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California Gold Rush and Westward Expansion Quiz

Total questions: 72

Worksheet time: 1hrs 5mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Describe Manifest Destiny? Hint, when, where, why, and who. Manifest Destiny was roughly 1840-1860. It was the imperialist belief, coined by John O’Sullivan, that God wanted Anglo-Americans to dominate coast to coast, spreading their beliefs to others and taking their land. It can be seen in migrants on the Oregon Trail, California Gold Rush, and the Mexican/American War. Type this in your own words.

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2.

What was the main motivation for Westward Expansion?

a)
Desire for political power
b)
Need for cultural exchange
c)
Search for new technologies
d)
Desire for more land, resources, and economic opportunities
3.

When did the California Gold Rush occur? (hint: the Super Bowl team from California).

a)

1828

b)

1838

c)

1848

d)

1858

4.

How did the California Gold Rush impact Native American and Chinese population of California? Copy in your own words. Before European settlers arrived, an estimated 300,000 native people lived in small villages throughout the area. Contact with the new settlers brought about serious disruptions to the native way of life. The gold rush of 1848 brought still more devastation. Violence, disease and loss overwhelmed the tribes. By 1870, an estimated 30,000 native people remained in the state of California, most on reservations without access to their homelands.

At the peak of gold rush immigration in 1852, 20,000 Chinese immigrated to California, out of a total of 67,000 people, thus, Chinese immigrants accounted for nearly 30% of all immigrants. In response to the influx of Chinese immigrants, anti-Chinese violence by whites happened and the California legislature passed a new foreign miners’ tax of $4 per month to make it harder for Chinese immigrants to succeed.

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5.

How did the California Gold Rush impact the economy of California?

a)

Made it better

b)

Made it worse

c)

Not much difference

d)

The gold rush was made up

6.

Did many people get rich from finding gold?

a)

Yes

b)

No

7.

What was the impact of Westward Expansion on Native American populations?

a)

No big deal

b)

A small deal, but not too bad

c)

A very big deal, really bad for Native Americans.

d)

A very big deal, because it made Native Americans more commited to expanding.

8.

Who gained independence first, Mexico from Spain or Texas from Mexico?

a)

Mexico

b)

Texas

9.

What was the result of the Mexican – American War? Copy this: After the treaty of Guadalupe Hildago, the U.S. gained control of new western territories such as California, Kansas, and Colorado.

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10.

What was the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo?

a)

Ended the Texas War, giving land to Texians.

b)

Ended Spanish coloniation of Mexico

c)

Ended the Mexican-American war giving land to the U.S.

d)

Ended the Mexican-American War giving Florida back to Spain

11.

Which present day states were part of the Mexican Cession?

a)
Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota
b)
Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota
c)
Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina
d)
California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming
12.

Which group of people helped Andrew Jackson get elected for president in 1828?

a)
The 'Federalists'
b)
The 'common man' or the 'Jacksonian Democrats'
c)
The 'Whigs'
d)
The 'Loyalists'
13.

Jackson's practice of rewarding political supporters with government jobs became known as...

(a)  

14.

Which two reformers believed that all children should be allowed an education and that education should make society fairer?

a)
John Dewey
b)
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
c)

Horace Mann

d)
Adam Smith
15.

What was the name of the document written by Women's Rights activists such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott?

a)
Declaration of Sentiments
b)
Proclamation of Liberties
c)
Manifesto of Equality
d)
Declaration of Rights
16.

This compromise set the precedent that Congress could regulate slavery in states. It called for slave states and free states to have equal numbers of states in the Union. What is this compromise called, and which two states were admitted to the Union?

a)
The Missouri Compromise
b)

The California Compromise

c)

Maine and Missouri

d)

California and Texas

17.

What was the Adams-Onis Treaty? Who were the people and countries involved? Rewrite in your own words. A treaty between the US and Spain in 1819 that ceded Florida to the US and defined the boundary between the US and Spanish Mexico. Secretary of State John Quincy Adams and the Spanish Minister to the United States, Don Luis de Onís

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18.

What country did the US compromise with for Oregon Territory? Who was president?

a)
Canada, Abraham Lincoln
b)
France, George Washington
c)
United Kingdom, James K. Polk
d)
Mexico, Thomas Jefferson
19.

