Westward Expansion

What was the land of the West like?

• It was easy to farm.

• It was overgrown with trees.

• It was similar to the land on the East coast.

• It was dry, had little rain, and had mountains in spots.

The West was unpopulated, or empty, when Settlers started to move West.

• True

• False

Starting in 1949, what first caused people to move out West during the 1850s?

• Miners found silver and gold deposits.

• Buffalo hides were extremely valuable.

• Free land was being given out by the federal government.

• The Transcontinental Railroad made it easy to move West.

Comstock Lode was...

• A fort in California

• A major silver and gold ore discovery that made more people go West

• A Native American settlement

• The name of a famous railroad company

Based on the provided image, what can be gathered about how miners impacted the land in California and out West?

• Miners negatively impacted the environment by cutting down trees and changing the landscape drastically.

• Miners made sure to protect the environment.

• Miners improved the land by replanting trees used.

• Miners did not have any significant impact on the natural environment of the West.

Ghost Towns were created when...

• Mining towns stopped finding gold and silver.

• Native Americans attacked and scared off settlers

• Cattle herding settlements moved on.

• Native Americans were pushed off of their land.

What was the purpose of the Transcontinental Railroad?

• The railroad connected the North and South after the Civil War ended.

• The railroad allowed Native Americans to become apart of mainstream U.S. culture.

• The railroad was never completed.

• The railroad made transporting people and goods from east to west easier.

How was the Transcontinental Railroad paid for?

• Money was given to the railroad companies.

• Private companies invested in the project in hopes of making money.

• Land grants were given out as payment by the government.

• The federal government worked with Native American tribes to make it.

Who made the Transcontinental Railroad?

• Chinese and Irish immigrants

• Native Americans

• German and Italian Immigrants

• English and French Immigrants

Where was the Transcontinental Railroad completed?

• Wounded Knee

• Little Bighorn

• Fort Laramie

• Promontory Point, Utah