

b)

Cattle drive

c)

Market run

d)

Roundup

3.

What was the job of the wrangler?

a)

Cook the meals

b)

Brand the cattle

c)

Keep track of the extra horses

d)

Lead the cattle drive

4.

How did cowboys know which cattle belonged to what ranch?

a)

By the brand

b)

By the color

c)

By the hooves

d)

By the ears

5.

Besides the horse, what was the most important possession of a cowboy?


a)

Saddle

b)

Boots

c)

Chaps

d)

Hat

e)

Spurs

6.

What was the punishment for stealing a cowboy's horse?

a)

Slap on the hand

b)

Month in jail

c)

Hanging

d)

No punishment as horses were free

7.

What did cowboys wear to protect their legs from sharp bushes and cacti?

a)

Wranglers

b)

Chaps

c)

 Bandanas

d)

Leggings

8.

What is a sports competition designed around the daily jobs of a cowboy called?

a)

Rodeo

b)

Western

c)

Horse match

d)

Rancher

9.

Which of the following was NOT a term used to describe an experienced cowboy?

a)

Cowhand

b)

Cowpoke

c)

Buckaroo

d)

Tenderfoot

10.

What was a popular musical instrument for cowboys?

a)

Piano

b)

Trumpet

c)

Bass

d)

Harmonica

11.

In what year did the United States make the Louisiana Purchase?

a)

1902

b)

1812

c)

1776

d)

1803

12.

Who was leader of France at the time of the purchase?

a)

Napoleon

b)

Robespierre

c)

King Louis XIV

d)

Thomas Jefferson

13.

How much did the U.S. pay for the Louisiana Territory?

a)

$150 million

b)

$80 million

c)

$1 Billion

d)

$15 million

14.

True or False: All of the U.S. Congress supported the purchase.

a)

True

b)

False

15.

What famous explorers traveled up the Missouri River and to the Pacific Ocean?

a)

Louis and Jones

b)

Smith and Wesson

c)

Lewis and Clark

d)

Holmes and Watson

16.

What port city did Thomas Jefferson originally set out to purchase from France?

a)

New York

b)

Charleston

c)

New Orleans

d)

Boston

17.

Who was the U.S. president at the time of the purchase?

a)

Napoleon

b)

George Washington

c)

Thomas Jefferson

d)

George Bush

18.

The land of the Louisiana Purchase was to the west of what major river?

a)

Connecticut River

b)

Mississippi River

c)

Colorado River

d)

Rio Grande River

19.

What future U.S. president traveled to France to make the deal?

a)

James K. Polk

b)

John Quincy Adams

c)

James Monroe

d)

John Tyler

20.

What country owned the land before France?

a)

England

b)

Spain

c)

Netherlands

d)

Italy

21.
 What year did the gold rush in California begin? 
a)
1492
b)
1619
c)
1776
d)
1848
22.

What was the nickname for people who moved to California during the gold rush?

a)

Raiders

b)

Carpet Baggers

c)

Surfers

d)

Forty Niners

23.
What were towns called that grew rapidly when gold was discovered nearby? 
a)
Rush towns
b)
Cities of gold
c)
Boomtowns
d)
Ghost towns
24.

What were towns called that were abandoned once the gold was gone?

a)

Empty cities

b)

Ghost towns

c)

Lonelyvilles

d)

Boomtowns

25.

What state boomed in 1849 due to the Gold Rush?

a)

Texas

b)

Florida

c)

Oregon

d)

California

26.

 Where was gold first discovered in California?

a)

Sutter's Mill

b)

Sacramento

c)

Comstock Lode

d)

San Francisco

27.

True or False: Some store owners became rich selling gold prospectors their supplies.

a)

True

b)

False

28.

What was it called when miners used pans to separate dirt from gold?

a)

Panning for gold

b)

Dirt panning

c)

Gold sifting

d)

Panning for dollars

29.

Around how many people moved to California in 1849 to mine for gold?

a)

1,000

b)

20,000

c)

50,000

d)

90,000

30.

True or False: Despite the hype, very little gold was mined during the California gold rush.

a)

True

b)

False

31.
Land set aside for Native Americans to live on.
a)
farm cooperative
b)
sooner
c)
Chisholm Trail
d)
reservation
32.
___________ played a major role in the mining and cattle industry for transporting
a)
wagon trains
b)
railroads
c)
trucks
d)
tractors
33.

Around how long is the Oregon Trail?

a)

100 miles

b)

500 miles

c)

1000 miles

d)

2000 miles

34.

In what state did the Oregon Trail begin?

a)

New York

b)

Missouri

c)

Florida

d)

California

35.

What was the main vehicle used to carry belongings by pioneers on the Oregon Trail?

a)

Train

b)

Steamboat

c)

Covered Wagon

d)

Jeep Cherokee

36.

True or False: The main danger to pioneers on the trail was Native Americans

a)

TRUE

b)

FALSE

37.

Around how long did it typically take for a wagon to travel the Oregon Trail?

a)

2 weeks

b)

1 month

c)

5 months

d)

1 year

38.

Which of the following states did the Oregon Trail NOT pass through?

a)

California

b)

Nebraska

c)

Wyoming

d)

Oregon

39.

During what century was the Oregon Trail most traveled?

a)

1600s

b)

1700s

c)

1800s

d)

2000s

40.

In what state did the Oregon Trail end?

a)

Oregon

b)

California

c)

Arizona

d)

New Mexico

41.

What was the main cause of death to pioneers on the trail?

a)

Starvation

b)

Disease

c)

Fire

d)

Tornado

42.

What was the main item the pioneers brought with them in their covered wagons?

a)

Food

b)

Furniture

c)

Books

d)

Cell Phones

43.

