Westward Expansion

Which of the following is a reason that Thomas Jefferson wanted to purchase the Louisiana Territory?

1. After a shipping port was briefly closed by Spain, Jefferson was worried that American trade would be compromised. 2. Jefferson was curious about the west and wondered if there could be a water route through the Louisiana Purchase that led to the Pacific Ocean.

The Pony Express Was:

A delivery system that used horses and riders to deliver mail and communication quickly between the east and west.

What was the Indian Removal Act?

A law that forced Native Americans to move from their homeland to land west of the Mississippi River.

What was the Oregon Trail?

A trail that pioneers traveled on as they moved west toward Oregon Country.

Which sentence below is NOT true about the Louisiana Purchase?

After purchasing the Louisiana Territory, the US sold it to France to help pay for the Mexican War.

Effect: People rushed to California to find their fortune.

Cause: James Marshall, a carpenter in California, found gold in the American River.

Effect: Over 4,000 Native Americans died on the Trail of Tears.

Cause: Natives were forced to move and were treated poorly on their journey.

Effect: People abandoned these towns and they became ghost towns.

Cause: Over time, gold in boom towns became harder to find.

Effect: Many people packed up wagons and traveled west to begin a new life.

Cause: The U.S. wanted to expand its territory.

Thomas Jefferson hired Lewis and Clark to go on an ____________ to explore the newly gained land, the Louisiana Purchase.

Expedition

A. United States B. Louisiana Purchase C. Oregon Country D. Land gained from Mexico E. Land gained by Spain

Label the areas of the United States during the 1800s.

During the 1800's many people believed in ___________________________ and wanted to expand the United States west all the way to the Pacific Ocean.

Manifest Destiny

Which country originally owned Texas before it became part of the United States?

Mexico

During the Gold Rush, men went ____________ for gold in hopes to become rich.

Mining

___________ set out in their wagons to settle on the western _________

Pioneers, Frontier

Many men left their families to become _______ in California during the Gold Rush.

Prospectors

Which word best describes the relationship between Native Americans and the US government during the westward expansion era?

Strained

Which statement is true about the Gold Rush?

The general store owners near the gold mines often became more rich than the prospectors themselves