U.S. History Quiz One Review

Why was federal land grant legislation so contentious?

Federal land grant was so contentious because northerners and Republicans wanted to free up large plots of land to settlement by individual farmers, while Southern Democrats sought to make the lands of the west available only to slave-owners.

What do you see as the most significant cultural differences between Native Americans and European Americans?

I see the most significant difference is the views of land because that is what sparked the conflict between the two groups initially. Native Americans believed that the land was shared by everyone and not one person could own it while the European Americans believed land should be owned and and divided up for individual use.

What do you see as the most significant difference between the culture and society of white European-Americans and those of Native American Indians?

I see the most significant difference is the views of land because that is what sparked the conflict between the two groups initially. Native Americans believed that the land was shared by everyone and not one person could own it while the European Americans believed land should be owned and and divided up for individual use.

Why do you think Wovoka and his Ghost Dance became so popular among the Indian tribes in the Southwest?

I think it became popular because it was something for the Indian tribes to celebrate and it was time a for them to be together during the bad relations with the Europeans Americans. It was also a way for the Indians to reconnect with the spirits of the dead.

Do you think life was better for Native Americans on the reservation system or on individual plots of land? Why?

I think life was better on the reservation system because more of the Native Americans were together, allowed Indian tribes to govern themselves, and were able to maintain some of their cultural and social traditions while the individual plots of land were created to separate the Native Americans to lose their culture and force them into U.S. society.

Do you think the Dawes Act was intended to help or harm Native Americans?

I think the Dawes Act was intended to harm Native Americans because the Act was breaking up reservations and forcing Native Americans to live more separately thereby splitting up their culture and it forced them to assimilate into European culture.

The Chinese Exclusion Act was the first significant law restricting immigration into the United States. Why do you think the US government singled out Chinese immigrants in particular for exclusion?

I think the U.S. government singled out Chinese immigrants because so many were continuing to come even with the hardships they faced and they were the ones competing with white Americans for jobs.

Why do you think white Americans viewed Native American Indians as such as threat?

I think they viewed the Native Americans as such a threat because their culture was so strong and they didn't just give up their land to the white Americans they fought as hard as they could for it.

If you had lived in this time period. would you have participated in the Gold Rush? Why or why not?

I would have not participated in the Gold Rush because of the small chance to even find gold and the work was brutal. Also the lack of housing, sanitation, and law enforcement in the mining camps and surrounding areas made it a dangerous place to be.

In your opinion, did the Homestead Act of 1862 contribute to the onset of Civil War?

In my opinion the Homestead Act of 1862 did not contribute to the Civil War because since the south seceded from the United States which had control of the west the slaveowners couldn't require the new land if they were not apart of the United States.

What were the long-term effects of the California Gold Rush?

Long-term effects of the Gold Rush were the changes in demographics, diversity of people, and the large population of people.

What do you see as the primary difference between Native American and European American conceptions of land and ownership?

Native Americans respected land and saw it as something to be used communally by all the members of a tribe. European Americans saw land as something to be owned and divided up for individual use.

Why is the Battle of Little Bighorn significant?

The Battle of Little Bighorn is significant because the Sioux defeated the U.S. Army and it was the beginning of the end of the Indian Wars.

What strategies did Chinese Immigrants and Mexican Americans use to resist discrimination and build strong communities?

The Chinese Immigrants and Mexican Americans both banded their people together to create social and cultural centers in cities to resist discrimination.

How did the Gold Rush reshape the demographics of California?

The Gold Rush reshaped the demographics of California with improvements of steamship and railroad technology since so many people were now in this area and also a lot of the land was broken up from all the heavy mining.

What was the effect of Manifest Destiny on US-Indian relations?

The effect of Manifest Destiny was that the U.S. believed that they had divine right of the land that the Indians lived on so when the Indians refused to leave it created a conflict.

What was the effect of the Dawes Act on Native American cultural beliefs and traditions?

The effect of the Dawes Act broke up cultural beliefs and traditions by further splitting up the Native Americans and it forcibly assimilated them into U.S. society to strip them of their own cultural heritage.

Why did the exodusters leave the South after the Civil War? Do you think life was better for them in the areas to which they migrated?

The exodusters left the South after the Civil War because during reconstruction racial violence and the pervasive repression of African Americans created a hostile environment. I think life in Kansas was a little better but not very much considering they all mostly stayed poor. Life wast better for those who migrated to urban areas like Topeka and found domestic or trade work.

How does the experience of Mexican Americans in the West compare to the experience of African Americans in the South in the late nineteen century? In what ways were their lives similar? In what ways were their lives different?

The experience of Mexican Americans and the African Americans were similar because they were both victims of racial violence and discrimination from white Americans. They were both granted citizenship but still seen to been seen as lower than white Americans. Their lives were different because a lot of Mexican Americans created a group to fight back against white Americans while the African Americans created a large group to escape from them.

Why was the reservation system initially implemented?

The reservation system was created to keep Native Americans off of lands the European Americans wanted.

What is the significance of the massacre at Wounded Knee?

The significance of the massacre at Wounded Knew was that it wasn't suppose to happen but the U.S. Army soldiers massacred hundreds of Indians which definitively ended the Indian Wars. (This massacre most likely struck fear to other Indians tribes which either were subdued or forcibly assimilated into U.S. society after.)