Q1 Practice

Question 1

Consequences of gold being discovered in the Sierra Nevada (California) 1849

Answer 1

Increased migration West

Use of Oregon trail

Question 2

Consequences of the setting up of the Oregon Trail

Answer 2

Increased migration West

Increased tensions between Americans and Indians

Question 3

Consequences of Treaty of Fort Laramie 1851

Answer 3

Led to first reservations in Oklahoma

Led to surveyors from the Railroad companies accessing the Indian territory

Tribes begin to receive government resources if they stuck to the boundaries imposed on them

Question 4

Consequences of mass settlement of California in the 1850s

Answer 4

Crime- claim jumping, salting a claim

New towns- San Francisco

Racism- Chinese migrants

Question 5

Consequences of lack of law and order in mining towns

Answer 5

increased crime

vigilante committes- groups of ordinary citizens who took it upon themselves to punish lawbreakers, often led to lynching of suspects

Question 6

Consequences of the Homestead Act 1862

Answer 6

13 million acres of “proven-up” land by 1884

Reduction of Indian land

increased “civilisation” of the West- the more homesteaders, the more peaceful and developed the area

Question 7

Consequences of Pacific Railroad Act 1862

Answer 7

Extinguished the rights of Plains Indians to own land on the route of the railroad

More land sold to Homesteaders by the railroad companies

Land sold to people from Scandinavia as the railroad companies advertised abroad

Transcontinental railroad increased communication between East and West

Question 8

Consequences of the Transcontinental railroad itself

Answer 8

Enabled the growth of the cattle industry

Led to declining numbers of buffalo

Led to tension between indians and railroad workers

Encouraged migration to the Plains as they were less isolated

Homesteaders could get good delivered eg agricultural machinery

Question 9

Consequences of the invention of barbed wire

Answer 9

Fencing off land

Helped homesteaders farm animals

Led to conflict between homesteaders and cattle barons

Question 10

Consequences of the development of cow towns like Abilene and Dodge City

Answer 10

Easier to transport cows to markets in the East

Crime- “Hell on Wheels’, disorder caused by cowboys

Question 11

Consequences of the Goodnight- Loving Trail

Answer 11

Allowed cattle to be sold to Fort Sumner

Allowed cattle ranchers to avoid the Homesteader land which was blocking the route to Chicago- at least at first until more land was bought by the Homesteaders which eventually blocked this trail too

Question 12

Consequences of ranching on the Plains

Answer 12

More effective way to farm- no need for the long-drives anymore

Tension between cattle barons and Homesteaders

Question 13

Consequences of gold being discovered in Montana

Answer 13

Led to the Bozeman Trail which cut through Sioux land

Led to Red Cloud’s war

Question 14

Consequences of Little Crow’s War

Answer 14

400 Dakota Sioux were put on trial but only 38 executed

The rest of the tribe were moved to the Crow Creek Reservation- many starved to death in the first winter as the land was so poor

Question 15

Consequences of Sand Creek Massacre

Answer 15

Government promised to pay compensation to the survivors and agreed that the Arapaho and Cheyenne would move to a large reservation

However, once the Civil War was won the government backed out of the deal and instead moved them onto a very small reservation and did not pay the compensation

Question 16

Consequences of Red Cloud’s War

Answer 16

Second Treaty of Fort Laramie

Bozeman Trail was closed

Red Cloud agreed to move the Sioux to their own reservation

Some Sioux leaders did not agree with Red Cloud and refused to agree (Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse who led the Battle of Little Big Horn)

Question 17

Consequence of the winter of 188-7 (“Great Die Up”)

Answer 17

15% of open range herds died

Cattlemen went bankrupt

Led to the end of the open range and a move towards smaller fenced ranches

Changed the lifestyle of the cowboys who had a much less adventurous life as they no longer needed to boundary ride to keep the cattle in order

Question 18

Consequences of the Battle of Little Big Horn

Answer 18

Changed government attitudes towards the Indians- meant they were taken more seriously

Government became tougher on Indians- ensured they were kept on their reservations, Sioux weapons and horses were taken off them and they were made to live under military rule