wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

Westward Settlement Final Quiz

Total questions: 126

Worksheet time: 2hrs 43mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What did the Pony Express deliver?

a)

Telegraphs

b)

Horses

c)

Mail

d)

Fresh fruit

2.

Around how long was the route covered by the Pony Express?

a)

900 miles

b)

1900 miles

c)

50 miles

d)

100 miles

3.

The easternmost point of the Pony Express was in what state?

a)

Missouri

b)

North Carolina

c)

Maine

d)

Ohio

4.

What city in California did the Pony Express route end at?

a)

Los Angeles

b)

North Hollywood

c)

San Francisco

d)

Sacramento

5.

Hundreds of Pony Express riders were killed while trying to deliver the mail.

a)

True

b)

False

6.

What year did the Pony Express begin?

a)

1960

b)

1860

c)

1912

d)

1876

7.

What new invention caused the Pony Express to become obsolete?

a)

Email

b)

Automobile

c)

Telephone

d)

Telegraph

8.

Around how long did it take for mail to travel along the entire Pony Express route?

a)

three days

b)

six days

c)

9 days

d)

1 month

9.

How much was a Pony Express rider paid per month?

a)

$25

b)

$100

c)

$500

d)

$1,000

10.

Pony Express riders were typically skinny teenagers who weighed less than 125 pounds.

a)

True

b)

False

11.

Brands are used to

a)

show ownership

b)

steal cattle

c)

keep count of cattle

d)

create artwork

12.

Gave 160 acres of western land to anyone who promised to farm for 5 years

a)

Homestead Act

b)

Freeland Act

c)

Haymarket Act

d)

Indian Removal Act

13.
The transcontinental railroad met at Promontory Point, Utah.
a)
false
b)
true
14.

Which are had Sod houses and barbed wire fences ?

a)

the mountains of the west

b)

the open range

c)

Great Plains

d)

Native American Reservations

15.

In order to settle the West the government broke its promise to

a)

Homesteaders

b)

Prospectors

c)

Sod Busters

d)

Native Americans

16.

Why did many Native Americans not like the white settlers?

a)

they killed their buffalo

b)

they broke promises and treaties

c)

they took their land

d)

All of the above

17.
 What year did the gold rush in California begin? 
a)
1492
b)
1619
c)
1776
d)
1848
18.

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

a)

Raiders

b)

Carpet Baggers

c)

Surfers

d)

Forty Niners

19.

What state boomed in 1849 due to the Gold Rush?

a)

Texas

b)

Florida

c)

Oregon

d)

California

20.

 Where was gold first discovered in California?

a)

Sutter's Mill

b)

Sacramento

c)

Comstock Lode

d)

San Francisco

21.

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

a)

True

b)

False

22.

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

23.

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

24.

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

a)

True

b)

False

25.

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

26.

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

27.

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

28.

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

29.

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


a)

Saddle

b)

Boots

c)

Chaps

d)

Hat

e)

Spurs

30.

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

31.

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

a)

Wranglers

b)

Chaps

c)

 Bandanas

d)

Leggings

32.

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

a)

Rodeo

b)

Western

c)

Horse match

d)

Rancher

33.

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

a)

Cowhand

b)

Cowpoke

c)

Buckaroo

d)

Tenderfoot

34.

What was a popular musical instrument for cowboys?

a)

Piano

b)

Trumpet

c)

Bass

d)

Harmonica

35.

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

36.

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

a)

True

b)

False

37.

True or False: The Native Americans often helped settlers.

a)

True

b)

False

38.

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

a)

True

b)

False

39.

What did frontier people do for fun?

a)

Watched TV

b)

Held a dance

c)

Went to the movies

d)

Played video games

40.

Who invented the steel plow in 1837?

a)

Thomas Edison

b)

Alexander Bell

c)

John Deere

d)

Samuel Morse

41.

How big was a typical frontier school?

a)

1 room

b)

3 rooms

c)

Several buildings

42.

When did frontier children attend school?

a)

Never

b)

Year round

c)

Fall & Spring

d)

Winter & Summer

43.

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

44.

