Question 1

How did the environment of the Great Plains differ from that of the eastern United States? What problems did this pose for farmers?

Accepted Answer

The environment of the Great Plains differed significantly from that of the eastern United States in several key aspects, which posed unique challenges for farmers who settled in the region.

**Differences in Environment:**

1. **Topography and Soil Composition:**
   - The Great Plains feature a vast expanse of flat to gently rolling terrain, in contrast to the more varied and often hilly or mountainous landscape of the eastern states.
   - The soil in the Great Plains is typically a deep, fertile loam, ideal for agriculture, but it was initially covered by tough prairie grasses that were difficult to plow with the equipment available to early settlers.

2. **Climate:**
   - The Great Plains have a more continental climate with greater extremes of temperature, both hot and cold, compared to the more moderate, humid climate of the eastern states.
   - The region receives less rainfall, and it is more erratic, which can lead to periods of drought. The eastern states generally have more consistent and adequate rainfall for agriculture.

3. **Vegetation:**
   - The natural vegetation of the Great Plains was primarily grassland, with very few trees, unlike the forests that covered much of the eastern United States before they were cleared for farming.

4. **Water Sources:**
   - Surface water is less abundant in the Great Plains, with fewer rivers and streams compared to the eastern states. Groundwater, often accessed through wells, is a critical water source for the region.

**Problems for Farmers:**

1. **Soil Preparation:**
   - The tough prairie sod required strong, steel plows to break the ground, which were not initially available to early settlers who had brought traditional wooden or cast-iron plows from the east.

2. **Water Scarcity:**
   - The lack of reliable surface water and the need for well-drilling posed a significant challenge for irrigation and for providing water for livestock.

3. **Weather Extremes:**
   - The extreme weather, including hot summers, cold winters, and the risk of drought, made farming more precarious. Crops could fail due to lack of moisture or be damaged by hail and severe storms.

4. **Wind Erosion:**
   - With few trees to act as windbreaks and the natural grasses removed for farming, the exposed soil was susceptible to wind erosion, leading to dust storms, especially during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.

5. **Pest Problems:**
   - Farmers had to contend with new types of pests, such as grasshoppers and locusts, which could decimate crops.

6. **Isolation:**
   - The vast distances and sparse population led to isolation, which made it difficult for farmers to access markets, supplies, and community support.

To overcome these challenges, farmers in the Great Plains adapted their farming techniques. They used dryland farming methods to conserve moisture, planted windbreaks to reduce soil erosion, and developed new agricultural technologies, such as deep-well drilling and machinery suited to the region's conditions. The introduction of hardy crop varieties and the practice of crop rotation also helped to make farming on the Great Plains sustainable. Despite these adaptations, farming in the Great Plains continues to be influenced by the region's unique environmental conditions.

Question 2

On the Great Plains, rainfall averaged________	.

Accepted Answer

A)  more than 100 inches a year 
B)  less than five inches a year 
C)  less than 20 inches a year 
D)  more than 200 inches a year 
E)  less than ten inches a year 
A)  more than 100 inches a year 
B)  less than five inches a year 
C)  less than 20 inches a year 
D)  more than 200 inches a year 
E)  less than ten inches a year C

Question 3

One of the greatest Native American victories over the U.S. Army was the________	.

Accepted Answer

A)  Battle of Wounded Knee 
B)  Battle of Sand Creek 
C)  Battle of Little Big Horn 
D)  Fetterman Massacre 
E)  "Trail of Tears" 
A)  Battle of Wounded Knee 
B)  Battle of Sand Creek 
C)  Battle of Little Big Horn 
D)  Fetterman Massacre 
E)  "Trail of Tears" C

Question 4

Beginning in 1871, the U.S. government________	.

Accepted Answer

A)  stopped dealing with Native American tribes as sovereign nations 
B)  started dealing with Native American tribes as sovereign nations 
C)  tried to restore lands to Native Americans 
D)  rejected the Dawes Act 
E)  began a systematic slaughter of all Native Americans still living in tribes 
A)  stopped dealing with Native American tribes as sovereign nations 
B)  started dealing with Native American tribes as sovereign nations 
C)  tried to restore lands to Native Americans 
D)  rejected the Dawes Act 
E)  began a systematic slaughter of all Native Americans still living in tribes

Question 5

By the late 1880s, a popular new cult among the Native American Plains tribes was________	.