Why did it take so long to annex Texas as a state?

a)
Controversy over slavery and balance of power between free and slave states
b)
Texas' refusal to join the United States
c)
Lack of interest from the US government
d)
Weather conditions in Texas
20.

Who wrote the Declaration of Independence and what date was the DOI ratified?

a)
Benjamin Franklin; July 4, 1789
b)
Thomas Jefferson; July 4, 1776
c)
John Adams; July 4, 1776
d)
George Washington; July 4, 1776
21.

Why did the working-class men like Andrew Jackson? Rewrite the answer: He presented himself as being like them. He grew up poor, he fought in the American Revolution, he wanted slavery to exist, and he wanted to protect white men’s ability to move west by removing Native Americans. He also disliked rich elites, especially those in the northeast.

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22.

Why did the US purchase the Gadsden Territory? The Gadsden Purchase, ratified by President Franklin Pierce on June 24, 1853, added nearly 30,000 square miles to American territory in the desert southwest. The United States government paid ten million dollars to Mexico for the land that was originally bought in hopes of extending a southern route to a proposed transcontinental railroad and expanding slavery in the south.

a)
To extend a southern route to a proposed transcontinental railroad and expand slavery in the south.
b)
To establish a military base in the region
c)
To promote cultural exchange with Mexico
d)
To create a new national park in the area
23.

What event in 1815 made Andrew Jackson famous among the American Population?

a)
Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812
b)
Battle of Gettysburg in the Civil War
c)
Battle of Bunker Hill in the Revolutionary War
d)
Battle of Alamo in the Texas Revolution
24.

What was the Era of Good Feeling?

a)
A period of national pride and unity in the United States during James Monroe's presidency.
b)
A term used to describe the era of Thomas Jefferson's presidency, not James Monroe's.
c)
A period of intense rivalry and conflict between different political parties in the United States during James Monroe's presidency.
d)
A time of economic depression and political turmoil in the United States during James Monroe's presidency.
25.

What was the group of people who remained faithful to Great Britain during the Revolutionary Era called?

a)
Loyalists
b)
Colonists
c)
Rebels
d)
Patriots
26.

The loss the Texians suffered at the hands of the Mexican Army inspired the phrase “Remember the (a)   .”

27.

Describe how Henry David Thoreau thought about the Mexican-American War.

a)

Thoreau believed the war was a bad but because Mexico was at fault, it was justified.

b)

Thoreau thought the war was a humanitarian effort to spread education to people in the West.

c)
Thoreau saw the war as a defensive measure to protect American interests
d)
Thoreau believed the war was an act of imperialist aggression to spread slavery and take land by force.
28.

Describe Thoreau’s idea of “Civil Disobedience.”

a)
Thoreau's idea of Civil Disobedience promotes anarchy and chaos.
b)
People should only obey unjust laws to avoid causing upheaval.
c)
People should blindly follow all laws without questioning their morality.
d)
People should follow their conscience and disobey unjust laws, even if it causes upheaval or threatens the social order.
29.

How did the annexation of Texas and the Mexican Cession impact the debate over slavery in the United States? Pick two. Adding another slave state spurred conflict between proponents of slavery and abolitionists. Also, many in the U.S. were worried about conflict with Mexico.

a)
The annexation of Texas and the Mexican Cession intensified the debate over slavery in the United States.
b)

Many were worried that Mexico wanted Texas and that there would be more conflict.

c)
The annexation of Texas and the Mexican Cession led to increased cooperation between proponents of slavery and abolitionists
d)
The annexation of Texas and the Mexican Cession resulted in the immediate abolition of slavery in the United States
30.

Define muckraker:

a)
A gardener who cultivates muckrake plants
b)

A political opponent who uses tricks and spreads rumors to win election.

c)
A journalist who investigates and exposes societal issues, corruption, and scandals to bring about social change.
d)

A Texian who sneaks slaves in to Mexico by signing a bogus contract of indentured servitude.

31.

Who were the Donners?

a)
A famous band of outlaws in the Wild West
b)
A family of circus performers in the 1800s
c)

Americans heading east over the Rocky Mountains.

d)
American pioneers stranded in the Sierra Nevada mountains
32.