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

a)

Make-up

b)

Candles

c)

Soap

d)

Perfume

45.
Land set aside for Native Americans to live on.
a)
farm cooperative
b)
sooner
c)
Chisholm Trail
d)
reservation
46.
When the mines ran out in Boom-towns and the people moved on it often created ____________
a)
Slow towns
b)
Small towns
c)
Ghost towns
d)
Mini towns
47.
___________ played a major role in the mining and cattle industry for transporting
a)
wagon trains
b)
railroads
c)
trucks
d)
tractors
48.

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

a)

Louis, Jones & Sacagawea

b)

Smith, Wesson & Sacagawea

c)

Lewis, Clark & Sacagawea

d)

Holmes, Watson & Sacagawea

49.

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

a)

Cash

b)

Food

c)

Land

d)

Wood to build homes

50.

A law that gave settlers 160 acres of land for $10

a)

homesteaders

b)

drought

c)

Homestead Act

d)

Proclamation

51.

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

a)

Okies

b)

Landers

c)

Sneakers

d)

Sooners

52.

Travelers moved west using what?

a)

cars

b)

planes

c)

Covered wagons

d)

ship

53.
Which of the following is NOT something that would have happened to a Pioneer?
a)
A family member dying
b)
A family member catching a disease
c)
Getting directions from their phone
d)
Having their wagon break
54.
 What year did the gold rush in California begin? 
a)
1492
b)
1619
c)
1776
d)
1848
55.

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

a)

Raiders

b)

Carpet Baggers

c)

Surfers

d)

Forty Niners

56.
What were towns called that grew rapidly when gold was discovered nearby? 
a)
Rush towns
b)
Cities of gold
c)
Boomtowns
d)
Ghost towns
57.

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

a)

Empty cities

b)

Ghost towns

c)

Lonelyvilles

d)

Boomtowns

58.

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

a)

True

b)

False

59.

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.

60.

Around how long is the Oregon Trail?

a)

100 miles

b)

500 miles

c)

1000 miles

d)

2000 miles

61.

In what state did the Oregon Trail begin?

a)

New York

b)

Missouri

c)

Florida

d)

California

62.

_____________________ signed the Homestead Act on May 20, 1862.

a)

Abraham Lincoln

b)

Thomas Jefferson

c)

Meriwether Lewis

d)

William Clark

63.

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

a)

100

b)

120

c)

140

d)

160

64.

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

65.

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

a)

Cash

b)

Food

c)

Land

d)

Wood to build homes

66.

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

a)

homesteaders

b)

drought

c)

Homestead Act

d)

Proclamation

67.

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

a)

Okies

b)

Landers

c)

Sneakers

d)

Sooners

68.
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.
69.

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

70.

 Who was eligible to receive a Homestead?

a)

Men

b)

Women

c)

Immigrants

d)

Former slaves

e)

All Choices

71.

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

72.

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

73.

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

a)

True

b)

False

74.

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

a)

True

b)

False

75.

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.

76.

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

a)

True

b)

False

77.

In what town did both parts of the railroad met?

a)

Omaha, Nebraska

b)

Houston, Texas

c)

Sacramento, California

d)

Promontory, Utah

78.

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

a)

6 weeks

b)

6 days

c)

6 hours

d)

6 minutes

79.

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

a)

1000

b)

3000

c)

2000

d)

300

80.

During which decade was the First Transcontinental Railroad constructed?

a)

1820s

b)

1860s

c)

1910s

d)

1940s

81.

Which route did Congress select for the First Transcontinental Railroad?

a)

Southern route

b)

Northern route

c)

Middle route

d)

Central route

82.

Which president signed the Pacific Railroad Act into law?

a)

Abraham Lincoln

b)

James Polk

c)

John Tyler

d)

Andrew Johnson

83.

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

84.

How were the railroad companies paid?

a)

By the year

b)

By the mile

c)

By the day

d)

By the hour

85.

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

a)

Ireland

b)

Italy

c)

Russia

d)

Africa

86.

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

a)

Utah

b)

California

c)

Oregon

d)

Nebraska

87.

