Deck 13: Western Expansion, 1830-1848

Question 1

Zachary Taylor's decisive victory at the Battle of Buena Vista led to an immediate Mexican surrender.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

The outbreak of the Mexican-American War was caused by the dispute over Oregon.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Mexico initially banned all American settlement in Texas.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

President Martin Van Buren ultimately failed to win the Democratic party's nomination in 1844 because of his position on Texas.

Question 5

Mexico's winning of independence from Spain slowed American expansion westward.

Question 6

As president, William Henry Harrison:

A) merely followed the orders of Henry Clay
B) tried to slow American migration to the West
C) was able to fulfill most of the Whig economic platform
D) brought a completely different background to office than Andrew Jackson
E) died after only a month in office

Question 7

John Tyler favored Henry Clay's American System.

Question 8

William Henry Harrison died one month after his inauguration as president.

Question 9

President Tyler infuriated Henry Clay by vetoing his bill in support of:

A) Texas annexation
B) higher tariffs
C) Indian removal
D) pensions for veterans
E) a new national bank

Question 10

Support for the Mexican-American War was strongest in New England.

Question 11

Which leader is described as a president without a party?

A) William Henry Harrison
B) Sam Houston
C) James K. Polk
D) John Tyler
E) Henry Clay

Question 12

There were more than 200 different Indian tribes west of the Mississippi River in 1840.

Question 13

Henry Clay was the Democratic presidential candidate in 1844.

Question 14

David Crockett was not a real person but purely a fictional character.

Question 15

Members of the Donner party engaged in cannibalism when stranded on their way to California.

Question 16

All the western Indian tribes eventually felt the unrelenting pressure of white expansion and conquest.

Question 17

In 1849, Congress created the Department of the Interior to supervise the distribution of land, the creation of new territories and states, and the "protection" of the Indians and their reservations.

Question 18

William Henry Harrison:

A) was the last president elected from the Jacksonian Democratic party
B) developed a close association with Henry Clay during his presidency
C) led the fight to annex Texas
D) was the first president to be assassinated
E) was elected more on his military record than for taking a stand on the issues

Question 19

John Tyler broke with the Democrats and joined with the Whigs because he:

A) morally opposed slavery
B) disagreed with Andrew Jackson's position on nullification
C) worshipped the Founding Fathers
D) believed all property owners should have the vote
E) supported Clay's program of economic nationalism

Question 20

James K. Polk won the 1844 election without a majority of the popular vote.

Question 21

All of the following statements about Stephen F. Austin are true EXCEPT:

A) he had a legitimate land grant from Mexico
B) he convinced the Mexican government to permit an Anglo "buffer" colony on the northern frontier between the Comanche Indians and the Mexican settlements
C) he became the leading proponent of American settlement in coastal Texas
D) He adamantly opposed slavery.
E) He actively urged Texans to revolt against Mexico.

Question 22

Who coined the term "manifest destiny"?

A) President Martin Van Buren
B) Texas leader Stephen Austin
C) Newspaper editor John O'Sullivan
D) Mexican leader Santa Anna
E) Swiss immigrant John A. Sutter

Question 23

The Americans known as "mountain men," who blazed western trails, were:

A) army scouts
B) missionaries
C) mountain climbers
D) horse traders
E) fur trappers

Question 24

What was a main reason the Mexican government attempted to curtail American settlement of Texas?

A) racism against Americans
B) worry about the behavior and intentions of the Americans living there
C) a preference for Indian settlement of the land
D) the Spanish forcing them to exclude the Americans
E) the British claim to the territory

Question 25

Why was John Charles Frémont so influential in encouraging the mass migration of Americans to Oregon and California?

A) He was already a famous mountain man.
B) He rescued the Donner party.
C) He had led the largest wagon train along the Oregon Trail.
D) He established the first sizable American settlement in California.
E) His reports of his western explorations gained wide circulation and became very popular.

Question 26

Why did the Spanish establish missions in California?

A) They were tools to turn Indians into hard-working Christians.
B) They were vehicles that could preserve Indian language and culture.
C) They were institutions where the Spanish studied Indian religions.
D) They were outposts to help attract Indian emigration to Spain.
E) They were churches that only the Spanish were allowed to use.

