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WorksheetsWestward Expansion - Why Move West?
Total questions: 23
Worksheet time: 12mins
What is "Westward Expansion"?
The US moving across the Mississippi River toward the Pacific ocean into lands already held by other cultures.
The US moving across the Mississippi River toward the Pacific ocean into unclaimed lands with very few people living there.
The US making allies with Mexico and Native Americans groups who lived across the Mississippi River.
Which of the following was NOT a motivation for Westward expansion?
alliances
land
manifest destiny
slavery
How was land a motivation for Westward expansion?
CHOOSE TWO
All the Native Americans had died from disease leaving a completely empty wilderness for Americans to settle.
Thomas Jefferson's vision that America would be a country of independent farmers who owned their own property.
Owning property (land) allows people to rise in social status and vote.
The United States was too crowded.
What is the name given to the belief that the United States had the god-given right and duty to expand across the North American continent?
Westward Expansion
Great Awakening
Louisiana Purchase
Manifest Destiny
How is Manifest Destiny a motivation for Westward expansion?
Americans believed they were culturally superior to Native Americans and Mexicans in the West resulting in a sense of entitlement to the land.
Native Americans had signed lawful treaties and peacefully gave the land to the United States.
Americans had inherited the land from their ancestors.
All Americans believed slavery was wrong and wanted to abolish it across the entire continent.
How was slavery a motivation for Westward expansion?
Americans wanted to end slavery in Mexico.
Adding new states as either slave states or free states would tip the balance in Congress.
All Americans wanted the new territories in the West to be slave states.
All Americans wanted the new territories in the West to be free states.
The United States acquired land in all of these ways except
War
Treaties
Settlement
Inheritance
Before the early 1800s, which country claimed the Louisiana Territory?
France
Russia
Mexico
Great Britain
How did the Louisiana Purchase affect the United States?
It led to war.
It doubled the nation's size.
It limited trade opportunities.
It led to the discovery of a water route across the country.
What was one reason the United States wanted to acquire Florida?
To increase the population
To end raids on Georgia farms
To control the Mississippi River
TO provide a short route to Europe
Why did some Americans oppose the annexation of Texas (adding Texas into the U.S. as a state)?
Texas allowed slavery
Spain had a claim to Texas
Texas was too large to be a state.
Spain demanded too high a price for Texas.
What was Mexico’s policy toward slavery in 1830?
It was illegal.
Mexican farmers depended upon it.
Mexico traded slaves for crops.
It was a debated issue between Mexican states.
How was Mexico affected by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo?
Mexico gained valuable farmland.
Mexico increased trade opportunities.
Mexico's territory was decreased by half.
The treaty provided more jobs for Mexican citizens.
How did the United States acquired the land indicated by the number 1.
By winning a war against Mexico.
By buying the land from France.
By making treaties with Native Americans.
By buying the land from Spain.
Which two numbers indicate areas that were acquired from Mexico through the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo?
3, 5
4, 1
2, 1
3, 6
Definition: the war with Mexico from 1846 to 1847 that resulted in Mexico ceding to the United States a huge region from Texas to California
Mexican-American War
Texas War for Independence
War of 1812
World War II
Why did Spain sign the treaty that gave Florida to the United States?
To avoid going to war after Andrew Jackson marched into Florida.
Because Andrew Jackson defeated Spain in the Battle of Fort Lauderdale.
The United States offered to pay $15million to buy Florida.
What is the word that means to give up territory to another country.
Annex
Nullify
Cede
Secede
What is the word that means to add territory to a country?
Annex
Nullify
Cede
Secede
Which 3 terms describe the development of American culture during Westward Expansion?
Individualism, meritocracy, progress
collectivism, aristocracy, conservationism
Which term means: a culture that is motivated by personal goals, rights, and benefits.
environmentalism
meritocracy
collectivism
individualism
Which term means: the belief in being able to move to a higher social status through effort, skill or talent, and achievement.
environmentalism
meritocracy
collectivism
individualism
Americans believed land should be...
used and developed to its fullest potential for economic prosperity (to make $money$).
protected and preserved in its natural state.