Which of these best describes the Great Plains?

a)

many lakes surrounded by mountain ranges

b)

rolling hills of rock and limestone

c)

thick forests with heavy rainfall

d)

flatlands that slowly rise from east to west

88.

What effect would the shrinking buffalo population have on the Native Americans that depended on buffalo to survive?

a)

They moved into cities with the white people.

b)

They raised buffalo on farms instead.

c)

They had to move somewhere else to find food.

d)

They stayed in the plains and ate other things.

89.

What physical feature is circled on the map?

a)

Great Plains

b)

Great Lakes

c)

Continental Divide

d)

Rocky Mountains

90.

Which Railroad Company started building the Transcontinental Railroad in Sacramento, California

a)

California Pacific Railroad Company

b)

Union Pacific Railroad Company

c)

Central Pacific Railroad Company

d)

Coastal California Railroad Company

91.

A sodbuster was a

a)

a farmer on the Great Plains

b)

a rancher who used grass for his cattle

c)

a Native American who fought over the land

d)

A miner who dug below the grass for gold

92.

All were harships for people living out west EXCEPT

a)

miners finding a lot of gold

b)

crops begin destroyed by storms

c)

conflicts with Native Americans

d)

racism in the west

93.

Which was NOT a reason why American settlers had the right to the land?

a)

The east was too crowded and there wasn't enough land.

b)

The government promised free land if you stay and farm it for 5 years.

c)

They traveled 6 months on the Oregon Trail to get here.

d)

They were here first.

94.

Why did people move west?

a)

In East farmland expensive

b)

gold & silver were discovered

c)

adventure & freedom

d)

chance to start a new life - outlaws/in debt

95.

Name two tribes from the Great Plains

4 lines
96.

What was the main source of food for the Native Americans that lived on the Great Plains?

a)

Buffalo

b)

Cows

c)

Deer

d)

Kangaroo

97.

Native Americans were expert horsemen before the Europeans came

a)

True

b)

False

98.

As more people occupied the lands, the territories became (a)  

99.

Farmers of the great Plains (nickname)

a)

Sodbusters

b)

Cowboys

c)

Sooners

d)

Great Plainsmen

100.

  • Growing crops that needed little water, planted deep, where there is some moisture.

a)

Dry-Farming

b)

Sodbusting

c)

Homesteading

d)

Populisim

101.

Party that tried to help farmers and wanted to get off the gold standard

a)

Federalists

b)

Populists

c)

Democrats

d)

Progressives

102.

The majority of immigrants that worked the gold mines were...(Check all that apply)

a)

Irish

b)

Chinese

c)

Australian

d)

Mexican

103.

Levi Strauss was is known for...

a)

Owning Levi Stadium

b)

Finding gold at Sutter's Mill

c)

Creating durable pants for miners, now called jeans

d)

Signing the homestead act

104.

Which answer accurately describes assimilation attempts and lifestyle changes?

a)

White settlers forced Native Americans to reservations and forced them to learn the English language and American culture

b)

White settlers allowed Native Americans to practice their cultural traditions as long as they didn't bother the American citizens

105.

Which answer choice best explains reduced homelands through broken treaties?

a)

American settlers and Native Americans made agreements about land that were not broken

b)

American settlers and Native Americans made agreements about land that were broken

106.

Assimilation is the process of adapting or adjusting to the culture of another group or nation.

a)

True

b)

False

107.

Which of the following connected the Eastern US to the Western US?

a)

Erie Canal

b)

Mississippi River

c)

Transcontinental Railroad

d)

Gulf of Mexico

108.
What was the effect of the Transcontinental Railroad?
a)
Became a more efficient form of transportation for settlers
b)
Increased trade between the east and west and boosted the economy
c)
Increased the population of settlers in the west
d)
All of the above
109.

The process where one person or group blends and becomes part of a larger group

a)

cultural diffusion

b)

amalgamation

c)

assimilation

d)

cultural absorption

110.
What took land from Indian tribes and promoted assimilation?
a)
Homestead Act
b)
Morril Act
c)
Dawes Act
d)
Reconstruction Act
111.
The Dawes Act...
a)
Allowed the Plains indians to continue their tribal traditions of following the buffalo herds
b)
divided the plains Indians tribal lands into family plots as a way to encourage assimilation
c)
provided 160 acres of free land to white settlers
d)
established the route for the Transcontinental railroad
112.

