Name: 
 

The West


Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
 

 1. 
Early prospectors would extract shallow deposits of ore by
a.
quartz mining.
c.
placer mining.
b.
strip mining.
d.
surface mining.
 

 2. 
At first, ranchers saw barbed wire as a threat because it
a.
harmed their cattle.
c.
required much effort to maintain.
b.
kept their herds from roaming freely.
d.
kept their herds away from food.
 

 3. 
One approach to farming the Great Plains was “dry farming,” in which farmers
a.
cooperated to build community irrigation ditches from the nearest river.
b.
dug out depressions to catch the precious rain, creating ponds for irrigation.
c.
selected crops that could withstand long periods without rain.
d.
planted seeds deep in the ground where there was enough moisture for them.
 

 4. 
After ore near the surface dwindled, mining corporations began
a.
quartz mining.
c.
placer mining.
b.
strip mining.
d.
tunnel mining.
 

 5. 
The legendary boomtown of Leadville got its name from
a.
rich deposits of lead.
b.
lead deposits that contained large amounts of silver.
c.
lead deposits that contained large amounts of gold.
d.
the town’s main industry, which made lead from its rich copper deposits.
 

 6. 
The material for “dime novels” often came from
a.
miners’ exaggerated tales of striking it rich.
b.
cowboys’ exaggerated tales of daring.
c.
immigrants’ exaggerated tales of battles with hostile Native Americans.
d.
explorers’ exaggerated tales of adventure and discovery in the wilderness.
 

 7. 
Wheat had an advantage on the Great Plains because
a.
it could withstand drought better than other crops.
b.
it could resist disease better than other crops.
c.
large amounts of it could grow on a relatively small plot of land.
d.
it could bring higher prices than other crops suitable for cultivation there.
 

 8. 
Before the Sand Creek Massacre, the Cheyenne had come to Camp Lyon to
a.
negotiate.
c.
attack.
b.
surrender.
d.
defend their land.
 
 
nar001-1.jpg
 

 9. 
mc009-1.jpg From the information on this time line, you can infer that ____ would have been responsible for a massive western migration of people between the 1850s and 1880s.
a.
the open ranges
b.
suitable climate
c.
the discovery of several deposits of gold
d.
cattle transportation methods
 

 10. 
mc010-1.jpg According to this time line, prior to the discovery of gold in the Dakota Territory, previous events in other western regions created similar industries. What similar industry developed?
a.
The ranching industry followed on the heels of the Dakota discoveries.
b.
While there were similar events, the industries differed.
c.
The individual transporation industry was a result of the Dakota Territory opening up.
d.
The mining industry grew out of the discoveries in Colorado and Nevada prior to the Dakota discovery.
 
 
nar002-1.jpg
 

 11. 
mc011-1.jpg Which of the events on this timeline was a result of the Lakota refusing to stay on the reservation because whites were mining for gold in the Black Hills?
a.
Dakota Sioux uprising
c.
Sand creek Massacre
b.
Battle of the Little Bighorn
d.
Wounded Knee Massacre
 
 
nar003-1.jpg
 

 12. 
mc012-1.jpg According to the graph, ____ was the difference between the Native American population at its highest level and when it reached its lowest level.
a.
100,000
c.
75,000
b.
165,000
d.
300,000
 
 
“Late in the morning, my friend . . . gave me a terrible warning. [She] knew a few words of English; and she had overheard the paleface woman talk about cutting our long, heavy hair. Our mothers had taught us that only unskilled warriors who were captured had their hair shingled by the enemy. Among our people, short hair was worn by mourners, and shingled hair by cowards.” —Zitkala-Sa (Gertrude Simmons Bonnin)
 

 13. 
mc013-1.jpg According to this excerpt, how was the information about cutting the girls’ hair received by Zitkala-Sa when she heard of it?
a.
Knowing that Zitkala-Sa was an unskilled warrior, she knew that she must make herself a strong warrior to avoid having her hair look like the white settler’s hair.
b.
Zitkala-Sa feared that her mother would think that she had been captured and tortured before her return.
c.
She felt that the white women had become her friend because of their regard for her hygiene.
d.
Upon hearing of the possibility of having her hair cut, Zitkala-Sa became fearful of the English speaking settlers.
 
