American west Flashcards
what is manifest destiny?
idea that it was gods will that white Americans should settle over all of america.
What were the Great Plains?
grasslands.
What did early explorers call the Great Plains?
‘The Great American Desert’
How are the Native Americans sometimes referred to?
First Nations
What did the Native Americans do long before the settlers arrived at the Great Plains?
The Native American tribes had lived successfully on the Great Plains for a long time. They hunted wild animals and did not run ranches.
when did the development of the American West begin?
1840
Which animals was native to the Great Plains?
Wolves were native to the Great Plains, so there were animals there before the development.
Who was the leader in a Native American tribe?
A council of elders were the leaders in a Native American tribe
What was the one occasion during which ‘everybody had to obey’ in Native American society?
The hunt was the one occasion during which ‘everybody had to obey’ in Native American society
Which of the following was not a crime in Native American society?
Horse-stealing was not a crime in Native American society
Which was the greatest achievement in war?
A coup was the greatest achievement in war.
What was a dowry?
A dowry was a marriage payment.
What is the term for the practice of taking more than one wife?
Polygamy is the proper word for the practice of taking more than one wife.
At what age, usually, did Native American girls marry?
Native American girls usually married in their early teens
What happened when a Native American chief made peace?
When a Native American chief made peace the warriors chose whether they would follow him or not.
What does ‘nomadic’ mean?
‘Nomadic’ means a life of continual wandering.
Which of these is not a reason why Native Americans lived a nomadic life?
The central event in Native American life being the buffalo hunt is not a reason why Native Americans lived a nomadic life.
Which of these was not a reason for Native American sport?
Competitiveness was not a reason for Native American sport.
Which of these was not an advantage of the tipi?
Static was not an advantage of the tipi
What was the main currency of the Native Americans?
Horses were the main currency of the Native Americans.
What was the main job of women in a Native American tribe?
Looking after the children was the main job of women in a Native American tribe.
What was one name for the Great Spirit?
Wakan Tanka was one name for the Great Spirit.
What is ‘animism’?
‘Animism’ was the belief that spirits live in inanimate things
In Native American society, what did a medicine man do?
In Native American society, a medicine man cured illnesses and appeased the spirits.
Why did the Native Americans believe it was wrong to sell the land?
Native Americans believed it was wrong to sell the land because it belonged to all creatures.
What was a ‘49er’?
A ‘49er’ was a gold prospector
Wives - miners - prostitutes - shopkeepers: which came last to the American West?
Wives came last to the American West
In which year did California set itself up as a state of the USA?
California became a state of the USA in 1850.
The Donner Party tried to follow the route of a famous trailblazer. What was his name?
The Donner Party were following the route of the trailblazer Lansford W Hastings. John F Kennedy was a 20th century US president
Which of these modern towns started off as a mining camp
Virginia City started off as a mining camp.
In the 1820s and 1830s, what did the mountain men go to the Rockies to hunt?
The Mountain Men hunted beavers, bears and elks, not wolves and rabbits.
Gold was discovered in California in 1848. How many miners were there in California in the spring of 1849?
There were 40,000 miners in California by the spring of 1849 - this was the start of the gold rush
What trade did most men turn to when they gave up their hopes for gold?
Once the gold rush died away, most men turned to farming.
What did the Donner Party have to abandon while crossing the Salt Lake Desert?
The Donner Party had to abandon their cattle in the Salt Lake Desert. The women stayed with the party.
What stopped the party just 150 miles from what is now Sacramento, California?
The party was stopped by snow 150 miles from what is now Sacramento. They had decided to take a ‘short cut’ earlier in the trip, which turned out to be a mistake.
Where was Joseph Smith tarred and feathered in 1832?
Joseph Smith was tarred and feathered in Kirtland, Ohio in 1832.
Why did the Mormons choose to move to Nauvoo, Illinois?
The Mormons chose to move to Nauvoo, Illinois because it was a swamp that most settlers avoided
Which of these is not a reason why many Christians disliked Mormons?
Christians did not dislike Mormons for supporting slavery. In fact they disliked the encouragement Mormons gave to slaves to join them.
How did the Mormons describe the Christians and their religion?
The Mormons described the Christians and their religion as ‘The lowest of men’.
Where was the Great Salt Lake in 1846?
In 1846 the Great Salt Lake was in Mexico
Which of the following was not proposed by some Mormons as an alternative destination to Salt Lake in 1846?
Missouri was not proposed as an alternative to Salt Lake by some Mormons in 1846 as they had already been forced to leave in 1838 after an exterminating order was issued by the governor.
How did the Mormons overcome the problem of Native American attacks on the way to Salt Lake?
Young taught the Mormons how to manage a wagon train and set it into a circle at night to overcome the problem of Native American attacks on the way to Salt Lake.
What solution did the Mormons have for the limited rainfall at Salt Lake?
The Mormons used irrigation schemes to overcome the problem of the limited rainfall at Salt Lake.
What was the name of the independent Mormon state Young tried to set up?
Deseret was the name of the independent Mormon state Young tried to set up.
What happened once an area’s population reached 60,000?
Once the population of an area reached 60,000, it could apply to become a state of the USA.
When was the Homestead Act passed?
The Homestead Act was passed in 1862.
On what terms were settlers given their 160 acres of free land?
Settlers were given their 160 acres of free land if they had lived and worked on the land for five years. This was attractive to people who could not afford a farm at home.
Why did tradesmen go West?
Tradesmen went West to seek trade. They were not looking for farmland.
every American must go ridding past (the) Sioux prospecting…
Eastern lowlands Appalachian mountains Mississippi river great plains rocky mountains plateau sierra Nevada pacific
what was the medicine man?
a man that had a special connection to the spirit world.
what was a sun dance?
A ceremony to make sure the sun would rise each day.
A sacred ceremony that involved a great deal of pain.
usually lasted for 8 days.
men danced and fasted.
they had claws trough their chests.
what was another name for the great spirit?
waken tanka
what was counting coup?
touching an enemy in battle and getting away without being injured.
what were the push factors which forced people to move to the west?
economic depression
bad farming
over crowding
lack of employment
what were the pull factors which attracted people to the west?
gold good farm land chance of employment make money from settlers climate positive propaganda
who was the donner party?
a party led by two wealthy brothers with 90 emigrants.
what happened to the donner party?
Stranded
delayed
snowed in sierra Nevada
resulted in cannibalism
what 3 places did the mourmons attempt to settle in?
Missouri
Kirtland
nauvoo
who led the Mormons?
joseph smith / young