_____________________ signed the Homestead Act on May 20, 1862.

a)

Abraham Lincoln

b)

Thomas Jefferson

c)

Meriwether Lewis

d)

William Clark

44.

The law gave settlers the chance to get __________ acres of free land from the federal government

a)

100

b)

120

c)

140

d)

160

45.

The Homestead Act had many goals. Select all that apply.

a)

to encourage settlement of the West

b)

to prepare for the Civil War

c)

to rebuild the economy after the Civil War

d)

to help African Americans and other poor people own land

46.

What did the Homestead Act give to U.S. citizens?

a)

Cash

b)

Food

c)

Land

d)

Wood to build homes

47.

|A law that gave settlers 160 acres of land for $18

a)

homesteaders

b)

drought

c)

Homestead Act

d)

Proclamation

48.

What nickname was given to people who snuck onto land to claim it early?

a)

Okies

b)

Landers

c)

Sneakers

d)

Sooners

49.
The Homestead Act encouraged people to move West because it..
a)
established ranching towns for cattle drivers.
b)
offered free land to those willing to farm it.
c)
offered land to gold prospectors.
d)
promised protection from Native Americans.
50.

The Homestead Act offered free land in hopes to encourage what?

a)

western settlement of the U.S.

b)

nothing

c)

people from the west to move back east

d)

people from the South to move to the North

51.

 Who was eligible to receive a Homestead?

a)

Men

b)

Women

c)

Immigrants

d)

Former slaves

e)

All Choices

52.

What was it called when people raced to get the best plots of land?

a)

Land Rush

b)

Homestead

c)

Horse race

d)

Gold Rush

53.

How long did people have to live on the land in order to keep it?

a)

1 Year

b)

5 Years

c)

10 Years

d)

15 Years

54.

True or False: Northerners wanted small farmers to own the land in the Midwest to try and keep out slavery.

a)

True

b)

False

55.

True or False: Homesteading is still a popular way to get land in the U.S. today?

a)

True

b)

False

56.

What was one of the first things a farmer had to do when starting his farm?

a)

Build a barn

b)

Plant trees

c)

Take a nap

d)

Buy a tractor

57.

True or False: All of the family had to work on a farm for them to survive.

a)

True

b)

False

58.

True or False: The Native Americans often helped settlers.

a)

True

b)

False

59.

True or False: Frontier women seldom worked and had a comfortable life.

a)

True

b)

False

60.

What did frontier people do for fun?

a)

Watched TV

b)

Held a dance

c)

Went to the movies

d)

Played video games

61.

Who invented the steel plow in 1837?

a)

Thomas Edison

b)

Alexander Bell

c)

John Deere

d)

Samuel Morse

62.

How big was a typical frontier school?

a)

1 room

b)

3 rooms

c)

Several buildings

63.

When did frontier children attend school?

a)

Never

b)

Year round

c)

Fall & Spring

d)

Winter & Summer

64.

What was a typical job for a frontier child?

a)

Getting water

b)

Tending the fire

c)

Milking the cow

d)

Churning cream

e)

All choices

65.

What did farmers make from lye, water, and ashes?

a)

Make-up

b)

Candles

c)

Soap

d)

Perfume

66.

Transcontinental means...

a)

across the U.S.A.

b)

over the U.S.A.

c)

near the U.S.A.

d)

beside the U.S.A.

67.

True or False: Native Americans were happy to have the railroad running through their land.

a)

True

b)

False

68.

In what town did both parts of the railroad met?

a)

Omaha, Nebraska

b)

Houston, Texas

c)

Sacramento, California

d)

Promontory, Utah

69.

After the railroad was built, travel time went from 6 months to _____________________.

a)

6 weeks

b)

6 days

c)

6 hours

d)

6 minutes

70.

There was over ___________________ miles of track on the Transcontinental Railroad.

a)

1000

b)

3000

c)

2000

d)

300

71.

During which decade was the First Transcontinental Railroad constructed?

a)

1820s

b)

1860s

c)

1910s

d)

1940s

72.

Which route did Congress select for the First Transcontinental Railroad?

a)

Southern route

b)

Northern route

c)

Middle route

d)

Central route

73.

Which president signed the Pacific Railroad Act into law?

a)

Abraham Lincoln

b)

James Polk

c)

John Tyler

d)

Andrew Johnson

74.

What railroad company started in California and worked their way east?

a)

West Coast Railroad

b)

Central Pacific Railroad

c)

California Railroad

d)

Union Pacific Railroad

75.

How were the railroad companies paid?

a)

By the year

b)

By the mile

c)

By the day

d)

By the hour

76.

Most of the workers for the Union Pacific Railroad came from what country?

a)

Ireland

b)

Italy

c)

Russia

d)

Africa

77.

Which of the following was NOT a state that the railroad passed through?

a)

Utah

b)

California

c)

Oregon

d)

Nebraska

78.

Which area of land was added in 1803?

a)

A

b)

C

c)

E

d)

D

79.

Letter 'E" marks which of the following:

a)

United States in 1783

b)

Mexican Cession

c)

Texas

d)

The Louisiana Purchase

80.
Why is The Alamo significant? 
a)
It was the last battle of the Revolution
b)
It inspired Texans to fight
c)
It was the first battle of the Revolution
d)
Texas won its independence
81.
Who won the Battle of the Alamo?
a)
Mexico
b)
Texans
82.

The Mexican-American war was mostly fought over what territory?

a)

Texas

b)

Colorado

c)

Utah

d)

California

83.

True or False: Native Americans were happy to have the railroad running through their land.

a)

True

b)

False

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