Name the two most prominent North American explorers of the early 1800s.
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark
Why were Lewis and Clark looking for a water passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans?
A water route would allow goods to be shipped for commerce, and people to travel across the continent.
What was built in 1817 to connect ports in New York to Lake Erie in the Midwest?
The Erie Cana
Which governor insisted the Erie Canal be built despite its high cost?
Dewitt Clinton
Which two cultures clashed over land in Texas?
Mexicans and Americans
Which general seized power in Mexico and attacked and killed many Americans in San Antonio?
General Santa Ana
Name three important Alamo defenders.
William Travis, Davy Crockett, and James Bowie
Who led the Texan army to victory in a surprise attack with shouts of, "Remember the Alamo!"?
Sam Houston
In what year did Texas join the US as the 29th state?
December 29, 1845
In the mid 1800s, the US government passed a law to give pioneers 160 acres of land in Oregon if they
agreed to stay and farm that land for four years.
Why did the pioneers "circle the wagons" on the trail at night?
to offer protection for the people and livestock.
How many miles was the Oregon Trail, how long did it take to travel, and what two major regions did it cross?
2,000 miles in six months; the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains
The "Golden Spike" represented which signifcant development in America?
the transcontinental railroad, which boosted travel and trade
What was the main reason that approximately 300,000 people traveled to California in the 1800s? What were these people called?
The Gold Rush; they were called the forty-niners
List 5 challeges the pioneers faced as they traveled west.
mountains, valleys, rivers, desserts, wild animals, Native Americans, disease, weather,
Which frontiersman complained in disagreement about President Andrew Jackson's Indian Removal Act?
Davy Crockett
