Westward Expansion: Social and Cultural Development - AP U.S. History
- Which legislation sought to assimilate Native Americans?
- The Dawes Act. Divided tribal lands into individual plots to promote farming.
- What event marked the end of the Indian Wars?
- The Wounded Knee Massacre. 1890 massacre effectively ended Native American armed resistance.
- What was the primary aim of the Morrill Land-Grant Acts?
- To fund agricultural and technical colleges. Used federal land sales to support practical education.
- What was the purpose of the Indian Removal Act of 1830?
- To relocate Native tribes to lands west of the Mississippi. Forced Cherokee and other tribes from southeastern states.
- Which 1848 event spurred mass migration to California?
- The California Gold Rush. Discovery at Sutter's Mill triggered massive westward migration.
- What was the main purpose of the Homestead Act of 1862?
- To encourage settlement of the western territories. Offered 160 acres to settlers who farmed it for 5 years.
- Identify the year the Transcontinental Railroad was completed.
- 1869. Linked Atlantic and Pacific coasts at Promontory Summit, Utah.
- What was the primary goal of the Santa Fe Trail?
- To facilitate trade with Mexico. Commercial route from Missouri to New Mexico territory.
- What event led to the mass settlement of Utah?
- The Mormon Migration. Religious persecution drove Mormons to establish communities in Utah.
- What did the term 'boomtown' refer to in the 19th century?
- Rapidly growing towns due to mining. Communities that grew rapidly around mining discoveries.
- Identify the key impact of the Transcontinental Railroad.
- It facilitated westward expansion and trade. Connected East and West coasts, reducing travel time from months to days.
- Which 1862 act provided land for railroad construction?
- The Pacific Railway Act. Granted land and loans to Union Pacific and Central Pacific companies.
- What was the significance of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo?
- It ended the Mexican-American War. Signed in 1848, ceded Mexican territory to the US.
- Which group primarily worked on the Central Pacific Railroad?
- Chinese immigrants. Built eastward from California through dangerous mountain terrain.
- Which battle was a significant Sioux victory in 1876?
- The Battle of Little Bighorn. Custer's Last Stand where Lakota and Cheyenne defeated US forces.
- Identify the primary economic activity in the Great Plains post-Civil War.
- Agriculture. Farming dominated the region after railroad construction enabled crop transport.
- Which territory was acquired through the Oregon Treaty of 1846?
- The Oregon Territory. Resolved border dispute with Britain over Pacific Northwest.
- What was the significance of the Pony Express?
- It provided fast mail service across the US. Relay system delivered mail in 10 days before telegraph.
- Which trail was used by settlers moving to the Pacific Northwest?
- The Oregon Trail. 2,000-mile route from Missouri to Oregon Territory.
- Which Native American leader resisted US westward expansion?
- Sitting Bull. Lakota chief who defeated Custer at Little Bighorn.
- What caused the decline of the buffalo population in the 1800s?
- Overhunting and habitat destruction. Railroad construction and hunting for hides decimated herds.
- Identify the main resource sought by miners in the Klondike Gold Rush.
- Gold. 1896-1899 Alaskan gold rush drew thousands north.
- Identify the term for the forced march of the Cherokee in 1838.
- The Trail of Tears. Deadly forced relocation that killed thousands of Cherokee.
- What is 'Manifest Destiny'?
- The belief in the inevitable expansion of the US westward. Justified territorial expansion as America's divinely ordained mission.
- What was the impact of the Comstock Lode discovery?
- It led to a silver rush in Nevada. Massive silver deposit discovery transformed Nevada's economy.
- What was the Ghost Dance movement?
- A Native American spiritual revival. Believed to restore traditional life and remove white settlers.
- Identify the primary transportation innovation aiding westward expansion.
- The steam locomotive. Revolutionized transportation, making long-distance travel faster and cheaper.
- Identify the primary reason for the Sand Creek Massacre.
- Conflict over land and resources. 1864 attack on peaceful Cheyenne village by Colorado militia.
- What was a 'sodbuster' in the context of westward settlement?
- A farmer who plowed the Great Plains. Nickname for farmers who broke tough prairie sod for crops.
- Identify the significance of the Gold Rush in California.
- It spurred rapid population growth and statehood. Drew 300,000 people in two years, fast-tracking California statehood.
- What was the purpose of the Gadsden Purchase?
- To acquire land for a southern transcontinental railroad. 1853 purchase from Mexico completed continental expansion.
- Which group faced exclusion under the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882?
- Chinese laborers. First federal law restricting immigration based on race.
- Identify the significance of the Erie Canal.
- It connected the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. Linked New York to Great Lakes, boosting western trade.
- Which treaty granted the US control of Florida?
- The Adams-Onís Treaty. 1819 agreement that also defined western US-Mexico border.
- What was the main goal of the Lewis and Clark Expedition?
- To explore and map the Louisiana Purchase. First official expedition to document the western territory.
- Identify the year the Louisiana Purchase was completed.
- 1803. Doubled the size of the United States for $15 million.
- What was the primary cause of conflict between settlers and Native Americans?
- Land disputes. Settlers occupied traditional Native hunting and farming grounds.
- Which region was known as the 'Great American Desert'?
- The Great Plains. Early explorers thought the dry region was unsuitable for farming.