Question 27

Most of the American settlers in Texas went there because of:

A) furs
B) gold and other mineral deposits
C) fertile, inexpensive lands
D) trading opportunities with the Indians and the Mexicans
E) legal problems in the United States

Question 28

Many of the Plains Indian societies encountered by Americans migrating westward:

A) exhibited remarkable similarities to New England society
B) knew no warfare until the coming of the white man
C) were largely homogeneous and devoid of any substantive differences among them
D) were horse-borne nomads
E) had already become deeply rooted in Christianity

Question 29

When Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821, Texas was:

A) an independent republic
B) one of the American states
C) a French territory
D) a commonwealth of the British Empire
E) a part of Mexico

Question 30

The idea of "manifest destiny" claimed that:

A) joint British-American occupation of North America would "civilize" the continent
B) immediate war against the British would revitalize the American state
C) American expansion westward across the continent was sanctioned by God
D) slavery was the result of divine intervention
E) men were destined to travel the high seas

Question 31

The Donner party became stranded on the Oregon Trail mainly because:

A) of the succession of their own mistakes and poor decisions
B) they became caught in the crossfire of the Mexican war for independence
C) their party was too small to survive the journey
D) a broken compass led them astray
E) of annihilation by the Indians

Question 32

The Mexican ban on American immigration to Texas:

A) was ineffective
B) halted the flood of immigrants to the area
C) went into effect in 1820
D) was necessary because Americans in Texas already numbered almost half the Mexican population there
E) caused the United States to break diplomatic relations with Mexico

Question 33

The Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842 did all of the following EXCEPT:

A) provide for joint naval patrols off of Africa
B) place the Oregon territory under sole U.S. control
C) provide for U.S.-British cooperation to police the outlawed slave trade
D) settle a long-standing dispute over the northeastern boundary with Canada
E) result in good relations with Great Britain

Question 34

The Creole incident:

A) strained relations between the United States and France
B) involved the British freeing American slaves after they mutinied and escaped
C) involved the seizure and destruction of an American steamboat at Niagara Falls
D) was solved almost single-handedly by Henry Clay
E) was caused when Congress reopened the African slave trade

Question 35

What was the purpose of the Convention of 1818, signed by Britain and the United States?

A) to settle remaining differences and claims from the War of 1812
B) to cede California to the Americans
C) to establish a joint occupation of the Oregon Country
D) to outlaw the slave trade
E) to condemn Napoléon's designs on New World expansion

Question 36

At the Battle of the Alamo:

A) Texans secured their independence
B) the Mexicans won a costly victory
C) Santa Anna showed his strategic brilliance
D) the defenders were bombarded into surrender
E) William B. Travis and Jim Bowie were taken prisoner

Question 37

Most of those who traveled westward in wagon trains:

A) made it from Missouri to California in a month
B) traveled in groups
C) were attacked by Indians
D) turned back due to the hardships
E) were headed for California's gold fields

Question 38

How were the Spanish missions in California different from those established in Texas?

A) The Spanish faced more native opposition in Texas than in California.
B) The missions in California were not very long lasting or influential.
C) The Indians were allowed to keep their native customs and rituals.
D) The workers received wages for their work.
E) The California missions received better funding once Mexico won its independence.

Question 39

What effect did Mexico's winning its independence from Spain have on American settlement in the Southwest?

A) The establishment of the new Mexican state made settlement in its territories more difficult.
B) Patterns of American settlement of the former Spanish, now Mexican, territories remained unchanged.
C) American settlers were immediately and forcibly removed from all Mexican territories.
D) American settlement and expansion into the former Spanish territories increased after Mexico gained independence.
E) Americans began to flee the former Spanish territories once Mexico gained independence.

Question 40

Why did the Anglo Texans rebel against the Mexican government?

A) to preempt Mexican plans to attack U.S. territories east of Texas
B) to honor their alliance with the Comanche Indians
C) out of fear that the Mexican government intended to free their slaves
D) at the request of Spain, which was trying to regain control of Mexico
E) their opposition to taxation without representation

Question 41

Among the vocal opponents of the Mexican-American War was:

A) Thomas O. Larkin
B) John Slidell
C) Abraham Lincoln
D) John Tyler
E) John L. O'Sullivan

Question 42

All of the following resulted from the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo EXCEPT:

A) the United States gained California
B) the United States paid Mexico $15 million
C) U.S. troops continued to occupy Mexico
D) Mexico recognized the Rio Grande as the border of Texas
E) the United States gained New Mexico

Question 43

The decisive victory in the war came with Winfield Scott's capture of:

A) Monterrey
B) Veracruz
C) Cerro Gordo
D) Puebla
E) Mexico City

Question 44

During the election of 1844:

A) both Clay and Polk enthusiastically supported Texas annexation
B) Liberty party votes in New York cost Clay the White House
C) Polk won a popular vote landslide
D) Jackson supported his old rival, Henry Clay
E) Polk's greater experience in national office gave him a huge advantage over Clay

Question 45

California's Bear Flag Republic:

A) was controlled by Mexicans and Indians
B) was quickly recognized by the British
C) represented a California version of manifest destiny
D) was established when American settlers captured Sonoma in northern California
E) sent an expedition to capture Santa Fe

Question 46

Polk's nickname of "Young Hickory" most reflected his:

A) association with Jackson and support for Jacksonian policies
B) toughness in dealing with his enemies
C) common origins in North Carolina
D) relative youth for a presidential candidate
E) enthusiastic support for territorial expansion

Question 47

Congress voted to annex the Republic of Texas via a(n):

A) treaty of annexation
B) House of Representatives resolution
C) joint resolution of Congress
D) voice vote in the Senate
E) executive order

Question 48

As president, Polk supported all of the following EXCEPT:

A) acquisition of California
B) tariff reduction
C) restoration of the Independent Treasury
D) settlement of the Oregon boundary question
E) internal improvements

Question 49

Why was Whig leader Daniel Webster opposed to the Mexican-American War?

