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WorksheetsWestward Expansion Unit 5th Grade
Total questions: 68
Worksheet time: 11mins
What did Americans believe they were meant to do under Manifest Destiny?
Stay on the East Coast
Expand west to the Pacific Ocean
Travel to Europe
How did Manifest Destiny affect Native Americans?
It gave them voting rights
It led to their land being taken away
It helped them open businesses
Why did Americans think it was okay to take land from others?
They didn’t know it was wrong
They believed it was their duty to expand
They were trying to avoid war
What does Manifest Destiny mean?
Buying land from other countries
Exploring new rivers
Belief that entire continent is theirs to settle
Which idea fits with Manifest Destiny?
Fighting to stay in one place
Moving west to build farms and cities
Stopping all expansion
How did Manifest Destiny help the U.S. grow?
It created new schools
It made the U.S. smaller
It encouraged westward land purchases and wars
Why did President Jefferson send Lewis and Clark?
To start a war
To explore the Louisiana Territory
To mine for gold
Who helped guide and translate for Lewis and Clark?
Pocahontas
Sacagawea
Dolly Madison
What were they hoping to find on their journey?
New countries
A water route to the Pacific Ocean
A way to the Arctic
What challenge did they face?
Harsh weather and unknown land
Friendly neighbors
Too many supplies
Which land deal doubled the size of the U.S.?
Texas Annexation
Louisiana Purchase
Mexican Cession
How did Texas become part of the U.S.?
It was annexed after becoming independent from Mexico
It was bought from Britain
It was part of the Louisiana Purchase
What land did the U.S. get after winning the Mexican-American War?
Oregon Territory
Florida
Mexican Cession
What problem came with gaining new land?
Too much snow
Fights over whether slavery would be allowed
Not enough roads
How did these land deals help Manifest Destiny?
They made trade with Canada easier
They helped the U.S. reach the Pacific Ocean
They ended all wars
Which land was gained through war?
Oregon Territory
Mexican Cession
Louisiana Purchase
Why did people take different trails?
There was only one trail
They were going to different places for different reasons
The trails were all the same
Which trail was mostly used for trade?
Oregon Trail
Santa Fe Trail
California Trail
What was the Oregon Trail mostly used for?
Gold mining
Moving families to farmland
Buying supplies
Why did Mormons use their own trail?
They were escaping religious persecution
They wanted to reach California
They were looking for gold
Why was the California Trail popular in the late 1840s?
Cheap land was being sold there
It was the shortest trail
People wanted to find gold in California
What do the different trails show?
People only moved west for one reason
Travel was easy for everyone
People moved west for many different reasons
What made the Oregon Trail dangerous?
Disease, rough terrain, and weather
Too many hotels
Easy travel and free food
Why did many people walk beside their wagons?
They had no feet
Horses were too slow
Wagons were crowded and heavy
What disease often spread on the trail?
Cholera
Chickenpox
Sunburn
Why were river crossings dangerous?
Wagons could tip and people could drown
Rivers were filled with gold
They were easy to walk across
What happened if families ran out of supplies?
They risked starving or turning back
They found more supplies easily
They traded with Native Americans
What did the Indian Removal Act do?
Gave Native Americans new homes in the East
Forced Native Americans to move west
Invited Native Americans to Congress
Who signed the Indian Removal Act?
George Washington
Andrew Jackson
Abraham Lincoln
What happened on the Trail of Tears?
Thousands of Native Americans died while being forced to move
People found gold
A new trail was made for pioneers
Why did many Americans support Indian Removal?
They wanted to protect Native lands
They wanted land for farming and settlement
They wanted to build schools
What was a long-term effect of the law?
Native Americans gained more power
Native cultures and lives were damaged
Tribes moved closer to cities
How did some tribes try to resist?
They moved to Mexico
They built railroads
They fought in court or refused to leave
Why is the Battle of the Alamo remembered?
Texans fought bravely even though they lost
It was the last battle of the war
It was the easiest victory
What happened at the Battle of San Jacinto?
