Question 1

Why did Mormon leaders advocate a move to the Great Salt Lake?
A) It appeared that no other group wanted to settle there.
B) Brigham Young had read advertisements about land there in various journals, and it appeared that those already there were fairly liberal.
C) The area was technically Mexican property and the U.S. government had no jurisdiction there.
D) The Mexican government had entered into a treaty that stated the Mormons would be left strictly alone.
E) The angel Moroni had shown Brigham Young the route that must be followed.

Accepted Answer

C

Question 2

Texas won its independence from Mexico at the Battle of
A) San Antonio.
B) Horseshoe Bend.
C) the Alamo.
D) San Jacinto.
E) Houston.

Accepted Answer

The Battle of San Jacinto, fought on April 21, 1836, was the final battle of the Texas Revolution. The Texian army, led by General Sam Houston, defeated the Mexican army, led by General Antonio López de Santa Anna, resulting in the capture of Santa Anna and leading to Texas declaring its independence from Mexico. The other options are incorrect as they either did not involve the Texan Revolution or were not significant enough to lead to Texas gaining independence.

Question 3

All of the following happened as a result of the discovery of gold in California,except
A) About 80,000 fortune seekers arrived in California in 1849 alone.
B) Half of the migrants to California came from across the globe.
C) Many of the "forty-niners" ended up staying in California even if their searches for gold did not come to fruition.
D) As new settlers, migrants to California formed diplomatic relationships with Native Americans.
E) Most of the booming settlements of the gold rush days later decayed into ghost towns.

Accepted Answer

Migrants to California did not form diplomatic relationships with Native Americans as a result of the discovery of gold. Native Americans were actually displaced and mistreated by the influx of settlers, leading to conflict and violence.

Question 4

Which of the following is not true about the first phase of Western settlement?
A) The haphazard manner in which westward movement took place forced politicians in the East to bring some form of governing order to the West.
B) Independent-minded settlers did not welcome the imposition of eastern ideals.
C) By taking responsibility for the actions of white settlers, the federal government committed itself to defending their course of westward expansion.
D) Native Americans were victims of American western settlers who liked to take matters into their own hands.
E) Congress took the lead in defining the course of Western expansion prior to the 1840s.

Accepted Answer

Congress did not take the lead in defining the course of Western expansion prior to the 1840s. In fact, during this period, many politicians were reluctant to push for further expansion, fearing that it would lead to conflict with European powers or Native American tribes. It wasn't until the 1840s and 1850s, with the concept of Manifest Destiny gaining popularity, that Congress began to actively promote and fund westward expansion.

Question 5

Congress set out to organize Oregon into a formal U.S.territory after
A) killing most of the Native Americans there.
B) reading news reports of the minerals to be found there.
C) a group of Cayuse Indians killed 14 settlers, including a doctor who refused to treat Indians.
D) gold was discovered there.
E) the British began to make moves toward leaving.

Accepted Answer

The killing of 14 settlers, including a doctor who refused to treat Indians, would have likely prompted Congress to take action to organize Oregon into a formal U.S. territory to establish greater control and protection for American settlers.

Question 6

In the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851,the U.S.government
A) agreed to pay cash restitution to the Plains tribes for disruptions to the buffalo grounds.
B) set aside a portion of land for a reservation for the Sioux.
C) relocated the Plains Indians away from a new transportation corridor that had been put in use.
D) wrung an agreement from the Plains Indian tribes to give up a large part of their tribal lands.
E) agreed not to allow white settlers to make war against the Plains tribes.

Accepted Answer

The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 included an agreement by the U.S. government to pay cash restitution to the Plains tribes for disruptions to their buffalo grounds.

Question 7

Which of the following was not one of the native tribes of the Western Plains?
A) Arapahoe
B) Blackfoot
C) Cheyenne
D) Sioux
E) Choctaw

Accepted Answer

The Choctaw were not one of the native tribes of the Western Plains. They were located in the southeastern United States.

