Migration and Early Settlement

Question 1

what was manifest destiny?

Answer 1

the belief that it was gods will to have white americans populate the whole of america

Question 2

when was the economic depression?

Answer 2

1837

Question 3

where was the economic depression?

Answer 3

in the east

Question 4

how did the economic depression encourage westward migration?

Answer 4

high unemployment rates meant people wanted a new start

Question 5

what was the pre-emption act?

Answer 5

encourages settlers to stake a claim for the ownership of land which allowed them to buy 160 acres of land for $1.25 an acre

Question 6

how did victory over mexico in 1848 encourage migration west?

Answer 6

california was now part of the USA

Question 7

when was the californian gold rush?

Answer 7

1849

Question 8

what did the miners who moved west in search of gold become known as?

Answer 8

the forty niners

Question 9

how many people travelled to california in april 1849?

Answer 9

100,000

Question 10

how did farmland in Oregon encourage migration west?

Answer 10

traders who had been travelling to oregon for many years passed on news of good farmland in the west

Question 11

when was the oregon trail first publicised?

Answer 11

1825

Question 12

how may people used the oregon trail in 1836?

Answer 12

only 4

Question 13

by 1869 how many people had used the oregon trail?

Answer 13

400,000

Question 14

who were the donner party?

Answer 14

a group of 300 migrants and 60 wagons

Question 15

when did the donner party begin their journey?

Answer 15

May 1846

Question 16

by July where had the donner party reached?

Answer 16

fort bridger in the rocky mountains

Question 17

what did the donner party decide to do when they had reached fort bridger?

Answer 17

half of the group decided to take a new shortcut through the rocky mountains that had never actually been tested

Question 18

what was the problem with the ‘shortcut’?

Answer 18

it turned out to be longer than the normal route with rocky and steep terrain

Question 19

what did the donner party have to do to cross the rivers?

Answer 19

try several different spots as there was no ferries like on the oregon trail

Question 20

where had the donner party reached by mid october?

Answer 20

the sierra nevada mountains

Question 21

what happened when the party reached the sierra nevada mountains?

Answer 21

snow storms hit and trapped the group and livestock died meaning they ran out of food

Question 22

when did the first migrant die of starvation?

Answer 22

15th december

Question 23

how did the remaining party survive until february?

Answer 23

by eating those who had died

Question 24

why did the mormons needs to leave illinois?

Answer 24

they were facing persecution due to their beliefs and practice of polygamy

Question 25

why did the mormons eventually decide to leave illinois?

Answer 25

in 1845 their leader Joseph smith was murdered

Question 26

who became the new mormon leader?

Answer 26

brigham young

Question 27

when did the mormons set off for salt lake valley?

Answer 27

1847

Question 28

how were the mormons more organised than the donner party?

Answer 28

young did a count of all of the mormons and wagons they had before leaving so he could plan logistics
young consulted with explorers and trail guides to find out about the trail
migrants were divided into groups, each with a leader
strict discipline
they had an advance party to clear a route and plant food along the way

Question 29

between 1847 and 1896 how many mormons migrated?

Answer 29

70,000

Question 30

what were the problems with migration west?

Answer 30

migrants needed to complete their journey before winter
migrants needed to take enough food for the whole journey
oxen were incredibly strong but very slow
encounters with buffalo herds
travelling in dark
crossing raging rivers
dangerous wildlife

Question 31

what did Brigham young believe?

Answer 31

god had called on the mormons to migrate to salt lake city

Question 32

why were the mormons forced to leave illinois early?

Answer 32

hostility

Question 33

how did leaving early actually hold them up?

Answer 33

bitter conditions made families travel slower so it took until june for them to complete the first part of the journey

Question 34

why did the mormons decide to congregate at Omaha ?

Answer 34

by the time they completed the first part of their journey it was too late in the year to travel on to salt lake city

Question 35

how did the mormons overcome the challenge of no crops when they reached salt lake valley?

Answer 35

young sent advance parties ahead to plant crops for when the rest of the party arrived

Question 36

how did the mormons overcome the poor water supply in salt lake valley?

Answer 36

built irrigation systems that brought fresh water from streams into their farms

Question 37

how did the mormons overcome the problem of there only being one settlement?

Answer 37

young planned to start lots of other mormon settlements and set up the ‘perpetual emigration fund’ to pay for other mormon families to travel from Utah to follow them

Question 38

how did the mormons overcome the threat of fights?

Answer 38

young decided all land belonged to the church meaning no individual family owned anything

Question 39

how did the mormons overcome further persecution through trade with the US?

Answer 39

young ensured the mormons were self sufficient by growing as much of their own crops as possible and negotiated with railway companies to bring traders to the area to avoid contact with non mormons

Question 40

how did the mormons overcome the US governments threat to make Utah a state?

Answer 40

young compromised and agreed to step down as governor of Utah and allow a non mormon to take the job instead

Question 41

who were mountain men?

Answer 41

explorers