A) He was a pacifist.
B) He preferred to go to war with Britain over Oregon.
C) He was known for his adamant support of pro-Mexican policies.
D) He believed Texas could be acquired without a war.
E) He believed that the origins of the war were "unconstitutional."

Question 50

Polk's order that Zachary Taylor move his troops to the disputed territory north of the Rio Grande:

A) protected American settlers along the border
B) provoked a Mexican attack
C) persuaded Mexico to sell California
D) expressed his belief in manifest destiny
E) won him political support in the North

Question 51

What was a significant influence on Texas commander in chief Sam Houston?

A) He was half Mexican.
B) He was the first Texas-born leader of the territory.
C) He had been a pacifist before moving to Texas.
D) He was the only college-educated rebel.
E) He served under General Andrew Jackson in the War of 1812.

Question 52

The Mexican-American War erupted when:

A) Mexican and U.S. troops clashed north of the Rio Grande
B) American settlers started a revolt in California
C) the United States recognized Texas as independent
D) Mexico insulted the U.S. ambassador and ordered him to leave the country
E) Polk won the 1844 election

Question 53

Who was the first president of the Republic of Texas?

A) Stephen Austin
B) Andrew Jackson
C) James Polk
D) Santa Anna
E) Sam Houston

Question 54

All of the following are true about Winfield Scott's assault on Veracruz EXCEPT:

A) Scott led an assault against what was considered to be the strongest fortress in North America
B) Scott's assault was the largest amphibious operation ever attempted by U.S. military forces
C) it was carried out without a loss
D) the victory made General Scott a national hero
E) Mexico surrendered as a result of Scott's victory

Question 55

Polk settled the Oregon boundary dispute with the British by:

A) agreeing to a border along the 49th parallel
B) paying the British $10 million to give up their claim
C) sending the navy to back up the U.S. claim
D) agreeing to a permanent joint occupation of the Pacific Northwest
E) promising not to go to war with Mexico

Question 56

The Republic of Texas:

A) at first shied away from annexation by the United States
B) drafted a constitution emancipating its slaves
C) was recognized by President Andrew Jackson early in his administration
D) developed trade relations with Britain
E) was on the verge of becoming a world power

Question 57

James Polk's top priority as president was to:

A) restore American prosperity through expanded trade relations with Canada
B) secure geographic expansion of the United States, especially through the acquisition of Texas, California, and New Mexico
C) commit the United States to protecting Texas independence in perpetuity
D) create a political consensus that saw the two major political parties merge into one
E) encourage European immigration as a means to fuel American industrialization

Question 58

During the 1844 campaign, Henry Clay changed his position on the annexation of Texas to one of:

A) support as long as it proceeded honorably and without war
B) adamant opposition to it
C) indifference
D) insistence that the territory be returned to Mexico
E) ignoring it

Question 59

Martin Van Buren's stance against annexing Texas:

A) helped his presidential aspirations
B) hurt his relationship with his fellow senators
C) secured his nomination as the Whig candidate for president
D) cost him his party's nomination in 1844
E) caused future generations to honor his political courage

Question 60

The major factor that delayed Texas annexation until 1845 was:

A) concern over Texas entering as a slave state
B) fear of a possible Mexican attack on the United States
C) Calhoun's incompetence as secretary of state
D) the desire of Texans to remain a republic
E) Britain's support for Texas independence

Question 61

Trace the development of the Oregon Country prior to the Mexican-American War.

Question 62

MATCHING
Match each description with the item below.
John Charles Frémont

A)was the young congressman who argued that Polk had maneuvered the Mexicans into attacking
B)led American forces at Veracruz
C)was elected vice president in 1840
D)was one of the defenders at the Alamo
E)was the American who captured San Diego and Los Angeles
F)was the secretary of state who negotiated the treaty resolving the boundary between the northeastern United States and British Canada
G)was known as "the Pathfinder"
H)died after one month in office
I)was president of the Republic of Texas
J)was known as "Young Hickory"

Question 63

How did the Mexican-American War ultimately deepen sectional divisions in the United States?

A) All the territories acquired were immediately opened to slavery.
B) Slavery was prohibited in all the territories acquired.
C) Slaves who fought in the war began rebelling for their freedom in the South.
D) The new territories acquired fueled a violent debate over the extension of slavery into them.
E) Southern states refused to recognize the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

Question 64

Why were many Americans opposed to the Mexican-American War? How significant was their opposition?