Question 8

Which of the following statements was true of the Mormon movement?
A) The founder of the Mormons was Brigham Young.
B) The Mormons spent about five of their early years of development in Commerce, Illinois, which they renamed "Nauvoo."
C) Before their murders, Joseph and Hyrum Smith had advocated a move to the area of the Great Salt Lake.
D) Initially, Joseph Smith and his Mormon followers refused to practice polygamy while developing their sect in Illinois.
E) Despite serious efforts by the Smith brothers and Young, the Mormon congregation grew slowly and failed to prosper for the first few years; only after the Smith murders did people begin to flock to the new faith.

Accepted Answer

The Mormons did spend about five years in Commerce, Illinois, which they renamed "Nauvoo."

Question 9

Which of these was not a consequence of continued American westward expansion?
A) Native Americans saw their population and landholdings decline.
B) The Market Revolution expanded.
C) Slavery became a major and contentious political issue.
D) Religious tolerance and freedom in the areas of expansion increased.
E) Expansion offered the possibility of upward mobility via land ownership to more people.

Accepted Answer

Religious tolerance and freedom were not necessarily a consequence of westward expansion, as many areas continued to have established religions and discrimination against religious minorities, such as Mormons and Catholics.

Question 10

Which of the following statements is true of the situation with Texas prior to its statehood?
A) Texas became a Mexican colony in 1810 after Mexico declared its independence from Spain.
B) During the 1820s, Americans in Texas grew to outnumber Mexicans there two to one.
C) Although Mexico had previously abolished slavery, Americans brought their slaves with them in defiance of Mexico's wishes.
D) The new American settlers enrolled their children in the local schools so they could learn to speak Spanish fluently.
E) Many Americans in Texas became assimilated into Mexican society.

Accepted Answer

Although Mexico had abolished slavery, many American settlers brought their slaves to Texas, defying Mexican laws and contributing to tensions between the settlers and the Mexican government.

Question 11

As Americans relentlessly moved westward across the continent:
A) Native Americans prospered as they assimilated to Anglo American society.
B) western migrants found refuge from the market revolution.
C) the frontier kept alive the democratic promise of making it on their own.
D) Americans were able to avoid the issue of slavery in national politics.
E) they convinced their neighbors and Native American tribes of their peaceful intentions and anti-imperialist principles.

Accepted Answer

The idea of the frontier, where individuals could strike out on their own and build a new life for themselves, was seen as a fulfillment of the democratic promise of America. The harsh realities of life on the frontier also helped to temper the excesses of the market revolution, as individuals had to rely on their own labor and resources to survive. However, Native Americans did not generally prosper as they were forced off their land and onto reservations, and the issue of slavery was not avoided but rather exacerbated by the westward expansion. Americans did not always convince their neighbors and Native American tribes of their peaceful intentions, and there were numerous conflicts and instances of violence during this period.

Question 12

The Liberty Party was formed by people who
A) supported the annexation of Texas.
B) were supporters of Henry Clay for president.
C) had become disillusioned by the Whig Party.
D) wanted James G. Birney to become president.
E) opposed the annexation of Texas or any other slave state.

Accepted Answer

The Liberty Party was formed in 1840 by people who opposed the annexation of Texas or any other slave state, and believed that slavery should be abolished. Its primary goal was to promote abolitionism and to nominate a candidate for the presidency who was committed to ending slavery. James G. Birney, a former slaveowner turned abolitionist, was the party's nominee for president in the 1840 and 1844 elections.

Question 13

In response to the admission of Texas as an American state
A) Britain withdrew from the Oregon territory.
B) Californians staged the Bear Flag revolt.
C) the Whig party officially renamed itself the Republican party.
D) Mexico broke off diplomatic relations with the United States.
E) the United States declared war on Mexico.

Accepted Answer

Mexico broke off diplomatic relations with the United States as a response to the annexation of Texas, which it still considered its territory. This action was one of the precursors to the Mexican-American War.

Question 14

Mexico tried in several ways to halt American immigration into Texas,because the Mexicans were so unhappy about
A) the arrival of large numbers of non-Catholics.
B) the refusal of the immigrants to speak Spanish.
C) the unwillingness of the settlers to fight alongside Mexicans whenever the need arose.
D) the settlers' continued use of slavery.
E) the Americans' attitudes of cultural superiority.

Accepted Answer

Mexico was against the use of slavery, and the settlers' continued use of slavery was a major point of disagreement between Mexico and the American immigrants.

