Who signed the Homestead Act into law in 1862?

• Abraham Lincoln

• Theodore Roosevelt

• Andrew Jackson

• Ulysses S. Grant

What did the Homestead Act offer settlers?

• 160 acres of public land

• Free cattle for ranching

• Free travel by railroad

• Gold mining rights

What requirement did families have to meet under the Homestead Act?

• Live on the land for 5 years and improve it

• Serve in the U.S. military for 5 years

• Pay all back taxes before moving

• Build a railroad line across their property

What was one major result of the Homestead Act?

• It brought millions of settlers west

• It slowed western settlement

• It caused conflict between England and the U.S.

• It ended cattle ranching in the Great Plains

Where was the Transcontinental Railroad completed in 1869?

• Utah

• Texas

• California

• Colorado

Who largely built the Transcontinental Railroad?

• European and Asian immigrants

• Native Americans

• Southern plantation owners

• U.S. soldiers

What was the major transportation impact of the Transcontinental Railroad?

• It reduced travel time across the U.S. from 6 months to about 1 week

• It increased wagon travel

• It made stagecoach lines more popular

• It ended railroad use in the East

What was one economic effect of the Transcontinental Railroad?

• It made shipping faster and cheaper

• It stopped farmers from moving west

• It made shipping slower and more expensive

• It encouraged people to stay in the East

What did the “Golden Spike” ceremony symbolize?

• The growth of trade and the U.S. economy

• The start of the Civil War

• The discovery of gold in California

• The end of cattle drives

Why did the U.S. government appoint leaders and laws in western territories?

• To promote law and order

• To encourage foreign trade

• To prepare for the Civil War

• To replace state governments