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Chapter 13 Study Guide Westward Expansion
Section 1: The West Focus Question: What cultures and ideas influenced the development of the West?
1. What did “the West” mean to Americans in the 1800’s?
2. What is the definition of Frontier?
3. Look at the map “North America in 1830” on page 445.
A. Which nations had claims in Oregon?
B. What countries would the United States have to deal with to gain more land on the Pacific Coast? What methods might the United States use to gain this land?
2. Why did American farmers prefer to settle in the Northwest rather than the Great Lakes?
3. How did the geography of the Great Plains affect United States settlement of that region in the early 1800’s?
4. What groups shaped the culture of the southwest? 5. What is Manifest Destiny? How do you think the Mexican government felt about the idea of Manifest Destiny?
Section 2: Trails to the West Focus Question: Why did people go west and what challenges did they face?
6. Who led people on the Santa Fe Trail? What places did the trail connect?
7. Who was a famous fur trader who made a huge fortune on furs from Oregon?
8. Define the term Mountain Men.
9. Define the term Rendezvous.
10.Why did mountain men travel to Oregon?
11.Look at “links to Economics” on page 449. What other people were needed to complete the link between the mountain mean and the man wearing the fur coat?
12.Why did early Americans go to Oregon in the early 1800’s? What might have discouraged people to travel to Oregon? 13.Why did conflict arise between Native Americans and settlers in Oregon? Do you think such conflicts would be likely to continue later in the 1800’s? Explain.
14.Look at the picture on page 450-451 “On the Oregon Trail”. Do you think the benefits of moving to Oregon outweighed the risks? Why or Why not?
15.Who were the famous missionaries that led settlers into Oregon?
16.Why did women enjoy greater equality in the West than the East?
17.Look at the map “trails to the West” on page 452. What pass did travelers on the Oregon Trail use to get across the Rocky Mountains?
18.Describe the route a traveler might take to get from Independence, Missouri. To Los Angeles, California. Section 3: Conflict with Mexico Focus Question: What were the causes and effects of the Texas War for Independence and the Mexican-American War?
19.Who was Stephen Austin?
20.Define the term Dictatorship.
21.Define the term Siege.
22.Who was Sam Houston?
23.Look at the picture on page 455. Based on this picture why do you think many Americans admired the defenders of the Alamo?
24.Define the term Annex.
25.Why did Texans want independence from Mexico?
26.Why did the Republic of Texas hope the United States would annex Texas? How would the addition of Texas as a slave state affect the Union? 27.Who won the election of 1844? What is the importance of this person winning the election?
28.How did the annexation of Texas increase tensions with Mexico?
29.Look at the map on page 458, “Growth of the United States”. A. What areas on the map did the United States own in 1853 that it did not own in 1830?
30.What did the United States gain as a result of the Mexican-American War?
31.How do you think the Mexican-American War affected the relationship between the United States and Mexico?
32.How did Polk’s actions lead to war with Mexico? Section 4: A Rush to the West: Focus Question: w did Mormon settlement and the gold rush lead to changes in the West?
33.Who was Joseph Smith?
34.Who was Brigham Young?
35.Why did the Mormons leave Illinois?
36.Look at the picture on page 463. Identify 2 benefits these Mormons might look forward to from settling in Utah.
37.Define the term “Forty-niners”.
38.Look at the picture on page 464. Based on your reading, what method of gold mining did this prospector use?
39.Define the term Vigilantes.
40.Why were water rights an important issue?
41.Which groups migrated to California after 1848? Which groups benefited most from the discovery of gold? Which groups suffered the most? Explain.