Deck 11: To Overspread the Continent: Westward Expansion and Political Conflict, 1840-1848

Question 1

One reason that Mexico became concerned with the presence of so many American settlers in Texas by the late 1820s was that Americans .

A) were too eager to convert to Catholicism
B) opposed annexation to the United States
C) established a dictatorial government in Texas
D) brought thousands of slaves to Texas

Answer 1

brought thousands of slaves to Texas

Question 2

Why did Brigham Young move the entire Mormon community to Utah after Joseph Smith's murder?

A) He wanted to keep tithing to the church legal.
B) He received a revelation to convert the Indians of the American West to Mormonism.
C) Mexico promised the Mormons religious freedom if they settled in their northern territories.
D) Young wanted the Mormons to be beyond the reach of the church's enemies.

Answer 2

Young wanted the Mormons to be beyond the reach of the church's enemies.

Question 3

What was the greatest ecological consequence resulting from the fur trade?

A) Native Americans were displaced from their ancestral homelands.
B) Sea otters and beavers nearly became extinct.
C) The American bison was wiped out after it became the trappers' primary food source.
D) Trappers polluted the rivers where they trapped regularly.

Answer 3

Sea otters and beavers nearly became extinct.

Question 4

As shown on this map of western trails, the Santa Fe Trail differed from other western land routes because it .

A) opened New Mexico to large numbers of American settlers
B) became a thriving commercial route for American traders
C) provided a safer southern route for settlers going to California
D) connected the United States to Mexico City

Question 5

Richard Caton Woodville's painting War News from Mexico (1848) shows a central figure reading the latest headlines from the war front and, based on the men's expressions, elicits what type of response about the Mexican War from the audience gathered at the "American Hotel"?

A) indifference
B) astonishment
C) concern
D) both astonishment and concern

Question 6

How did John C. Frémont's 1845 published account of his explorations with the Army Topological Corps affect Americans' attitudes about the West?

A) Stories about hostile Indian attacks frightened many potential settlers from traveling to the West.
B) The adventures of American fur trappers gloried life in the West for many Americans.
C) Explanations about the harsh weather conditions, including freezing winter blizzards and summer droughts, convinced settlers that the West was not suitable for habitation.
D) The myth of the "Great American Desert" was dispelled with evidence that the Great Plains were a fertile area for settlement.

Question 7

What important message did the architecture and designs of the Mormon temple in Nauvoo, Illinois, send to both Mormon and non-Mormon members of that community?

A) The imposing height of the temple reflected Mormons' power and success in Nauvoo.
B) The Egyptian Revival style of architecture connected the temple to sepulchral gloom.
C) The numerous columns symbolized the practice of men taking more than one wife.
D) Its location in a large open space reflected Mormons' desire for isolation from others.

Question 8

Missouri senator Thomas Hart Benton's statement that "The White race alone received the divine command, to subdue and replenish the earth! Civilization or extinction has been the fate of all people who have found themselves in the track of the advancing Whites," contains concepts that are based on both .

A) racism and industrialization
B) Christianity and the belief in the "noble savage"
C) Jacksonian democracy and Protestant millennialism
D) migration and geographical expansion

Question 9

How is Davy Crockett portrayed in this crude woodcut depicting his death at the Alamo?

A) as a coward running away to evade capture
B) as a hero and martyr for freedom
C) as a member of the rank and file forces at the Alamo
D) as an ally of the Mexican forces

Question 10

This map shows that the most common way for Americans to get to the Pacific coasts of California and the Oregon Country from the Midwest during the era of Manifest Destiny was

A) by sailing around South America to San Francisco
B) along the Oregon Trail
C) along the Santa Fe Trail
D) along the California Trail

Question 11

What type of relationship between the Spaniards in California and the Native Americans of that region existed as shown in this 1816 painting of the presidio in San Francisco?

A) collaborative
B) belligerent
C) exploitative
D) amicable

Question 12

How did the doctrine of Manifest Destiny conflict with the idea of the West portrayed in Charles Deas's painting The Trapper and His Family?

