Westward Expansion — Answer Key
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. The term Manifest Destiny was coined around the year 1845.
Journalist John L. O'Sullivan coined the phrase 'Manifest Destiny' in 1845 to justify US expansion.
2. The United States paid about 15 million dollars for the Louisiana Territory.
The US paid approximately $15 million (about 3 cents per acre) to France for the Louisiana Territory.
3. Lewis and Clark began their expedition in the year 1804.
The Corps of Discovery departed from Camp Wood, Illinois in May 1804 and returned in September 1806.
4. The Oregon Trail started in the state of Missouri.
The Oregon Trail began in Independence, Missouri and ended in Oregon City, Oregon — a 2,000-mile journey.
5. Gold seekers who arrived in California in 1849 were called 49ers.
The massive influx of fortune seekers who arrived in California in 1849 were nicknamed '49ers.'
6. The Homestead Act of 1862 offered 160 acres of free land to settlers.
The Homestead Act encouraged westward migration by offering 160 acres of public land to anyone who would farm it.
7. Pioneers heading to Oregon faced a journey of about 2,000 miles.
The Oregon Trail covered approximately 2,000 miles from Missouri to the Pacific Northwest.
8. The California Gold Rush caused a population boom in the West.
California's non-Native population exploded from about 14,000 in 1848 to 100,000 by 1850.
9. President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act in 1830.
President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act in 1830, forcing Native Americans east of the Mississippi to relocate.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
Thomas Jefferson
→ Louisiana Purchase
Lewis and Clark guide
Sacagawea
→ Lewis and Clark guide
Louisiana Purchase
James Marshall
→ found gold at Sutters Mill
Indian Removal Act
Andrew Jackson
→ Indian Removal Act
found gold at Sutters Mill
Jefferson=Louisiana Purchase(idx1); Sacagawea=Lewis and Clark guide(idx0); Marshall=found gold at Sutter's Mill(idx3); Jackson=Indian Removal Act(idx2)