WorksheetsWESTWARD EXPANSION PART 1
Total questions: 28
Worksheet time: 14mins
In 1846 the United States and Great Britain negotiated the boundary of the disputed territory shown in this map.
Which factor made the negotiations more challenging?
Supporters of Manifest Destiny argued for "Fifty-four forty or fight."
The American Indians in the territory were hostile to settlers.
President James Polk opposed westward expansion to the Pacific Ocean.
Hazards along the Oregon Trail limited American settlement of the Northwest.
Why was the Mexican Cession a significant event?
It united different cultural groups living in western areas.
It intensified the debate over the expansion of slavery.
It created a temporary southern border.
It led to the development of canal systems to move goods.
Which statement explains one of the motivations behind Manifest Destiny?
These are the times that try men’s souls: the summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country. . . .”
“I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated States, and parts of States, are, and henceforward shall be free. . . .”
“And that claim is by the right . . . to overspread and to possess the whole of the continent which Providence has given us. . . .”
“That it is the duty of the women of this country to secure to themselves their sacred right to the elective franchise.”
Which numbered area did the United States acquire in 1846 after negotiations with Great Britain?
A
B
C
D
The names on this map best reflect which of the following?
Family names of early pioneers in the West
The impact of American Indian culture on southwestern states
The influence of Spanish colonial heritage on the United States
Religious beliefs brought by immigrants to the United States
How did the United States acquire the territory marked with the X?
By purchasing the land from Spain
By winning a war against Great Britain
By purchasing the land from France
By winning a war against Mexico
Which effect did the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo have on the United States?
It decreased the debate over civil disobedience.
It increased the debate over the spoils system.
It decreased the debate over immigration.
It increased the debate over slavery.
What reason did President James K. Polk give when he asked Congress to declare war against Mexico?
To stop Mexican attacks against U.S. territory
To prevent human rights abuses in Mexico
To preserve religious freedom within Texas
To ensure slavery would continue in Texas
Which factor contributed most to the population change shown in this table?
Completion of the Erie Canal
Discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill
Completion of the Transcontinental Railroad
Relocation of American Indians to reservations
According to the excerpt above, the Gadsden Purchase was intended to
support settlement of U.S. territory gained through the U.S.-Mexican War
encourage commerce among U.S. states formed from the Louisiana Purchase
allow the United States and Mexico to share railroad construction costs
encourage the sale of U.S. government land in Florida
Which numbered state did the United States acquire from Spain in 1819?
1
2
3
4
How did many Americans act on their belief that the United States in the nineteenth century had a manifest destiny?
Many settlers moved west to start a new life.
Many farmers switched from food crops to cash crops
Many businesses expanded and added new employees.
Many women demanded equality and the right to vote.
How does the artist demonstrate a belief in Manifest Destiny?
Women are shown leading pioneers to new lands.
Farmers are shown plowing land and hunting animals.
Pioneers are shown moving west bringing new technologies.
American Indians are shown as rebelling against the new settlers.
Which territory was added to the United States as a result of the U.S.-Mexican War?
1
2
3
4
Which statement would MOST LIKELY have been said by someone who immigrated to the United States from China in the mid–1800s?
"I fled famine in my homeland only to find difficult conditions in the United States. I settled in Boston, but I found it difficult to find work because people discriminated against me for my religion and ethnicity."
"I left my homeland because of political unrest there. I settled in Wisconsin, because the land there reminded me of home. I now have a successful farm."
"I left my homeland to avoid harsh rule by the king who claimed my land. I settled in the Carolina backcountry with other members of my clan. We've built log cabins, and I make my living as a craftsman."
"I left my homeland because I was inspired by stories of gold in California. When I didn't find gold, I got a job helping build the railroad. I faced a lot of discrimination."
Determine whether the reasons for immigration applied MOST to Irish or Chinese immigrants or to both groups.
To avoid famine caused by potato crop failure?
Irish
Chinese
Both
Determine whether the reasons for immigration applied MOST to Irish or Chinese immigrants or to both groups.
To escape harsh economic conditions?
Irish
Chinese
Both
Determine whether the reasons for immigration applied MOST to Irish or Chinese immigrants or to both groups.
To find work building the railroad in the western United States?
Irish
Chinese
Both
Which of these was a primary reason Chinese immigrants came to the United States in the early 1850s?
To seek gold
To purchase inexpensive farmland
To avoid a plague
To escape religious persecution
Which diagram correctly compares two regions of the United States during the mid-nineteenth century?
A
B
C
D
Which of the following best completes the diagram above?
Slaveholding state
Bordered by the Pacific
Formerly part of Mexico
Dependent on heavy industry
During the 1840s the factors in this diagram contributed to widespread support for which of the following?
The Kansas-Nebraska Act
Manifest Destiny
The American System
States’ Rights
What effect did the mining technique described in this excerpt have on the local environment?
Rivers became filled with sediment.
Reduced flooding led to an increased reliance on irrigation.
Forests were clear-cut, and the timber was used to line tunnels and shafts.
Farmland benefited from a change in soil composition.
The differences between these two maps resulted from the —
Missouri Compromise
Treaty of Ghent
Louisiana Purchase
Adams-Onís Treaty
Which of the following best completes the diagram above?
Increased economic production
Conflict with Native Americans
Established political unity
Decrease in urbanization
What caused the change in U.S. boundaries shown above?
A treaty with the Creek and the Cherokee
The purchase of territory from France
A victory following war with Spain
The western explorations of Zebulon Pike
The discovery of what natural resource in California in 1848 and 1849 caused rapid population growth in the region?
Gold
Silver
Copper
Iron
Irish and Chinese immigrants are best remembered for performing which type of labor during the late nineteenth century?
Building dams in the midwestern states
Digging canals across northern states
Building railroads in western territories
Constructing bridges in southern states