Who was the primary immigrant group during the middle of the 19th century settling in urban areas like Boston and New York?

a)
Chinese immigrants
b)
German immigrants
c)
Irish immigrants
d)
French immigrants
33.

What invention inadvertently led to the expansion of slavery?

a)
The invention of the telephone
b)
The invention of the light bulb
c)
The invention of the cotton gin
d)
The invention of the steam engine
34.

What crop drove the American economy in the 19th century?

a)
Wheat
b)
Corn
c)
Rice
d)
Cotton
35.

By the eve of the Civil War how much cotton production was the U.S. responsible for around the world?

a)
75%
b)
30%
c)
90%
d)
50%
36.

What did James Polk campaign slogan—"54 40 or Fight" refer to?

a)

Territorial Claims in Texas

b)

Territorial Claims in New York

c)
Territorial claims in the Oregon Country
d)
Territorial claims in the Caribbean
37.

Who was Dorothea Dix? What did she fight for?

a)
She fought for improved education system
b)
She fought for women's suffrage
c)
She fought for the improvement of treatment for the mentally ill.
d)
She fought for animal rights
38.

Define antebellum in the context of the 19th century.

a)
The period after the American Civil War in the 19th century.
b)
A type of bell used in the 19th century.
c)
A term used to describe futuristic technology in the 19th century.
d)
The period before the American Civil War in the 19th century.
39.

What was the Boston Massacre?

a)
The Boston Massacre was a diplomatic meeting in Boston, Massachusetts.
b)
The Boston Massacre was a confrontation on March 5, 1770, in which British soldiers killed five colonists in Boston, Massachusetts.
c)
The Boston Massacre was a peaceful protest in Boston, Massachusetts.
d)
The Boston Massacre was a celebration in Boston, Massachusetts.
40.

What does the “shot heard around the world” refer to?

a)

First shots of American Revolution. Battle of Gettysburg

b)

First shots of American Revolution. Battle of Lexington and Concord

c)

First shots of American Revolution. Battle of Bunker Hill

d)

First shots of American Revolution. Battle of Saratoga

41.

Name the first 7 presidents: Last names only. Capitalize properly. Add a space between each name and no commas.

(a)  

42.

Name the original 13 colonies:

43.

What was the House of Burgesses? When was it formed?

a)
The House of Burgesses was the first democratically-elected legislative body in British North America. It was formed in 1619 in the Virginia Colony.
b)
The House of Burgesses was a military organization formed in 1619.
c)

The House of Burgesses was a religious group formed in 1619 who thought that societies should be Utopian.

d)

The House of Burgesses was a trading company formed in 1619 who traded in tea from India to America.

44.

What was the Mayflower Compact important?

a)

It declared independence from England.

b)
It was a treaty between the Native Americans and the Pilgrims
c)

It established a monarchy in the colony of Massachusetts.

d)
It was the first governing document of Plymouth Colony, establishing a form of self-government.
45.

When and where did the first enslaved people arrive in British-North America?

a)
1607 in Boston, Massachusetts
b)
1620 in Plymouth, Massachusetts
c)
1630 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
d)
1619 in Jamestown, Virginia
46.

What did the Declaration of Independence express? Multiple answers.

a)

Grievances with King George and British Parliament

b)

Natural rights and social contract

c)
Desire for peace with British rule and reasons for this decision.
d)
Desire for independence from British rule and reasons for this decision.
47.

Who was Thomas Paine? What did he write?

a)

Thomas Paine was a patriot who wrote stirring poetry to inspire war hawks.

b)

Thomas Paine was a patriot who became a war hero when he swam across the Delaware River to steal cannons from the British.

c)

Thomas Paine was a loyalist who wrote that the colonists should stay under British rule.

d)
Thomas Paine was a political activist and philosopher who wrote 'Common Sense'.
48.

Which American Revolution battle convinced the French to commit to helping the Colonists?

a)
Battle of Yorktown
b)
Battle of Bunker Hill
c)
Battle of Lexington
d)
Battle of Saratoga
49.

The Supreme Court case of Marbury v Madison established what?

a)
Presidential review
b)
Legislative review
c)
Executive review
d)
Judicial review
50.

What was the name of the Indian Tribe who fought against Andrew Jackson and the American army in Florida?

a)
Cherokee
b)
Apache
c)
Iroquois
d)
Seminole
51.

