US West of the Mississippi River Flashcards

Flashcards reviewing key concepts about the US West, including physical landscape, early settlements, westward expansion, and economic development.

How is the US divided by the Mississippi River?

The Mississippi River divides the United States into two parts, with the western area being larger.

What are some characteristics of the western states compared to the eastern states?

Western states are typically larger, have steeper and rockier landforms, drier climates, and are rich in natural resources.

Where are the Great Plains located, and what is their terrain like?

The Great Plains are located just west of the Mississippi River; they appear flat but can be gently rolling land, now covered by farms and ranches.

Where are the Black Hills located?

The Black Hills are located in the northern Great Plains and are eroded mountains.

What are the Rocky Mountains?

The Rocky Mountains are a cordillera extending from the Canadian border to the Mexican border.

Where are the Cascades located?

The Cascades are a volcanic mountain range running north to south through western Oregon and Washington State.

Where is the Sierra Nevada range located?

The Sierra Nevada range runs along the California-Nevada border.

Who wrote 'The Star-Spangled Banner'?

Francis Scott Key wrote the lyrics on September 14, 1814, after witnessing the Battle of Fort McHenry.

What are/were the Thirteen Colonies?

These colonies were established in the 17th and early 18th centuries and eventually became the first 13 states after the American Revolution.

Who were the first people to live in the western United States?

Native Americans lived in the western states, belonging to dozens of different groups, each with its own language, culture, and lifestyle adapted to their area.

What were the different ways of life of Native Americans on the Great Plains?

Some tribes farmed and hunted along rivers, while others hunted bison and were nomadic, building teepees from animal hides.

What is it called when a person always on the move?

Nomadic

What are the Pueblo people know for?

The Pueblo people lived in multistoried homes made of dried mud and practiced dry farming.

How did Native Americans in the Northwest live?

They fished for salmon, hunted sea mammals, and built large homes of wood.

Who were the first Europeans to come to the region?

The Spanish were the first Europeans to settle the region, establishing settlements in Texas and New Mexico.

What was the purpose of Spanish missions?

Missions, led by Catholic priests, aimed to convert Native Americans to Christianity and the Spanish way of life.

What crops did the Spanish introduce and adopt in the Western Hemisphere?

The Spanish introduced crops like oranges, grapes, apples, and olives and adopted crops like corn, tomatoes, and avocados.

What area did France claim, and what was its most important settlement?

France claimed the land drained by the Mississippi River and called it Louisiana, establishing settlements like New Orleans.

What was the Louisiana Purchase?

In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory from France, giving the US most of the land between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains.

What did Lewis and Clark do?

Lewis and Clark explored the Louisiana Purchase, mapping the land, rivers, and making contact with Native American peoples, helping set an American claim to Oregon and Washington.

What is Manifest Destiny?

According to this concept, the United States had a right to extend its boundaries to the Pacific Ocean.

What was the Oregon Trail?

The Oregon Trail was a long route across the Great Plains and through the Rocky Mountains to Oregon.

How did the United States acquired Alaska?

The United States purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867 for just over $7 million.

How did the United States acquired Hawaii?

The United States annexed Hawaii in 1900 after American sugar planters seized the government.

How did the United States gain California and other lands from Mexico?

The United States won a war with Mexico and gained California, Utah, Nevada, and parts of other states in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848).

What was the California Gold Rush?

The California Gold Rush was a mass migration of people to California after gold was discovered.

What mineral discoveries attracted people to Nevada, South Dakota, and Colorado?

Silver was discovered in Nevada in the 1870s, and gold was found in South Dakota’s Black Hills and Colorado.

When was the first transcontinental railroad completed?

The first transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869, connecting the eastern and western areas of the US.

What was the Oregon Trail?

It was connected the Missouri River to the valleys of present-day Oregon and was used by pioneers emigrating west of the US

What was the Santa Fe Trail?

A 19th-century transportation route through central North America that connected Franklin, Missouri with Santa Fe, New Mexico.

What was the Mormon Trail?

The Mormon Trail wasn't driven by the pursuit of gold or land speculation, but by the desire for religious freedom and the establishment of a new community.

What was the Trancontinental Railroad?

The Transcontinental Railroad was a monumental feat of engineering and a pivotal moment in American history, dramatically changing the landscape and development of the West.

How did people live in the US west of the Mississippi in the 1800s and 1900s?

Farming and ranching became more important, mining and fishing prospered, and industries such as oil, manufacturing, shipbuilding, recreation, and entertainment grew.

What did Louisiana purchase boost?

The Louisiana purchase boosted belief in Manifest Destiny.

When did Lewis and Clark start their journey?

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark started their expedition in 1806.

Who did Lewis and Clark meet in their journey?

Lewis and Clark traveled led a group of a few dozen men on their expedition. They also met with the Native Americans tribes.

What did the Monroe Doctrine do?

The Monroe Doctrine warned europeansnations to stop attempting to colonized the Western Hemisphere otherwise military intervention will occur.

How long is the Oregon Trail?

The Oregon Trail is over 2,ooo miles from Independence, Missouri to Oregon City, Oregon.

Who found gold in California in the 1840s?

James Marshalls found gold on Sutter’s Mill in California which sparked the Gold Rush.

When did the consturction of the first trans continental railroad began?

Construction on the first trains continental railroad began in 1862 under the Pacific Railroad Act.

What were the two companies that work on the train's continental railroad?

Two companies that work on the railroad were: The Union Pacific Railroad Company and The Central Pacific Railroad Company.