Accepted Answer

A)  the Ghost Dance 
B)  the Sun Dance 
C)  human sacrifice 
D)  Catholicism 
E)  the Great White Father 
A)  the Ghost Dance 
B)  the Sun Dance 
C)  human sacrifice 
D)  Catholicism 
E)  the Great White Father

Question 6

What was challenging about settling the land west of the Mississippi River in the late 1800s?

Accepted Answer

A)  The region got little rainfall, and there was little lumber available for housing. 
B)  The region was frequently flooded by its rivers, which made farming it difficult. 
C)  The Great Plains had many deserts, and this made travel and farming difficult. 
D)  The region had various Native American groups who would not leave their land. 
E)  The Great Plains were known for their severe and unpredictable weather patterns. 
A)  The region got little rainfall, and there was little lumber available for housing. 
B)  The region was frequently flooded by its rivers, which made farming it difficult. 
C)  The Great Plains had many deserts, and this made travel and farming difficult. 
D)  The region had various Native American groups who would not leave their land. 
E)  The Great Plains were known for their severe and unpredictable weather patterns.

Question 7

The 1902 federal law to use the proceeds from land sales to finance irrigation projects in the West was the________	.

Accepted Answer

A)  National Reclamation Act 
B)  Timber Culture Act 
C)  Timber and Stone Act 
D)  Homestead Act 
E)  Western Watering Act 
A)  National Reclamation Act 
B)  Timber Culture Act 
C)  Timber and Stone Act 
D)  Homestead Act 
E)  Western Watering Act

Question 8

What was the primary cause of the increase of farmers in the West after the Civil War?

Accepted Answer

A)  the decline of ranching 
B)  failed miners looking for new opportunities 
C)  the belief in economic opportunity by many Americans 
D)  an increase in the birthrate of the western farmers 
E)  advances in farming by irrigation 
A)  the decline of ranching 
B)  failed miners looking for new opportunities 
C)  the belief in economic opportunity by many Americans 
D)  an increase in the birthrate of the western farmers 
E)  advances in farming by irrigation

Question 9

Why did the number of Chinese immigrants fall drastically in the late nineteenth century?

Accepted Answer

A)  Chinese laborers were treated so poorly in the West that fewer immigrants wanted to come to the United States. 
B)  China severely restricted immigration to the United States beginning in the 1880s. 
C)  The Homestead Act did not apply to Chinese immigrants and thus there was no land available for them. 
D)  Many Chinese laborers found better work in Europe than in the United States. 
E)  The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 suspended immigration of Chinese laborers. 
A)  Chinese laborers were treated so poorly in the West that fewer immigrants wanted to come to the United States. 
B)  China severely restricted immigration to the United States beginning in the 1880s. 
C)  The Homestead Act did not apply to Chinese immigrants and thus there was no land available for them. 
D)  Many Chinese laborers found better work in Europe than in the United States. 
E)  The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 suspended immigration of Chinese laborers.

Question 10

Why did "instant cities" arise in the West in the late nineteenth century?

Accepted Answer

A)  City builders rushed to the West to take advantage of the cheap land. 
B)  People rushed to the West for economic opportunities, and cities sprang up quickly. 
C)  Easterners were anxious to replicate the cities they had left and built quickly. 
D)  Building materials were so cheap that it made sense to build an entire city instantly instead of letting it develop over time. 
E)  White settlers took over western settlements that had already been built by Native Americans. 
A)  City builders rushed to the West to take advantage of the cheap land. 
B)  People rushed to the West for economic opportunities, and cities sprang up quickly. 
C)  Easterners were anxious to replicate the cities they had left and built quickly. 
D)  Building materials were so cheap that it made sense to build an entire city instantly instead of letting it develop over time. 
E)  White settlers took over western settlements that had already been built by Native Americans.

Question 11

Government policy toward Native Americans in the 1860s________	.