What were the names of the five Native American tribes in the southeast who were most affected by the Indian Removal Act?

a)
Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, Seminole
b)
Nez Perce, Hopi, Zuni, Crow, Osage
c)
Apache, Navajo, Sioux, Iroquois, Comanche
d)
Shawnee, Blackfoot, Mohawk, Pawnee, Cheyenne
52.

Define chattel slavery.

a)
Owning land as property
b)
Renting out property
c)
Ownership of human beings as property.
d)
Investing in stocks
53.

Define Orlando Patterson’s concept of social death.

a)

Social death is when a person doesn't acheive anything in life.

b)

Social death is the condition of being too popular to live a normal life.

c)

Social death is the condition of people who are not considered full human beings.

d)
Social death is the idea of having too many social media followers
54.

Compare indentured servitude to chattel slavery. (multiple correct answers)

a)
Indentured servitude involved individuals working for a set period of time to pay off a debt or gain passage to a new country, while chattel slavery treated individuals as property that could be bought, sold, and inherited.
b)

Indentured servitude allowed individuals to own property after they finished working, while chattel slavery allowed individuals to own property while they were still in bondage.

c)

Indentured servitude and chattel slavery were both forms of voluntary labor agreements that were brutal to workers.

d)

In the United States, Indentured servants were white and enslaved people were black.

55.

What does Frederick Douglass suggest in his speech, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”

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56.

Why was the Proclamation of 1763 important?

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57.

What was the “Trail of Tears”?

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58.

Why did Americans want to rewrite or tear up the Articles of Confederation? What replaced the AOC as the “law of the land”?

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59.

Who was the main Federalist?

a)

Alexander Hamilton

b)

Thomas Jefferson

60.

Who was the main Anti-Federalist (Republican)?

a)

Alexander Hamilton

b)

Thomas Jefferson

61.

Which one was for the Constitution without the Bill of Rights?

a)

Alexander Hamilton

b)

Thomas Jefferson

62.

Which one thought the Bill of Rights was a good idea?

a)

Alexander Hamilton

b)

Thomas Jefferson

63.

Which one wanted a nation of small farms where local communities governed?

a)

Alexander Hamilton

b)

Thomas Jefferson

64.

Which one wanted one for a strong central govt. that governed the whole nation?

a)

Alexander Hamilton

b)

Thomas Jefferson

65.

Which one wanted a national bank?

a)

Alexander Hamilton

b)

Thomas Jefferson

66.

Which one wanted the nation’s capital to be in the South (Washington DC)?

a)

Alexander Hamilton

b)

Thomas Jefferson

67.
What is the name of the
man-made waterway that connects Lake Erie to the Hudson River
and then to the Atlantic Ocean
a)
Panama Canal
b)
Buffalo River
c)
Niagara Falls
d)
Erie Canal
68.

This speech warned of foreign countries & political parties as the greatest threats to U.S.A.

a)

WASHINGTON’s FAREWELL ADDRESS (1796)

b)

ALIEN & SEDITION ACTS (1798)

c)

HENRY CLAY

d)

ERA of GOOD FEELING

69.

Made becoming a citizen harder & allowed President to jail/deport illegal immigrants.

a)

WASHINGTON’s FAREWELL ADDRESS (1796)

b)

ALIEN ACT (1798)

c)

HENRY CLAY

d)

ERA of GOOD FEELING

e)

SEDITION ACTS (1798)

70.

Young members of Congress who wanted war with Britain & wanted to invade Canada (under British rule).

a)

JAY TREATY (1794)

b)

XYZ AFFAIR (1798)

c)

WAR HAWKS

d)

WAR OF 1812 (- 1815)

e)

BATTLE of NEW ORLEANS (1815)

71.

France would only discuss a treaty with the U.S.A. for a $250,000 bribe & a $12 million loan.

a)

JAY TREATY (1794)

b)

XYZ AFFAIR (1798)

c)

WAR HAWKS

d)

WAR OF 1812 (- 1815)

e)

BATTLE of NEW ORLEANS (1815)

72.

What is the Middle Passage?

a)

Water Route Through North America

b)

European slave trade with India

c)

the journey enslaved Africans took across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas