Westward Expansion 1800-1860 — Practice Quiz
A US History cheat sheet for Westward Expansion 1800-1860 — every key formula with its symbols defined — plus a medium-level practice quiz to test recall.
Formulas & key concepts
Belief that the US was destined by God to expand its dominion across the entire North American continent
Where: Coined by John O'Sullivan (1845); justified expansion and displacement of Native Americans
2,000-mile route from Missouri to Oregon used by pioneers seeking fertile land in the West
Where: Difficult journey plagued by disease (cholera) and harsh weather
"Father of Texas"; led the first successful colonization of the region by bringing 300 families from the US
Where: Established first Anglo-American colony in Texas province of Mexico
Rebellion of colonists from the US and Tejanos against the centralist government of Mexico
Where: Resulted in Texas independence
Battle where a small group of Texans was defeated by Mexican General Santa Anna's forces after a 13-day siege
Where: Became a symbol of resistance: "Remember the Alamo!"
Decisive battle of the Texas Revolution; led by Sam Houston, Texans defeated Santa Anna in 18 minutes
Where: Secured Texas independence
Independent sovereign country in North America that existed from 1836 to 1846
Where: Known as the "Lone Star Republic"; Sam Houston was first president
Eleventh US President; committed to expansion (Manifest Destiny); acquired Oregon Territory, Texas, and Mexican Cession
Where: Dark horse candidate; "54-40 or Fight!"
Incorporation of the Republic of Texas into the United States as the 28th state
Where: Led to war with Mexico
Agreement between US and Britain setting the boundary at the 49th parallel
Where: Settled dispute without war; US acquired Oregon, Washington, and Idaho
Conflict between US and Mexico triggered by annexation of Texas and border dispute (Rio Grande vs. Nueces River)
Where: First US armed conflict fought chiefly on foreign soil
Short-lived independence rebellion by American settlers in California against Mexican rule
Where: Declared California an independent republic
Peace treaty ending Mexican-American War; Mexico ceded 55% of its territory to US
Where: US paid $15 million; established Rio Grande as border
Region ceded to US by Mexico in 1848; included present-day California, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming
Where: Reignited slavery debate (Wilmot Proviso)
US purchase of land from Mexico (southern AZ and NM) for $10 million
Where: Needed for a southern transcontinental railroad
Mass migration to California following discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill
Where: "Forty-Niners"; led to rapid population growth and statehood for California
Failed proposal to ban slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico
Where: Highlighting growing sectional tension over slavery expansion
Political party dedicated to stopping the expansion of slavery into new territories
Where: Slogan: "Free Soil, Free Speech, Free Labor, and Free Men"
Package of five bills defusing a political confrontation between slave and free states on the status of territories acquired in the Mexican-American War
Where: Admitted CA as free state; strengthened Fugitive Slave Act; popular sovereignty in UT/NM
Controversial law requiring all escaped slaves to be returned to their masters and that officials and citizens of free states had to cooperate
Where: Increased abolitionist sentiment in the North
Political doctrine that the people of federal territories should decide for themselves whether their territories would enter the Union as free or slave states
Where: Associated with Stephen A. Douglas
Movement of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to Utah to escape religious persecution
Where: Led by Brigham Young; settled near Great Salt Lake
Group of American pioneers who migrated to California in a wagon train and became trapped by snow in the Sierra Nevada
Where: Resorted to cannibalism to survive
Law encouraging western migration by providing settlers 160 acres of public land
Where: In exchange for a small filing fee and five years of continuous residence
Native American tribes inhabiting the Great Plains (e.g., Sioux, Cheyenne, Comanche); culture centered on buffalo hunting
Where: Faced increasing pressure and conflict from white expansion
Agreement between US government and Plains tribes defining tribal territories and allowing safe passage for settlers
Where: Often violated by settlers and miners
Transportation route connecting Independence, Missouri with Santa Fe, New Mexico
Where: Vital commercial highway until introduction of railroad
Slogan used by expansionists who wanted the US to annex the entire Oregon Country up to 54°40' N latitude
Where: Polk settled for 49th parallel
Explorer and military officer who mapped much of the American West; "The Pathfinder"
Where: First Republican presidential candidate (1856)
Location where gold was discovered by James Marshall in 1848, sparking the California Gold Rush
Where: Owned by John Sutter
Practice quiz
The belief known as "Manifest Destiny" primarily justified what action by the United States?
- The abolition of slavery in new territories.
- The expansion of its dominion across the North American continent.
- The establishment of trade routes with Asian nations.
- The creation of a national banking system.
Answer: The expansion of its dominion across the North American continent.
Who is recognized as the "Father of Texas" for leading the first successful colonization of the region by American families?
- Sam Houston
- Stephen F. Austin
- James K. Polk
- Davy Crockett
Answer: Stephen F. Austin
The Battle of the Alamo in 1836 became a powerful symbol of resistance during which conflict?
- The Mexican-American War
- The War of 1812
- The Texas Revolution
- The American Civil War
Answer: The Texas Revolution
Which US President, a strong proponent of Manifest Destiny, oversaw the acquisition of the Oregon Territory, Texas, and the Mexican Cession?
- Andrew Jackson
- Abraham Lincoln
- James K. Polk
- Thomas Jefferson
Answer: James K. Polk
The annexation of Texas by the United States in 1845 directly contributed to the outbreak of which major conflict?
- The War of 1812
- The Mexican-American War
- The Texas Revolution
- The American Civil War
Answer: The Mexican-American War
What was a significant outcome of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848) that ended the Mexican-American War?
- Mexico gained control of California.
- The US paid Mexico $15 million and acquired the Mexican Cession.
- Texas became an independent republic.
- The Oregon Territory was divided at the 54°40' parallel.
Answer: The US paid Mexico $15 million and acquired the Mexican Cession.
The discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill in 1848 led to what major event in American history?
- The Gadsden Purchase
- The Mormon Migration
- The California Gold Rush
- The Homestead Act
Answer: The California Gold Rush
The Wilmot Proviso, though it failed, highlighted growing sectional tensions over what issue related to the Mexican Cession?
- The route of a transcontinental railroad.
- The expansion of slavery into new territories.
- The rights of Native American tribes.
- The establishment of new trade tariffs.
Answer: The expansion of slavery into new territories.
Which of the following was a key component of the Compromise of 1850?
- California was admitted as a slave state.
- The Fugitive Slave Act was repealed.
- Popular sovereignty would decide the status of slavery in Utah and New Mexico territories.
- The Missouri Compromise line was extended to the Pacific.
Answer: Popular sovereignty would decide the status of slavery in Utah and New Mexico territories.
The Homestead Act of 1862 encouraged western migration by offering settlers what?
- Free passage on the Oregon Trail.
- 160 acres of public land in exchange for a filing fee and five years of residence.
- Gold mining rights in California.
- Protection from Native American tribes.
Answer: 160 acres of public land in exchange for a filing fee and five years of residence.
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