 
“ . . . The faithful performance of our promises is the first condition of a good understanding with the Indians. . . . Especial care is recommended to provide for Indians settled on their reservations cattle and agricultural implements, to aid them in whatever efforts they may make to support themselves, and by the establishment and maintenance of schools to bring them under the control of civilized influences.” —Rutherford B. Hayes
 

 14. 
mc014-1.jpg According to this excerpt, President Hayes believed that it was important to be on good terms with the Native Americans and to do so by first
a.
establishing schools.
b.
providing agricultural implements.
c.
fulfilling pledges that the U.S. government had made.
d.
providing cattle.
 
 
“Occasionally a new comer has a ‘bee,’ and the neighbors for miles around gather at his claim and put up his house. . . . The women come too, and while the men lay up the sod walls, they prepare dinner for the crowd and have a very sociable hour at noon.” —from Building a Sod House
 

 15. 
mc015-1.jpg According to the excerpt, the women’s main function at a bee was to
a.
organize the affair.
c.
take care of feeding everyone.
b.
make sure the neighbors attend.
d.
lay up the sod walls.
 
 
“In addition to the work of being cook and scrubwoman, she was now a mother and nurse. As I looked around upon her worn chairs, faded rag carpets, and sagging sofas, the bare walls of her pitiful little house seemed a prison. I thought of her as she was in the days of her radiant girlhood, and my throat filled with rebellious pain.” —from Rural Life on the Great Plains
 

 16. 
mc016-1.jpg Based on this excerpt, describe the lifestyle of someone living on the Great Plains.
a.
similar to living on the East Coast.
c.
easy.
b.
opulent.
d.
challenging.
 
 
“A mystical sheen was on the odorous [fragrant] grass and waving grain. But no splendor of cloud, no grace of sunset could conceal the poverty of these people. On the contrary, [the beauties of nature] brought out . . . the gracelessness of these homes and . . . the mechanical daily routine of these lives. . . . ” —from Rural Life on the Great Plains
 

 17. 
mc017-1.jpg The author of this except was asserting that
a.
the Great Plains was a dangerous place to live.
b.
people were drawn to the Plains by its natural beauty.
c.
poverty was not uncommon amongst plains settlers.
d.
anyone would succeed if they moved west.
 

 18. 
In the mid-1800s, a settler on the central Great Plains was least likely to earn a living as a __________.
a.
miner
c.
rancher
b.
farmer
d.
lumberman
 

 19. 
Assimilation of the Plains Indians was mainly intended to __________.
a.
help them adapt to white culture
b.
help them meet their basic needs
c.
encourage them to stop fighting each other
d.
allow them to keep as much of their land as possible
 

 20. 
The policy of treating the Great Plains as a huge reservation changed because __________.
a.
white settlers began to want land on the plains
b.
Native Americans refused to remain on the plains
c.
Native American populations decreased and needed less land
d.
the plains failed to meet the needs of Native American peoples
 

 21. 
The greatest danger to cowboys on long cattle drives came from __________.
a.
outlaws
c.
prairie fires
b.
stampedes
d.
Native Americans
 

 22. 
Who ran in the 1896 presidential election as the candidate of the
“free-silver” Democrats and the Populists?
a.
Oliver Kelley
c.
Thomas E. Watson
b.
William McKinley
d.
William Jennings Bryan
 

 23. 
The Battle of Little Big Horn marked __________.
a.
the last major Indian victory in the West
b.
the end of the Indian wars
c.
an important victory for American troops
d.
the beginning of the Cheyenne wars
 

 24. 
Native Americans danced the __________ in the hopes that the whites would leave and the land would be restored to the Native Americans along with the buffalo herds.
a.
Ghost Dance
c.
Line Dance
b.
Circle Dance
d.
Sand Dance
 

 25. 
A Longhorn is __________.
a.
used primarily for food
b.
considered a gentle breed of cattle
c.
free-grazing and needing little care
d.
brought to the Americas by the Spanish
 

 26. 
A Long drive __________.
a.
took about three months
b.
occurred three times a year
c.
took place soon after a round-up
d.
began on the ranch and ended at a shipping yard
 

 27. 
A Homesteader __________.
a.
settler recruited in Europe by a railroad company
b.
African-American settler originally from the South
c.
settler who claimed land in Oklahoma by squatting on it
d.
settler who farmed land given by the federal government
 

 28. 
A Soddy is a(n) __________.
a.
home made out of prairie turf
b.
invention that increased farm production
c.
loan made to frontier farmers by the federal government
d.
person who bought frontier land hoping to resell it at a profit
 

 29. 
The Homestead Act required those who claimed land under the act to __________.
a.
fence the land.
b.
work the land for five years.
c.
allow cattle to graze freely on the land.
d.
construct a permanent dwelling on the land.
 