Question 15

Which of these peoples never had a territorial claim on the Oregon Territory?
A) The British
B) The Dutch
C) The Spanish
D) The Americans
E) The Russians

Accepted Answer

The Dutch were never part of the nations that claimed the Oregon Territory. The British, the Spanish, the Americans, and the Russians all had some claim or interest in the area.

Question 16

During the 1840s,it became apparent that
A) many Americans opposed the idea of taking on new territories.
B) slavery was uppermost in the minds of all those pushing for expansion.
C) the federal government was not anxious to expand American territory, but would try to carry out the will of the people.
D) many American voters strongly supported the idea of expansion.
E) the West was destined to belong to the United States.

Accepted Answer

Many American voters strongly supported the idea of expansion during the 1840s, as evidenced by the popularity of the slogan "Manifest Destiny" and the support for territorial acquisition during the Mexican-American War.

Question 17

The British slowly began to withdraw from the Oregon Territory after
A) the United States demonstrated its willingness to fight for the area.
B) the beaver population declined in that region.
C) several Native American tribes went on the warpath.
D) many more Americans settled in the area.
E) the French showed a renewed interest in the region.

Accepted Answer

The decline in the beaver population reduced the economic interest of the British in the Oregon Territory, leading to their gradual withdrawal.

Question 18

As was so often the case during the first half of the 1800s,whatever the issue,the main problem with admitting Texas to the Union came down to concern about
A) independence.
B) sovereignty.
C) representation.
D) voting rights.
E) slavery.

Accepted Answer

The issue that concerned many people about admitting Texas to the Union was slavery. Texas had a large slave population, and Northern states were concerned about the balance of power between free and slave states in the Union. The annexation of Texas ultimately contributed to tensions that led to the Civil War.

Question 19

The commander-in-chief of the newly-created Texas army was
A) Sam Houston.
B) William B. Travis.
C) Jim Bowie.
D) Davy Crockett.
E) Stephen F. Austin.

Accepted Answer

The commander-in-chief of the newly-created Texas army was Sam Houston, who would go on to lead the Texas army to victory at the Battle of San Jacinto and become the first president of the Republic of Texas. William B. Travis was the commander of the Alamo garrison, Jim Bowie was also present at the Alamo and Davy Crockett was a famous frontiersman who fought and died at the Battle of the Alamo. Stephen F. Austin was a prominent early leader of Texas, but did not serve as a military commander during the Texas Revolution.

Question 20

Mountain men
A) worked as miners.
B) knew how to farm the steep slopes of the Sierra Nevada and Northern Rocky Mountains.
C) used mountain meadows for grazing cattle.
D) were notorious for highway robbery of western settlers.
E) worked as trappers, explorers, and scouts for the U.S. Army.

Accepted Answer

Mountain men were primarily known for working as trappers, exploring new territories in search of fur and serving as scouts for the U.S. Army. They did not engage in mining or using mountain meadows for cattle grazing, nor were they notorious for highway robbery, although there were some outlaws among them.

Quiz 13: The Continued Move West

Why did Mormon leaders advocate a move to the Great Salt Lake?

Texas won its independence from Mexico at the Battle of

All of the following happened as a result of the discovery of gold in California,except

Which of the following is not true about the first phase of Western settlement?

Congress set out to organize Oregon into a formal U.S.territory after

In the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851,the U.S.government

Which of the following was not one of the native tribes of the Western Plains?

Which of the following statements was true of the Mormon movement?

Which of these was not a consequence of continued American westward expansion?

Which of the following statements is true of the situation with Texas prior to its statehood?

As Americans relentlessly moved westward across the continent:

The Liberty Party was formed by people who

In response to the admission of Texas as an American state

Mexico tried in several ways to halt American immigration into Texas,because the Mexicans were so unhappy about

Which of these peoples never had a territorial claim on the Oregon Territory?

During the 1840s,it became apparent that

The British slowly began to withdraw from the Oregon Territory after

As was so often the case during the first half of the 1800s,whatever the issue,the main problem with admitting Texas to the Union came down to concern about

The commander-in-chief of the newly-created Texas army was

Mountain men