A) Proponents of Manifest Destiny saw Indians as inferiors rather than potential partners.
B) Proponents of Manifest Destiny sought the eradication of the wilderness of the West to make way for urbanization.
C) Proponents of Manifest Destiny rejected the freewheeling ways of mountain men in favor of Christian values.
D) Proponents of Manifest Destiny derided hunting and supported the westward spread of agriculture.

Question 13

What did the doctrine of "consecration and stewardship" require of Mormons?

A) that they practice polygamy
B) that they deed their property to the church
C) that they build a glorious temple for worship
D) that they isolate themselves from the dominant culture

Question 14

After achieving independence from Spain in 1821, Mexico's chief concern was securing its northern border with the United States, which was addressed by _.

A) offering land grants in Texas to Americans who agreed to follow Mexican laws
B) adopting the mission system in California and New Mexico to convert Indians to Christianity
C) creating military alliances with the Apache and Comanche, who dominated that region
D) relocating Mexican settlers from the interior to this region

Question 15

Manifest Destiny was the doctrine that .

A) God intended the United States to extend westward to the Pacific
B) Indians who refused to assimilate should be exterminated
C) the United States was and should be a Christian nation
D) the United States should become the most powerful nation in the Americas

Question 16

Reformers like Boston minister William Ellery Channing attacked the arrogance of Manifest Destiny and instead believed that Americans should .

A) act honestly and respectfully toward Indians
B) purchase lands from Indians in the West
C) enslave Indians to cultivate the land in the West
D) give Indians the right to vote

Question 17

Although Mandan chief Mah-to-toh-pa posed for artist George Caitlin with full war regalia and other trappings of a warrior chief, Caitlin omitted most of these objects in order to

A) fulfill the desires of the Indian chief for a more simplistic portrayal of himself
B) preserve an accurate visual record of Western Native American culture
C) not make him seem more powerful than American political and military leaders
D) portray an idealized version of how an Indian should appear to an American audience

Question 18

Why did the workload of women double when their families moved westward?

A) Women continued to care for the children but also made the major economic decisions for their family.
B) Men took on many risks during the trek and often died, leaving women to care for their families on their own.
C) Men were often absent to hunt, forage, and scout for the best trails.
D) Women maintained traditional roles within the family but also had to take on jobs usually reserved for men.

Question 19

Paiute Indian Sarah Winnemucca's memoir detailing a range of encounters with whites is unusual because .

A) memoirs were rarely printed after new printing innovations came into existence
B) she falsified and enhanced many of the traumatic encounters she experienced with whites
C) relatively little material written from the Indian perspective exists
D) the Paiute were one of the few tribes in the West who successfully defeated white attackers

Question 20

In what way are Albert Bierstadt's Emigrants Crossing the Plains and Charles Wimar's Attack on Emigrant Train similar in their portrayal of the West?

A) They employ symbolism to illustrate the favored nature of white settlers.
B) They emphasize the travails of those headed into the frontier.
C) They exaggerate aspects of westward travel for dramatic effect.
D) They accentuate the beauty of the Western landscape.

Question 21

Proponents of popular sovereignty believed that .

A) presidential elections should not be decided by the electoral college
B) decisions regarding the admission of new states should be made via popular referendum
C) suffrage should be extended to all adult citizens
D) residents of a territory should decide whether slavery should be permitted there

Question 22

How does Nathaniel Currier's lithograph on the right portraying the death of Colonel Henry Clay Jr. at the Battle of Buena Vista during the Mexican War differ from the daguerreotype on the left of Brigadier General John E. Wool and his staff in Saltillo, Mexico?

A) The lithograph attempts to portray events accurately, whereas the daguerreotype is simple propaganda.
B) The lithograph is inspirational, whereas the daguerreotype is realistic.
C) The lithograph was made for Clay's family, whereas the daguerreotype was distributed for public consumption.
D) The lithograph celebrates war, whereas the daguerreotype criticizes it.

Question 23

Why did Northerners oppose President Polk's proposal to extend to the Pacific coast the 36° 30 line that separated free states from slave states?

A) Most of the lands gained from Mexico were below this line and likely to enter as slave states.
B) The Mexican territory was not part of the original Louisiana Purchase so this line did not apply to it.
C) Mexico threatened a second war if slavery was permitted in its former territory.
D) Former Mexican territory north of this line would still be slave states.