Accepted Answer

A)  ignored or opposed tribal organization 
B)  was consistent but not successful because of tribal organization 
C)  was formulated by humanitarians who wanted to preserve tribal organization 
D)  was a failure because the Indians insisted on being farmers 
E)  was based on a system of hierarchy toward various groups 
A)  ignored or opposed tribal organization 
B)  was consistent but not successful because of tribal organization 
C)  was formulated by humanitarians who wanted to preserve tribal organization 
D)  was a failure because the Indians insisted on being farmers 
E)  was based on a system of hierarchy toward various groups

Question 12

By the mid-nineteenth century, two-thirds of Native American tribes lived on the Great Plains, including the________	.

Accepted Answer

A)  Hopi 
B)  Cherokee 
C)  Sioux 
D)  Chinook 
E)  Zuni 
A)  Hopi 
B)  Cherokee 
C)  Sioux 
D)  Chinook 
E)  Zuni

Question 13

What government policies facilitated the settlement and development of the West?

Accepted Answer

Several government policies facilitated

Question 14

The origins of the western cattle industry lay in________	.

Accepted Answer

A)  Mexico 
B)  Spain 
C)  New England 
D)  the plantation South 
E)  the Midwest 
A)  Mexico 
B)  Spain 
C)  New England 
D)  the plantation South 
E)  the Midwest

Question 15

How do the views of "new Western historians" contrast with Frederick Jackson Turner's thesis about the westward migration?

Accepted Answer

A)  Turner viewed the migration as a fluid back and forth between the East and West, but new historians point out that very few families who migrated west returned east. 
B)  Turner viewed the migration as a mix of cultures struggling to get along with Native Americans, but new historians point out that many Native Americans were helpful to the new settlers. 
C)  Turner saw the migration as a wave of white migrants who traveled west, but new historians look at it as a set of various groups moving in many directions and interacting with each other. 
D)  Turner saw the migration as a long process, but new historians have pointed out that the entire wave of migration was very concentrated and took place over a relatively short period of time. 
E)  Turner viewed the migration as a very negative experience for the travelers, but new historians point out that the experience was both positive and negative. 
A)  Turner viewed the migration as a fluid back and forth between the East and West, but new historians point out that very few families who migrated west returned east. 
B)  Turner viewed the migration as a mix of cultures struggling to get along with Native Americans, but new historians point out that many Native Americans were helpful to the new settlers. 
C)  Turner saw the migration as a wave of white migrants who traveled west, but new historians look at it as a set of various groups moving in many directions and interacting with each other. 
D)  Turner saw the migration as a long process, but new historians have pointed out that the entire wave of migration was very concentrated and took place over a relatively short period of time. 
E)  Turner viewed the migration as a very negative experience for the travelers, but new historians point out that the experience was both positive and negative.

Question 16

Contrast life on the western frontier for the miner, the cattleman, and the farmer. What social and economic factors contributed to the lifestyle developed by each group?

Accepted Answer

Life on the western frontier varied grea

Question 17

How did the National Reclamation Act help settlement in the west?

Accepted Answer

A)  It restricted immigration from Asia and parts of Europe so that there would be more land for easterners moving west. 
B)  It reclaimed hundreds of acres of land from Native Americans and made it available to white settlers. 
C)  It restricted cattle to specific areas of land, so that farmers would have more land for cultivation. 
D)  It gave 160 acres of land to anyone who would pay a registration fee and cultivate the land for five years. 
E)  It financed irrigation projects, such as dams and canals, which brought water to the area. 
A)  It restricted immigration from Asia and parts of Europe so that there would be more land for easterners moving west. 
B)  It reclaimed hundreds of acres of land from Native Americans and made it available to white settlers. 
C)  It restricted cattle to specific areas of land, so that farmers would have more land for cultivation. 
D)  It gave 160 acres of land to anyone who would pay a registration fee and cultivate the land for five years. 
E)  It financed irrigation projects, such as dams and canals, which brought water to the area.

Question 18

Why did most settlers move west between 1870 and 1900?

Accepted Answer

A)  to seek freedom from religious persecution 
B)  to escape the drab routine of factory life 
C)  to escape the diseased conditions of crowded eastern cities 
D)  to improve their economic situation 
E)  to escape from invading Native American groups 
A)  to seek freedom from religious persecution 
B)  to escape the drab routine of factory life 
C)  to escape the diseased conditions of crowded eastern cities 
D)  to improve their economic situation 
E)  to escape from invading Native American groups

Question 19

Which of the following was part of the national government's policy toward Native Americans from the early 1870s to the mid-1880s?

