The River of the West

Question 1

Westward Expansion

Answer 1

Fueled by economic opportunity, cheap land, and improved transportation.

Question 2

Manifest Destiny (Coined in 1845)

Answer 2

Belief that Americans were destined to expand westward.

Question 3

Missouri Compromise (1820)

Answer 3

Established Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, maintaining balance.

Question 4

Native American Displacement

Answer 4

Expansion pushed indigenous peoples off their lands, often violently.

Question 5

Santa Fe Trail (1821)

Answer 5

Opened trade between the U.S. and Mexico, boosting economic ties.

Question 6

Oregon Trail (1840s)

Answer 6

Thousands of settlers moved westward seeking new opportunities.

Question 7

Fur Trade Boom

Answer 7

John Jacob Astor became one of the richest men in America through the American Fur Company.

Question 8

Mexican Independence (1821)

Answer 8

Opened new markets for American traders in the Southwest.

Question 9

California Missions

Answer 9

Spanish-established missions played a major role in agriculture and converting Native populations.

Question 10

Gold Rush Begins (1848, outside chapter’s time frame)

Answer 10

Would later draw even more settlers westward.