Question 24

How was President James K. Polk, who was nicknamed "Young Hickory," most similar to his mentor Andrew "Old Hickory" Jackson?

A) They both were proponents of the antislavery movement.
B) They both believed in the inevitability of westward expansion.
C) They both supported an equal division of power among the three branches of government.
D) They both believed that Native Americans should be dealt with honestly and with respect.

Question 25

What were the consequences for Mexico in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo?

A) Mexico gained the use of the Rio Grande.
B) Trade between Mexico and the United States increased.
C) Slavery in Mexico emerged as a central issue.
D) Mexico lost 55 percent of its territory to the United States.

Question 26

What was a daguerreotype?

A) a faster method of printing newspapers
B) an early form of photography
C) the type of telegraph used during the Mexican War
D) a more accurate method of duplicating images

Question 27

Why was the Wilmot Proviso so controversial?

A) It protected the property of western slaveholders.
B) It restored the gag rule in Congress.
C) It banned slavery in all territory acquired from Mexico.
D) It abolished slavery throughout the United States.

Question 28

What did Ralph Waldo Emerson mean when he said "Mexico will poison us"?

A) The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was an unfair settlement.
B) The people of Mexico would harbor ill will against the United States for many years.
C) The outcome of the Mexican War would lead to further wars with Mexico.
D) The conflict over slavery would get worse, not better.

Question 29

What action did President John Tyler take in order to secure Texas annexation before Polk became president?

A) He convinced the Whigs in Congress that Texas would be a free state.
B) He purchased Texas from Mexico.
C) He persuaded Congress to write a treaty, which was a constitutional requirement.
D) He got Congress to support a joint resolution that annexed Texas.

Question 30

The anti-war political cartoon "Young Texas in Repose" more than likely influenced Henry David Thoreau's decision not to pay his poll tax and spend a night in jail because he

A) refused to support a proslavery government waging a proslavery war with Mexico
B) perceived Texans to be ill-bred ruffians and murderers
C) had great disdain for Texans, who saw themselves as being better than other Americans
D) believed that Texas annexation would promote lawlessness in the United States

Question 31

When one American military officer in the Mexican War complained of a "thousand prying eyes and brazen tongues," he was mostly referring to .

A) photographers who used the recently invented daguerreotype to capture images of the war
B) "war correspondents" sent by the press so that they could be independent of military reports
C) antislavery factions who were concerned that gaining Mexican lands would increase slavery
D) Mexican guerrillas who launched vicious attacks on United States forces in Mexico

Question 32

What made the Mexican War different from earlier wars fought by the United States?

A) It was the first war to produce heroic generals who were very popular with Americans.
B) It was the first war that the United States fought mostly on foreign soil.
C) It was the first war where the United States started out as the underdog.
D) It was the first war to be resolved through a peace treaty.

Question 33

What was the main source of conflict between the United States and Mexico that led to war in 1846?

A) differences in language and culture
B) immigration
C) a dispute over defining the border
D) the question of sovereignty over Texas

Question 34

Before going to war with Mexico, President Polk had to resolve which other territorial issue?

A) acquiring Oregon from Britain
B) capturing California from Mexico
C) settling disputes with France over the "sugar islands" of the Caribbean
D) taking the Indian Territory from the Native Americans who had been relocated there.

Question 35

What political positions did the newly formed Liberty Party take in the election of 1844?

A) It favored the annexation of Texas as a free state.
B) It called for an immediate war with Mexico to capture Texas.
C) It opposed both slavery and Texas annexation.
D) It supported the continuation of slavery in an annexed Texas.

Question 36

How did Mexican War generals Winfield "Old Fuss and Feathers" Scott and Zachary "Old Rough and Ready" Taylor differ from each other?

A) Zachary Taylor nurtured the careers of a new generation of generals, whereas Winfield Scott cared only about his own career.
B) Winfield Scott was arrogant, whereas Zachary Taylor lacked pretension.
C) Winfield Scott typically succeeded, whereas Zachary Taylor often floundered.
D) Zachary Taylor was loyal to the cause of the Mexican War, whereas Winfield Scott had doubts about it.

Question 37

What message about Texas annexation does this political cartoon from the election of 1844 send to American voters?