 30. 
The policy of treating the Great Plains as a huge reservation changed because __________.
a.
white settlers began to want land on the plains.
b.
Native Americans refused to remain on the plains.
c.
Native American populations decreased and needed less land.
d.
the plains failed to meet the needs of Native American peoples.
 

 31. 
Who gave the "Cross of Gold" speech?
a.
Oliver Kelley
c.
Mary Elizabeth Lease
b.
William McKinley
d.
William Jennings Bryan
 

 32. 
In the late 1800s, plains farmers tended to support bimetallism because that would __________.
a.
put more money in circulation.
b.
make the nation's money supply safer.
c.
lower the prices of seed and farm machinery.
d.
allow them to profit from the mineral rights on their land.
 

 33. 
A Bonanza farm was a __________.
a.
farm claimed in the Oklahoma land rush
b.
farm given away by the federal government
c.
farm taken over by a bank due to bankruptcy
d.
massive single-crop farm owned by railroad companies and private investors
 

 34. 
The MAIN problem that plains farmers had with railroads involved __________.
a.
routes.
c.
shipping rates.
b.
schedules.
d.
passenger rates.
 

 35. 
The first American ranchers and cowboys on the Great Plains learned the skills to succeed from __________.
a.
Spanish explorers
b.
Mexican ranchers
c.
Native American herders
d.
schools set up under the Morrill Land Grant Acts and the Hatch Act
 

 36. 
William Jennings Bryan was nominated to run in the presidential election of 1896 by __________.
a.
the Populists
b.
the Democrats
c.
both the Populists and the Democrats
d.
both the Populists and the Republicans
 

 37. 
Which of the following marked the collapse of Populism?
a.
the Panic of 1893
b.
the founding of the Grange
c.
the "Cross of Gold" speech
d.
the election of William McKinley
 

 38. 
Which of the following did the Dawes Act attempt to encourage among Native Americans?
a.
tribal living
c.
college attendance
b.
nomadic living
d.
independent farming
 

 39. 
Which of these descriptions of the 19th-century cowboy is based more on myth than on fact?
a.
He worked long hours.
b.
He sang lullabies to cattle.
c.
He went on long, dangerous cattle drives.
d.
He was a quick and accurate shot with a gun.
 

 40. 
Which of the following people was the winner of the 1896 presidential election?
a.
Oliver Kelley
c.
Williams Jennings Bryan
b.
William McKinley
d.
Oliver Williams
 

 41. 
This party supported the adoption of the gold standard.
a.
The Republican Party
c.
The Populist Party
b.
The Whig Party
d.
The Communist Party
 

 42. 
This economic condition is characterized by steadily rising prices for goods and services.
a.
Inflation
c.
Depression
b.
Stagnation
d.
Growth
 

 43. 
What convinced the Democratic Convention to nominate William Jennings Bryan for president?
a.
The "Cross of Gold" speech
b.
The change in the economy
c.
Bryan’s Wife’s Statements about him
d.
The riots of New York
 

 44. 
Which of the following events occurred first?
a.
the Treaty of Fort Laramie
c.
the Sand Creek Massacre
b.
the death of Sitting Bull
d.
the massacre at Wounded Knee
 

 45. 
Why did Plains farmers in the late 1800s tend to support bimetallism?
a.
It would put more money in circulation.
b.
It would make the nation's money supply safer.
c.
It would lower the prices of seed and farm machinery.
d.
It would allow them to profit from the mineral rights on their land.
 

 46. 
The Bozeman Trail ran through which town?
a.
Sand Creek
c.
Wounded Knee
b.
Fort Laramie
d.
Cheyenne
 

 47. 
In 1819, Native American lands comprised how much of the continental United States?
a.
almost 100%
c.
none
b.
less than 25%
d.
more than 50%
 

 48. 
Which state gave the Republican candidate (McKinley) the largest number of popular votes?
a.
California
c.
Pennsylvania
b.
Illinois
d.
New York
 

 49. 
Which state gave the Democratic candidate (Bryan) the smallest number of popular votes?
a.
Delaware
c.
Ohio
b.
Vermont
d.
Alabama
 

 50. 
How many states cast at least one electoral vote for the Democratic candidate?
a.
17
c.
24
b.
14
d.
21
 



 
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