Mexico won
Texas defeated Mexico and became independent
Native Americans attacked
Who led the Texan army to victory?
Davy Crockett
Stephen F. Austin
Sam Houston
Why didn’t Mexico want Texas to join the U.S.?
It was too far away
Mexico liked the U.S.
Mexico still claimed Texas as its own
How did the revolution affect U.S.-Mexico relations?
It increased tension and led to future conflict
It helped both sides become allies
It ended all disagreements
What caused the Mexican-American War?
A gold discovery
A border dispute after Texas joined the U.S.
Mexico attacked Canada
How did the U.S. win the war?
U.S. soldiers won key battles
Mexico surrendered right away
Native tribes helped both sides
What land was given to the U.S. after the war?
Oregon Territory
Texas again
Mexican Cession (California and the Southwest)
What ended the war?
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Gold Rush agreement
Alamo peace deal
How did the war help Manifest Destiny?
It gave the U.S. land to reach the Pacific Ocean
It stopped all westward movement
It brought more Native land
What problem came after gaining new land?
Debates over slavery in the new territories
Too many settlers
Roads were already built
Where was gold first found?
Alamo
Sutter’s Mill in California
Santa Fe
Who were the "Forty-Niners"?
People who explored rivers
Gold seekers who came to California in 1849
Soldiers in a battle
Why didn’t most miners get rich?
Gold was hard to find and quickly taken
They forgot to dig
They moved to Texas
Who made the most money during the Gold Rush?
Gold miners
Shopkeepers and suppliers
Native Americans
What happened to California’s population?
It stayed small
People left for Oregon
It grew quickly because of the Gold Rush
What problems came from the Gold Rush?
Too much water
Overcrowding, conflict, and loss of land
Too many hotels
What new problem came with adding more land to the U.S.?
Where to build new schools
Deciding if new states would allow slavery
Finding rivers to explore
Why didn’t the North want slavery in new states?
They needed fewer workers
They believed slavery was wrong
They wanted to build factories
What did the South want in new territories?
More gold mines
To allow slavery and grow farms
To stop farming altogether
How did these arguments make the country more divided?
People agreed on most things
It made the North and South angry with each other
Everyone moved to California
Why was the question of slavery such a big issue in new states?
It affected power in the government
It helped build more houses
It helped stop the Gold Rush
How did these disagreements help lead to the Civil War?
They caused fights and deep division between regions
They made travel easier
They created peace between North and South
What did pioneers hope to gain on the Oregon Trail?
Land and a better life
Gold and factories
Voting rights
How did Westward Expansion affect enslaved people?
All slavery was ended
Some hoped for freedom, but slavery also spread
They became pioneers
What happened to many Mexican Americans after the U.S. took their land?
They became U.S. Presidents
They lost land and legal rights
They gained more power
How were Native Americans affected during expansion?
They lost land, homes, and lives
They built the Oregon Trail
They became miners
Why didn’t most gold miners get rich?
They didn’t bring tools
There wasn’t much gold left, and competition was high
They spent all their money on boats
What does this show about how different groups were treated?
Some gained, but many lost their land and freedom
Everyone became wealthy
All groups were treated the same
What did the Kansas-Nebraska Act allow people in Kansas to do?
Start new countries
Vote on whether to allow slavery
Choose a new president
Why did people from Missouri go into Kansas?
To buy land
To help Native Americans
To vote illegally for slavery
What made Bleeding Kansas so violent?
People fought over wagon space
Groups attacked each other over slavery
There was a gold rush
Who were the Border Ruffians?
Cowboys from Texas
People who crossed into Kansas to vote for slavery
Train riders
What did Bleeding Kansas show about the U.S. at the time?
Everyone agreed on slavery
The West was peaceful
The country was deeply divided over slavery
What happened after the violence in Kansas?
The issue of slavery was solved
Tensions grew and led closer to the Civil War
Kansas became part of Mexico