A) Democratic nominee James K. Polk favored Texas annexation.
B) Abolitionists like William Lloyd Garrison supported the annexation of Texas.
C) Whig nominee Henry Clay and his supporters in Congress overwhelmingly favored annexation.
D) Texas leaders like Sam Houston were reluctant to join the United States.

Question 38

Even though the Republic of Texas became independent from Mexico in 1836, why did it have to wait nearly a decade to be annexed to the United States?

A) The United States government did not want to offend Mexico.
B) Texans were reluctant to give up their rights and join the United States.
C) Opponents of slavery feared annexation would upset the balance between free and slave states.
D) Britain and France both had interests in Texas and threatened war if it was annexed.

Question 39

Transcendentalist philosopher and author Henry David Thoreau is famous for articulating his stance on .

A) tax evasion
B) nonviolence
C) civil rights
D) civil disobedience

Question 40

What conclusion about the United States military plan to defeat Mexico can be surmised from this map?

A) The United States planned to contain the war to the disputed territory between Mexico and Texas.
B) The fall of Mexico City was contingent on Taylor's land invasion from the north.
C) The United States depended on a primary strategy of naval warfare as its basis for success.
D) The United States decided on a three-pronged attack on Mexico.

Question 41

How is Zachary Taylor, whose head is being examined by a phrenologist, portrayed as a candidate for the presidency in this cartoon, The Candidate of Many Parties?

A) as void of thought or intelligence
B) as enlightened and influenced by science
C) as mysterious and unknowable
D) as opinionated and reactionary

Question 42

In the 1848 election, the Whig Party Platform focused on .

A) westward expansion
B) abolitionism
C) the merits of its nominee
D) a defense of slavery

Question 43

What factors led to Zachary Taylor's election as president in 1848?

A) His strong support for popular sovereignty made him a popular candidate in both Southern and Western states, particularly those that had recently been admitted to the Union.
B) With the Democrats split over the issue of slavery and the Free-Soil Party running a lackluster campaign, Taylor was able to capture an overwhelming majority of votes in the South.
C) His status as a Mexican War hero enabled Taylor to appeal to a wide range of voters, including those who had opposed the war, and his clearly articulated positions on a variety of issues other than slavery won over those who had doubts about him as a slaveholder.
D) The Whigs' running separate campaigns in the North and South enabled Taylor to appeal to many voters in a nation divided over the issue of slavery, and the inclusion of a third-party candidate drew votes away from his Democratic rival.

Question 44

"Let the soil of our extensive domains be kept free for the hardy pioneers of our own land, and the oppressed and banished of other lands, seeking homes of comfort and fields of enterprising in the new world." This statement would have been supported in the 1848 election by .

A) Zachary Taylor
B) Lewis Cass
C) Martin Van Buren
D) Henry Clay

Question 45

What do the rats and Lewis Cass, who is on the roof, represent in this political cartoon showing Martin Van Buren lighting a barn on fire?

A) supporters of westward expansion
B) Whigs
C) proslavery supporters
D) proponents of the Mexican War

Question 46

Why was a charging buffalo, as shown in the cartoon "The Buffalo Hunt," selected as the symbol of Martin Van Buren's Free-Soil Party in the 1848 presidential election?

A) The buffalo symbolized the party's support for extending slavery into the West.
B) Free-Soilers held their nominating convention in Buffalo, New York.
C) The buffalo was an aggressive animal known to charge its enemies.
D) Free-Soilers wanted to bring attention to the endangered status of the buffalo.

Question 47

"Conscience Whigs" joined the Free-Soil Party during the 1848 election because they

A) refused to support a slaveholder as their party's candidate
B) favored the moderate position of only opposing the extension of slavery into the West
C) disagreed with the Whigs' view that their candidate was a war hero
D) supported Texas as a slave state

Question 48

The Free-Soil Party emerged during the Mexican-American War and was committed to

A) blocking the admission of Texas to the Union
B) keeping slavery from spreading west
C) maintaining agrarian society
D) westward expansion

Question 49

One important executive power that Zachary Taylor promised Whigs he would give up except for times of emergencies was the .

A) presidential veto
B) power to appoint Supreme Court judges
C) enactment of foreign treaties
D) proposal of an annual budget