Westard Expansion

Question 1

The belief that Americans were destined by god to expand across the continent and spread democracy and capitalism

Answer 1

Manifest Destiny

Question 2

Legislation that provided 160 acres of public land to settlers, who were required to improve the land by building a dwelling and cultivating crops over five years

Answer 2

Homestead Act

Question 3

A railway completed in 1869 that connected the eastern U.S. rail network to the Pacific Coast, revolutionizing travel and commerce

Answer 3

Transcontinental Railroad

Question 4

A mass migration of settlers to western regions, such as California (1849), Colorado (1859), and the Klondike (1896), following the discovery of gold

Answer 4

Gold Rush

Question 5

A series of conflict between U.S. government forces and Native American tribes, including notable events like the Battle of Little Bighorn (1876) and the Wounded Knee Massacre (1890)

Answer 5

Indian Wars

Question 6

Legistlation aimed at assimilating Native Americans by dividing communal tribal land into individual plots, with the intent of encouraging private land ownership

Answer 6

Dawes Act

Question 7

African American soldiers who served in the U.S. Army during the Indian wars, protecting settlers and building infrastructure in the west

Answer 7

Buffalo Soldiers

Question 8

African Americans who migrated from the Southern U.S. to Kansas and other parts of the west after the Civil War, seeking economic opportunities and escaping racial violence

Answer 8

Exodusters

Question 9

Homes built by settlers on the plains using sod, due to the lack of timber, especially in areas like Nebraska and Kansas

Answer 9

Sod Houses

Question 10

The movement of large herds of cattle from Texas to railheads in Kansas, facilitated by cowboys, where cattle were shipped to eastern markets. Famous route

Answer 10

Cattle Drives

Question 11

Rapidly growing towns that emerged near mining sites or railroad hubs during the expansion period. Many became ghost towns once the resources were depleted

Answer 11

Boomtowns

Question 12

Events where land was opened for settlement, and thousands of settlers rushed to claim property, such as the Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889

Answer 12

Land Rushes

Question 13

Legislation that provided land grants to states to finance the establishment of colleges specializing in agriculture and the mechanical arts

Answer 13

Morrill Land-Grant Act

Question 14

An agreement between the U.S. government and several Native American tribes, including the Sioux, granting them control of the Black Hills and other lands. The treaty was later violated when gold was discovered in the Black Hills

Answer 14

Treaty of Fort Laramie

Question 15

An organization of farmers that advocated for economic reforms, including the regulation of railroad rates, which affected farmers’ ability to transport goods.

Answer 15

The Grange Movement

Question 16

An organization of farmers that advocated for economic reforms, including the regulation of railroad rates, which affected farmers’ ability to transport goods.

Answer 16

Barbed Wire

Question 17

A political party that arose in the late 19th century, representing the interests of farmers and laborers. It advocated for free silver, government control of railroads, and other reforms

Answer 17

Populist Party

Question 18

A vast area of grazing land where ranches could let their cattle roam freely before the introduction of barbed wire fencing

Answer 18

Open Range

Question 19

The policy of encouraging Native Americans to adopt European-American culture, language, and farming practice, often enforced through boarding schools and restrictive

Answer 19

Assimilation

Question 20

A federal law that prohibited the immigration of Chinese laborers, a reflection of rising anti-immigranrs

Answer 20

Chinese Exclusion Act