Western Expansion 10/16/23

Why would a settler on the Great Plains have used barbed wire?

• Settlers needed something to mark territory lines with other settlers

• Wooden fences were destroyed by the frequent rainstorms

• Dry Farming did not allow farmers any time to protect their crops

• Homesteaders needed something to keep cattle from destroying their crops

How did the steel plow help farmers of the Great Plains?

• It easily removed the seeds found in cotton plants

• It allowed farmers to spread seeds from crops quickly

• It had a fan that removed dust from the top layer of soil

• It had sharp blades to cut through the dry tough soil.

During the late 1800s, sod housing was mostly found in the Great Plains because-

• materials to build a shelter were limited

• industrial demand for trees was too high

• trees in this region had been destroyed

• the region's weather conditions were too calm

Which of these are geographic characteristics of the Great Plains region? (Select all that apply)

• Dust storms

• Heavy Rainfall

• Flatlands that rise to the west

• Land eroded by wind and water

• Low Rainfall

John Deere, an Illinois blacksmith, became a millionaire selling which invention to help Great Plains farmers?

• sod cutters

• steel plow

• steam engine

• barbed wire

Because of new inventions, people no longer saw the Great Plains as a treeless wasteland, but as---

• a new area to be settled

• land for Indian reservations

• a site to relocate immigrants

• a home for the growing lumber industry

What was the main purpose of the Homestead Act?

• To bring an end to cattle drives

• To encourage settlement of the Great Plains

• To resettle Native Americans

• To find a market for beef cattle

Many African Americans moved west to---

• reunite with lost family members

• start a new life free of discrimination

• gain employment in new factories

• serve in the U.S. military

Native American boarding schools--

• helped Plains Indians learn vocational skills

• forced Plains Indians to adopt mainstream white culture

• taught Plains Indians mining skills

• gave Plains Indians partial land ownership of former traditional lands

The following image best demonstrates the practice of---

• Segregation

• Discrimination

• Forced relocation

• Assimilation