Manifest Destiny Quiz

What animal was considered to be the west’s most valuable commodity?

Beaver

How many Americans would die during the journey west?

20,000

What was the name of the group traveling westward who resorted to cannibalism after getting stranded in a snowstorm in the Rocky Mountains?

Donner Party

What event occurred in March of 1836 in Texas?

California Gold Rush

Which territories did the United States gain as a result of the US-Mexican War?

Texas + California

How long did the California Gold Rush last?

6 years

How many prospectors actually found gold during the California Gold Rush?

1 out of 100

What sickness kills thousands of settlers a year during westward expansion?

Milk sickness

What invention makes the Midwest the economic heartland?

Steam Boats

How long did westward expansion take?

4 generations

What is Manifest Destiny?

The belief that it was America’s God-given right to expand from coast to coast.

Who is responsible for creating the idea of Manifest Destiny?

John L Sullivan

Who painted American Progress to show the glory of Manifest Destiny?

John Gast

All of the following are pros of Manifest Destiny except:

a. More opportunities for settlers to explore land and go on adventures

b. Religious groups like the Mormons could escape persecution in the east

c. More territory would be added to the United States

d. Women gave birth in mass, but were gaining little to no rights in the new frontier

d. Women gave birth in mass, but were gaining little to no rights in the new frontier

All of the following are cons of Manifest Destiny except:

a. Native Americans were forced off their land (again) and were forced onto reservations

b. Immigrants were able to migrate westward and find work and opportunites unavaliable in the east

c. As a result of America's expansion, the institution of slavery also expanded westward

d. Manifest Destiny was technically unconstitutional

b.Immigrants were able to migrate westward and find work and opportunities unavailable in the east.

A major issue of Manifest Destiny was the issue of ____. As American expanded, the argument for or against slavery intensified leading to the Civil War!

slavery

True or False: The Gadsden Purchase added the southern part of Arizona and New Mexico to the United States

True

Where did the Oregon Trail start and finish?

Independence Missouri

What were the three major trails taken when people were looking to travel west?

Oregon, Santa Fe, Mormon

What was the name of the group who went westward to Utah to escape religious persecution?

Mormons

What trail was used as a means of invasion during the US-Mexican War?

Oregon

The group of people were daring, young American men who hunted for beaver fur in the Rocky Mountains. They experienced tough conditions such as starvation, bear attacks and harsh weather conditions were called…

Mountain Men

What was the name given to the group of people that traveled westward to California in search of gold?

49ers

Which of the following is TRUE about the California Gold Rush?

a. Most of the people who traveled out west found gold and became rich

b. The Gold Rush lasted about 10 years before ending

c. The Gold Rush led to California seceding from Mexico and becoming independent

d. Less than 1 out of 100 people actually found gold during the Gold Rush

d. Less than 1 out of every 100 people actually found gold during the Gold Rush.

Who was the leader of the Mormons that led them to Utah?

Brigham Young

Which of the three trials had the HIGHEST number of settlers?

Oregon, Santa Fe, Mormons

True or False: The population of San Francisco dramatically decreased between 1848-1860 as a result of the California Gold Rush

False, increased

Who was the President that said he would go to war with Great Britain to gain control of the entire Oregon Country?

James Polk

At which parallel did the United States and Great Britain agree to divide the Oregon Territory?

49th Parallel

Why did Polk want to go to war with Mexico instead of Great Britain

Mexico was much weaker than Great Britain

All of the following are CAUSES of the Mexican-American War EXCEPT:

a. Manifest Destiny

b. The United States offered Mexico $30 million dollars for California and New Mexico

c. The United States annexed Texas, which was formerly land belonging to Mexico

d. A border dispute led to an American soldier shooting and killing Mexican soldiers

d. A border dispute led to an American soldier shooting and killing Mexican soldiers

Which statement BEST described President James K. Polk’s view of Manifest Destiny?

a. Afraid to expand because of the issue of slavery

b. Saw Manifest Destiny as his presidential mandate to complete

c. Hated Manifest Destiny and chose not to support it

d. Only wanted to acquire the Oregon Territory

b. Saw Manifest Destiny as his presidential mandate to complete

All of the following were goals of President James K. Polk EXCEPT:

a. settle the controversy between the US and Great Britain over the Oregon Territory

b. Bring Alaska into the United States

c. Set up an independent treasury to fix the credit mess since Andrew Jackson

d. Lower tariffs on imports into the US economy

b. Bring Alaska into the United States

Which treaty officially ended the Mexican-American War?

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

All of the following were EFFECTS of the Mexican-American War EXCEPT:

a. America completed its goal of Manifest Destiny

b. The war ended the hostility between the North and South

c. The United States grew by about 25% as a result of the Mexican Cession

d. The US paid Mexico $15 million for the newly acquired territories of the Mexican Cession

b. The war ended the hostility between the North and South

All of the following were future states gained as a result of the Mexican-American War EXCEPT:

a. Oregon

b. California

c. Arizona

d. Colorado

a. Oregon

What 1853 land purchase led to the completion of Manifest Destiny by adding the southern borders of Arizona and New Mexico to the United States?

Gadsden Purchase