Topic 5 - Development of settlement in the West

Question 1

What were the two sides in the American Civil War and what region of America did each side represent?

Answer 1

1- The Union representing the North

2- The Confederancy representing the South

Question 2

What were two reasons for the civil war?

Answer 2

1. South had slavery, and whilst the north preferred free labour
2. The South feared that as the North is growing in power, it would start to control the South

Question 3

How did the Civil War affect Southerners?

Answer 3

South suffered a lot of devastation and so many southerners wanted to move west

Question 4

How did the civil war affect slaves?

Answer 4

Slaves were freed at the end of the war, and many wanted to leave the south to avoid persecution, so they chose to go the west

Question 5

How did the civil war affect Plains Indians?

Answer 5

At the end of the war, The government could start bringing their full attention to the Plain Indians, and so they were targeted by even more government troops

Question 6

Who were the homesteaders?

Answer 6

Settlers who gained land on the plains for their farms and homes

Question 7

Describe three main terms of the homestead act of 1862?

Answer 7

1- Heads of households could gain 160 acres of land in the West for a low price
2- Only on the condition that they built a home on the land, lived there and farmed the land for 5 years
3- After those 5 years, the land could be brought for a small price

Question 8

What was the main impact of the homestead act and why?

Answer 8

It resulted in the largest growth of farming in US history

Question 9

Give two problems that the homestead act caused?

Answer 9

1- Railroad companies and speculators brought up the best land
2- The land was of poor quality, which made it hard to farm on it

Question 10

Give two of the aims of the Pacific Railroad act of 1864?

Answer 10

1. To create a railroad spanning the entire continent, joining the east coast to the West
   2- To support manifest destiny

Question 11

Name two railway companies set up after the act railroad act was passed and where each starting building from?
Also, state which direction they were heading

Answer 11

1. Central Pacific Railroad - started construction in california and was going east
2. Union Pacific Railroad - started construction in Omaha and was going west

Question 12

How did the rail companies gain sufficient funds to construct the railroads?

Answer 12

1- The government provided land/money

2- The railroad companies sold land to ordinary people to gain extra funds

Question 13

Name three effects of the completion of the first Transcontinental railroad in 1869?

Answer 13

1- Travel from east to the west was very quick
2- Homesteaders could now travel to the plains faster
3- Law and order could now reach the plains

Question 14

What was the conditions on the plains like and what effect did this have for settlement in the west?

Answer 14

1- land was very dry so farming was difficult
2 - shortage of trees so it was difficult to mark out land
3- isolation meant little law-and-order enforcement so people didnt get on well with each other

Question 15

Give two solutions that homesteaders came up with to deal with the problems with the plains?

Answer 15

1. Homesteaders made what they needed by hand

2. They built houses out of sod, instead of wood

Question 16

As living on the plains arised so many issues, what did these issues result in?

Answer 16

The homesteaders leaving within a year or two