AP US History Flashcards: Westward Expansion Social And Cultural Development

What this deck covers

This deck focuses on Westward Expansion Social And Cultural Development, giving you a quick way to review the definitions, rules, and examples that matter most for AP US History.

How to use these flashcards

Work through these flashcards in short sessions. Try to answer each prompt before flipping the card, then revisit any cards you miss until the explanation feels automatic.

Flashcard 1: Which legislation sought to assimilate Native Americans?

Answer: The Dawes Act. Divided tribal lands into individual plots to promote farming.

Flashcard 2: What event marked the end of the Indian Wars?

Answer: The Wounded Knee Massacre. 1890 massacre effectively ended Native American armed resistance.

Flashcard 3: Which territory was acquired through the Oregon Treaty of 1846?

Answer: The Oregon Territory. Resolved border dispute with Britain over Pacific Northwest.

Flashcard 4: What was the primary aim of the Morrill Land-Grant Acts?

Answer: To fund agricultural and technical colleges. Used federal land sales to support practical education.

Flashcard 5: What was the purpose of the Indian Removal Act of 1830?

Answer: To relocate Native tribes to lands west of the Mississippi. Forced Cherokee and other tribes from southeastern states.

Flashcard 6: Which 1848 event spurred mass migration to California?

Answer: The California Gold Rush. Discovery at Sutter's Mill triggered massive westward migration.

Flashcard 7: What was the main purpose of the Homestead Act of 1862?

Answer: To encourage settlement of the western territories. Offered 160 acres to settlers who farmed it for 5 years.

Flashcard 8: Identify the year the Transcontinental Railroad was completed.

Answer:

1. Linked Atlantic and Pacific coasts at Promontory Summit, Utah.

Flashcard 9: What was the primary goal of the Santa Fe Trail?

Answer: To facilitate trade with Mexico. Commercial route from Missouri to New Mexico territory.

Flashcard 10: What event led to the mass settlement of Utah?

Answer: The Mormon Migration. Religious persecution drove Mormons to establish communities in Utah.

Flashcard 11: What did the term 'boomtown' refer to in the 19th century?

Answer: Rapidly growing towns due to mining. Communities that grew rapidly around mining discoveries.

Flashcard 12: Identify the key impact of the Transcontinental Railroad.

Answer: It facilitated westward expansion and trade. Connected East and West coasts, reducing travel time from months to days.

Flashcard 13: Which 1862 act provided land for railroad construction?

Answer: The Pacific Railway Act. Granted land and loans to Union Pacific and Central Pacific companies.

Flashcard 14: What was the purpose of the Indian Removal Act of 1830?

Answer: To relocate Native tribes to lands west of the Mississippi. Forced Cherokee and other tribes from southeastern states.

Flashcard 15: What was the significance of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo?

Answer: It ended the Mexican-American War. Signed in 1848, ceded Mexican territory to the US.

Flashcard 16: Which group primarily worked on the Central Pacific Railroad?

Answer: Chinese immigrants. Built eastward from California through dangerous mountain terrain.

Flashcard 17: What event marked the end of the Indian Wars?

Answer: The Wounded Knee Massacre. 1890 massacre effectively ended Native American armed resistance.

Flashcard 18: Which battle was a significant Sioux victory in 1876?

Answer: The Battle of Little Bighorn. Custer's Last Stand where Lakota and Cheyenne defeated US forces.

Flashcard 19: Identify the primary economic activity in the Great Plains post-Civil War.

Answer: Agriculture. Farming dominated the region after railroad construction enabled crop transport.

Flashcard 20: Which territory was acquired through the Oregon Treaty of 1846?

Answer: The Oregon Territory. Resolved border dispute with Britain over Pacific Northwest.

Flashcard 21: What was the significance of the Pony Express?

Answer: It provided fast mail service across the US. Relay system delivered mail in 10 days before telegraph.

Flashcard 22: Which trail was used by settlers moving to the Pacific Northwest?

Answer: The Oregon Trail. 2,000-mile route from Missouri to Oregon Territory.

Flashcard 23: Which Native American leader resisted US westward expansion?

Answer: Sitting Bull. Lakota chief who defeated Custer at Little Bighorn.

Flashcard 24: What caused the decline of the buffalo population in the 1800s?

Answer: Overhunting and habitat destruction. Railroad construction and hunting for hides decimated herds.

Flashcard 25: What was the primary cause of conflict between settlers and Native Americans?

Answer: Land disputes. Settlers occupied traditional Native hunting and farming grounds.

Flashcard 26: Identify the main resource sought by miners in the Klondike Gold Rush.

Answer: Gold. 1896-1899 Alaskan gold rush drew thousands north.

Flashcard 27: Identify the term for the forced march of the Cherokee in 1838.

Answer: The Trail of Tears. Deadly forced relocation that killed thousands of Cherokee.

Flashcard 28: Which group primarily worked on the Central Pacific Railroad?

Answer: Chinese immigrants. Built eastward from California through dangerous mountain terrain.

Flashcard 29: What is 'Manifest Destiny'?

Answer: The belief in the inevitable expansion of the US westward. Justified territorial expansion as America's divinely ordained mission.

Flashcard 30: What was the impact of the Comstock Lode discovery?

Answer: It led to a silver rush in Nevada. Massive silver deposit discovery transformed Nevada's economy.

Flashcard 31: What was the Ghost Dance movement?

Answer: A Native American spiritual revival. Believed to restore traditional life and remove white settlers.

Flashcard 32: Identify the primary transportation innovation aiding westward expansion.

Answer: The steam locomotive. Revolutionized transportation, making long-distance travel faster and cheaper.

Flashcard 33: Identify the primary reason for the Sand Creek Massacre.

Answer: Conflict over land and resources. 1864 attack on peaceful Cheyenne village by Colorado militia.

Flashcard 34: Identify the year the Louisiana Purchase was completed.

Answer:

1. Doubled the size of the United States for $15 million.

Flashcard 35: What was a 'sodbuster' in the context of westward settlement?

Answer: A farmer who plowed the Great Plains. Nickname for farmers who broke tough prairie sod for crops.

Flashcard 36: Identify the significance of the Gold Rush in California.

Answer: It spurred rapid population growth and statehood. Drew 300,000 people in two years, fast-tracking California statehood.

Flashcard 37: What was the purpose of the Gadsden Purchase?

Answer: To acquire land for a southern transcontinental railroad. 1853 purchase from Mexico completed continental expansion.

Flashcard 38: Which group faced exclusion under the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882?

Answer: Chinese laborers. First federal law restricting immigration based on race.

Flashcard 39: Identify the significance of the Erie Canal.

Answer: It connected the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. Linked New York to Great Lakes, boosting western trade.

Flashcard 40: Which treaty granted the US control of Florida?

Answer: The Adams-Onís Treaty. 1819 agreement that also defined western US-Mexico border.

Flashcard 41: What was the main goal of the Lewis and Clark Expedition?

Answer: To explore and map the Louisiana Purchase. First official expedition to document the western territory.

Flashcard 42: Identify the year the Louisiana Purchase was completed.

Answer:

1. Doubled the size of the United States for $15 million.

Flashcard 43: What was the primary cause of conflict between settlers and Native Americans?

Answer: Land disputes. Settlers occupied traditional Native hunting and farming grounds.

Flashcard 44: Which region was known as the 'Great American Desert'?

Answer: The Great Plains. Early explorers thought the dry region was unsuitable for farming.