Social Developments: Regional Divisions in The West

Question 1

Why did many miners and farmers move to the West?

Answer 1

Because there was lots of fertile and mineral-rich land

Question 2

Why did lots of miners go to to California in 1849?

Answer 2

Because of the 1849 California Gold Rush

Question 3

Why did lots of miners go to the Black Hills in Dakota in 1874?

Answer 3

Because gold was discovered there

Question 4

Why did lots of Hunters move further West?

Answer 4

Because there were millions of bison to kill

Question 5

What was divides were created between USA Western travellers and Native Americans?

Answer 5

They violated many treaties the US Government made with Native Americans

Question 6

What treaty did the Western invaders of the Black Hills violate with the Native Americans?

Answer 6

1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie

Question 7

What did the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie say?

Answer 7

The Black Hills in Dakota were allowed to be Native American Reservation Lands

Question 8

What happened with many settlements in the West when the inhabitants found other areas of rich land?

Answer 8

The old cities were completely abandoned

Question 9

Name a city which was completely abandoned in The West and why

Answer 9

Virginia City in Nevada, as minerals were found elsewhere

Question 10

Name an important railroad for the West which stretched from Minnesota to the Seattle Pacific Coast and when it was completed

Answer 10

The Great Northern, completed in 1893

Question 11

When was the Southern Pacific Railroad complete? How far did it stretch?

Answer 11

The Southern Pacific Railroad stretching from New Orleans to San Francisco

Question 12

What was the scale of Railroads in The West by 1900?

Answer 12

They accounted for half of all railroads in the USA.

Question 13

How many hectares of land was given by the federal government to railroad businesses? What does this possibly show?

Answer 13

70 million hectares, potentially showing more federal government corruption

Question 14

How many additional hectares of land did State Governments give and how much money did they invest in railroads?

Answer 14

Gave an additional 19 million hectares and invested $200 million

Question 15

How much was unowned land sold for which was on the side of railroad networks per acre?

Answer 15

$1.25 per acre

Question 16

What did most settlers in the West depend on for their Income?

Answer 16

Crops

Question 17

What was an issue with growing crops in terms of water?

Answer 17

There were often droughts

Question 18

What insects posed a risk to farmers? How far into the ground could they go?

Answer 18

Locust swarms, which could destroy crops up to 15cm deep in the ground

Question 19

What issue did farmers face with monopolies?

Answer 19

Monopolies charged high freight costs and farmers had no other option to transport crops

Question 20

Name 2 pieces of technology that improved the efficiency of farming

Answer 20

Reapers and Threshers

Question 21

What farming method was developed to help farmers with Droughts?

Answer 21

Dry Farming

Question 22

When was Steel Barbed Wire invented and what did it help with?

Answer 22

1873, helped to properly fence off land

Question 23

How many wheat bushels were produced in 1867 and how many in 1900?

Answer 23

210 million in 1867, Over 600 million in 1900

Question 24

How much did the price of a corn bushel go down by in cents from 1867-73?

Answer 24

Went down by 45 cents

Question 25

What two things did Farmers start to join in the 1880s and 90s and why?

Answer 25

Unions and the Populist Party, because they opposed big business exploitation

Question 26

What did farmers want there to be a larger circulation of in the US Economy and why?

Answer 26

Silver, so inflation could occur and their debts could be reduced

Question 27

What act did the government pass to help farmers in 1890? What was significant about this?

Answer 27

Passed the 1890 Sherman Silver Act, significant as the federal government had listened to the farmers

Question 28

What did the 1890 Sherman Silver Act allow for?

Answer 28

4.5 million additional ounces of silver allowed to be bought by the USA every month

Question 29

What political party developed due to the rising opposition against big businesses?

Answer 29

The Populist Party

Question 30

What was the scale of the Populist Party by 1892? Who was the Presidential candidate?

Answer 30

James B Weaver won 1 million votes in the 1892 election