Accepted Answer

A)  working to assimilate Native Americans into the larger American culture 
B)  encouraging Native American tribal customs and ceremonies 
C)  seizing individual Native American's parcels of land 
D)  assimilating Native Americans into urban life 
E)  sending Native American children to integrated public schools in nearby towns 
A)  working to assimilate Native Americans into the larger American culture 
B)  encouraging Native American tribal customs and ceremonies 
C)  seizing individual Native American's parcels of land 
D)  assimilating Native Americans into urban life 
E)  sending Native American children to integrated public schools in nearby towns

Question 20

Some American reformers were against segregating Native Americans on reservations because they believed that________	.

Accepted Answer

A)  Native Americans should be sent to the North where they could live freely 
B)  reservations took too much land away from white settlers 
C)  Native Americans should be allowed to live their traditional lifestyles in the West 
D)  Native Americans should be assimilated into white American culture 
E)  reservations should include both Native Americans and white settlers 
A)  Native Americans should be sent to the North where they could live freely 
B)  reservations took too much land away from white settlers 
C)  Native Americans should be allowed to live their traditional lifestyles in the West 
D)  Native Americans should be assimilated into white American culture 
E)  reservations should include both Native Americans and white settlers

Exam 17: The West: Exploiting an Empire, 1849-1902

How did the environment of the Great Plains differ from that of the eastern United States? What problems did this pose for farmers?

On the Great Plains, rainfall averaged________ .

One of the greatest Native American victories over the U.S. Army was the________ .

Beginning in 1871, the U.S. government________ .

By the late 1880s, a popular new cult among the Native American Plains tribes was________ .

What was challenging about settling the land west of the Mississippi River in the late 1800s?

The 1902 federal law to use the proceeds from land sales to finance irrigation projects in the West was the________ .

What was the primary cause of the increase of farmers in the West after the Civil War?

Why did the number of Chinese immigrants fall drastically in the late nineteenth century?

Why did "instant cities" arise in the West in the late nineteenth century?

Government policy toward Native Americans in the 1860s________ .

By the mid-nineteenth century, two-thirds of Native American tribes lived on the Great Plains, including the________ .

What government policies facilitated the settlement and development of the West?

The origins of the western cattle industry lay in________ .

How do the views of "new Western historians" contrast with Frederick Jackson Turner's thesis about the westward migration?

Contrast life on the western frontier for the miner, the cattleman, and the farmer. What social and economic factors contributed to the lifestyle developed by each group?

How did the National Reclamation Act help settlement in the west?

Why did most settlers move west between 1870 and 1900?

Which of the following was part of the national government's policy toward Native Americans from the early 1870s to the mid-1880s?

Some American reformers were against segregating Native Americans on reservations because they believed that________ .

New World Encounters, Preconquest - 1608

Englands New World Experiments, 1607 - 1732

Putting Down Roots: Opportunity and Oppression in Colonial Society, 1619 - 1692

Experience of Empire: Eighteenth-Century America, 1680 - 1763

The American Revolution: From Elite Protest to Popular Revolt, 1763-1783

The Republican Experiment, 1783-1788

Democracy and Dissent: the Violence of Party Politics, 1788-1800

Republican Ascendancy: the Jeffersonian Vision, 1800-1814

Nation Building and Nationalism, 1815-1825

The Triumph of White Mens Democracy, 1824-1840

Slaves and Masters, 1793-1861

The Pursuit of Perfection, 1800-1861

An Age of Expansionism, 1830-1861

The Sectional Crisis, 1846-1861

Secession and the Civil War, 1860-1865

The Agony of Reconstruction, 1865-1877

The Industrial Society, 1850-1901

Toward an Urban Society, 1877-1900

Political Realignments, 1876-1901

Toward Empire, 1865-1902

The Progressive Era, 1895-1917

From Roosevelt to Wilson in the Age of Progressivism, 1900-1920

The Nation at War, 1901-1920

Transition to Modern America, 1919-1928

Franklin D Roosevelt and the New Deal, 1929-1939

America and the World, 1921-1945

The Onset of the Cold War, 1945-1960

Affluence and Anxiety, 1945-1960

The Turbulent Sixties, 1960-1968

To a New Conservatism, 1969-1988

Into the Twenty-First Century, 1989-2010

Filters