Question 65

What were the various roles of the California missions? Describe life at these missions and the impact they had throughout the territory.

Question 66

MATCHING
Match each description with the item below.
Robert F. Stockton

A)was the young congressman who argued that Polk had maneuvered the Mexicans into attacking
B)led American forces at Veracruz
C)was elected vice president in 1840
D)was one of the defenders at the Alamo
E)was the American who captured San Diego and Los Angeles
F)was the secretary of state who negotiated the treaty resolving the boundary between the northeastern United States and British Canada
G)was known as "the Pathfinder"
H)died after one month in office
I)was president of the Republic of Texas
J)was known as "Young Hickory"

Question 67

Explain the phrase "manifest destiny." What factors were most important in drawing Americans to the West, both mentally and physically?

Question 68

The Mexican-American War contributed to all of the following EXCEPT:

A) the strengthening of the Union
B) the United States' becoming a transcontinental nation
C) the end of a prolonged depression
D) the creation of the Department of the Interior
E) a dramatic expansion of the federal government

Question 69

Discuss the American movement to annex Texas between 1820 and 1845. Why did it take so long for annexation to succeed?

Question 70

MATCHING
Match each description with the item below.
James K. Polk

A)was the young congressman who argued that Polk had maneuvered the Mexicans into attacking
B)led American forces at Veracruz
C)was elected vice president in 1840
D)was one of the defenders at the Alamo
E)was the American who captured San Diego and Los Angeles
F)was the secretary of state who negotiated the treaty resolving the boundary between the northeastern United States and British Canada
G)was known as "the Pathfinder"
H)died after one month in office
I)was president of the Republic of Texas
J)was known as "Young Hickory"

Question 71

In which territory-Texas, California, or Oregon-was America's claim best? In which was it worst? Explain the reasoning behind your conclusions.

Question 72

Discuss the causes and consequences of the Mexican-American war.

Question 73

Assess the presidency of James K. Polk. What were his successes and failures, and what impact did his administration have on the future of the United States?

Question 74

MATCHING
Match each description with the item below.
William Henry Harrison

A)was the young congressman who argued that Polk had maneuvered the Mexicans into attacking
B)led American forces at Veracruz
C)was elected vice president in 1840
D)was one of the defenders at the Alamo
E)was the American who captured San Diego and Los Angeles
F)was the secretary of state who negotiated the treaty resolving the boundary between the northeastern United States and British Canada
G)was known as "the Pathfinder"
H)died after one month in office
I)was president of the Republic of Texas
J)was known as "Young Hickory"

Question 75

Which of the following statements about the Mexican-American War is NOT true?

A) It was America's first major military war outside the U.S.
B) Several prominent Americans opposed the war.
C) Many more Americans died of disease than died in battle.
D) The fighting lasted two years.
E) In terms of the percentage of combatants killed, it had the lowest death rate of any war in American history.

Question 76

MATCHING
Match each description with the item below.
Sam Houston

A)was the young congressman who argued that Polk had maneuvered the Mexicans into attacking
B)led American forces at Veracruz
C)was elected vice president in 1840
D)was one of the defenders at the Alamo
E)was the American who captured San Diego and Los Angeles
F)was the secretary of state who negotiated the treaty resolving the boundary between the northeastern United States and British Canada
G)was known as "the Pathfinder"
H)died after one month in office
I)was president of the Republic of Texas
J)was known as "Young Hickory"

Question 77

MATCHING
Match each description with the item below.
Winfield Scott

A)was the young congressman who argued that Polk had maneuvered the Mexicans into attacking
B)led American forces at Veracruz
C)was elected vice president in 1840
D)was one of the defenders at the Alamo
E)was the American who captured San Diego and Los Angeles
F)was the secretary of state who negotiated the treaty resolving the boundary between the northeastern United States and British Canada
G)was known as "the Pathfinder"
H)died after one month in office
I)was president of the Republic of Texas
J)was known as "Young Hickory"

Question 78

Discuss the various Indian cultures throughout the West prior to the Civil War.

Question 79

Why was Henry Clay and not the incumbent, John Tyler, nominated by the Whig party in 1844?

Question 80

MATCHING
Match each description with the item below.
Abraham Lincoln

A)was the young congressman who argued that Polk had maneuvered the Mexicans into attacking
B)led American forces at Veracruz
C)was elected vice president in 1840
D)was one of the defenders at the Alamo
E)was the American who captured San Diego and Los Angeles
F)was the secretary of state who negotiated the treaty resolving the boundary between the northeastern United States and British Canada
G)was known as "the Pathfinder"
H)died after one month in office
I)was president of the Republic of Texas
J)was known as "Young Hickory"