One of the benefits of the transcontinental railroad was that -

a)

farmers were able to sell their goods to distant markets

b)

the business relationship between Mexico and America improved

c)

the cost of traveling across the country increased by fifty percent

d)

businessmen were able to ship goods across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe for cheaper prices

113.

What group of immigrants was treated the most unfairly while building the Transcontinental Railroad?

a)

Chinese

b)

Italian

c)

Mexican

d)

German

114.

This image represents which of the following terms?

a)

Assimilation

b)

Immigration

c)

Migration

d)

Speculation

115.
What did the westward expansion offer for former slaves?
a)
food
b)
wealth
c)
land
d)
a new beginning and freedom
116.

All of the following were effects of the government's policies on Native Americans EXCEPT:

a)

Native Americans were moved to reservations.

b)

Native Americans died from new diseases.

c)

Native Americans were paid well for their land.

d)

Native Americans were stripped of their culture due to assimilation.

117.
This was a political party that was formed by farmers who wanted to raise crop prices.
a)
Vaquero
b)
Vigilante
c)
Populist 
d)
Granger
118.
_______________ were African Americans who took advantage of the Homestead Act
a)
exodusters
b)
vaqueros
c)
sodbusters
d)
grangers
119.
The ___________________ Railroad started in New York and was built by Irish immigrants.
a)
Transcontinental
b)
Union
c)
Pacific
d)
Pomontory Point
120.
Battle of 1876 in which Sioux and Cheyenne tribes killed an entire force of US troops.
a)
Battle of Little Bighorn
b)
Sand Creek Massacre
c)
Meeting at Promontory Point
d)
Wounded Knee Massacre
121.
___________________ was created by railroad companies.
a)
steel plow
b)
standard time
c)
vigilante
d)
barbed wire
122.

The vocabulary term associated with African American who moved west.

a)

relocation

b)

reservations

c)

assimilation

d)

exodusters

123.
Who were the people who claimed land under the Homestead Act?
a)
Exodusters
b)
Sodbusters
c)
Entrepreneur
d)
Homesteaders
124.

"Black Codes" and "Jim Crow Laws" were state laws generally designed to segregate and keep control of:

a)

former slaves

b)

Democrats in the South

c)

former Confederate military officers

d)

Exodusters

125.

Jim Crow Laws were an attempt by Southern whites to achieve segregation using the principle:

a)

separate but equal

b)

due process of law

c)

equal protection

d)

integration

126.
What best describes Jim Crow laws?
a)
better opportunities for women
b)
African Americans gaining full civil and political rights
c)
discrimination laws focused on Native Americans
d)
unequal opportunities for African Americans in housing, jobs, and education

Similar Resources on Wayground

Unit 01 Foundation through Independence

124 questions

Unit 01 Foundation through Independence

quiz

Worksheet

•

9th - 12th Grade

Roman Review Game + Extra Questions

130 questions

Roman Review Game + Extra Questions

quiz

Worksheet

•

6th - 12th Grade

BU - HIST1111 - Final Exam Review

126 questions

BU - HIST1111 - Final Exam Review

quiz

Worksheet

•

12th Grade - University

ÔN TẬP TRUYỆN TRUNG ĐẠI

127 questions

ÔN TẬP TRUYỆN TRUNG ĐẠI

quiz

Worksheet

•

9th Grade

US Studies Final Exam 2025

130 questions

US Studies Final Exam 2025

quiz

Worksheet

•

10th Grade - University

2nd Nine Weeks Make Up Work Assignment

130 questions

2nd Nine Weeks Make Up Work Assignment

quiz

Worksheet

•

9th - 12th Grade

FINAL SHOWDOWN

130 questions

FINAL SHOWDOWN

quiz

Worksheet

•

10th Grade

ECON2 First nine weeks makeup quiz

131 questions

ECON2 First nine weeks makeup quiz

quiz

Worksheet

•

9th - 12th Grade