Question 1

Among the vocal opponents of the Mexican-American War was

Accepted Answer

A)  Thomas O. Larkin. 
B)  John Slidell. 
C)  Abraham Lincoln. 
D)  John Tyler. 
E)  John L. O'Sullivan. 
A)  Thomas O. Larkin. 
B)  John Slidell. 
C)  Abraham Lincoln. 
D)  John Tyler. 
E)  John L. O'Sullivan.

Question 2

What effect did Mexico's winning its independence from Spain have on American settlement in the Southwest?

Accepted Answer

A)  The establishment of the new Mexican state made settlement in its territories more difficult. 
B)  Patterns of American settlement of the former Spanish, now Mexican, territories remained unchanged. 
C)  American settlers were immediately and forcibly removed from all Mexican territories. 
D)  American settlement and expansion into the former Spanish territories increased after Mexico gained independence. 
E)  Americans began to flee the former Spanish territories once Mexico gained independence. 
A)  The establishment of the new Mexican state made settlement in its territories more difficult. 
B)  Patterns of American settlement of the former Spanish, now Mexican, territories remained unchanged. 
C)  American settlers were immediately and forcibly removed from all Mexican territories. 
D)  American settlement and expansion into the former Spanish territories increased after Mexico gained independence. 
E)  Americans began to flee the former Spanish territories once Mexico gained independence.

Question 3

Why did the Anglo Texans rebel against the Mexican government of Santa Anna?

Accepted Answer

A)  out of worry that the Mexicans planned to attack U.S. territories east of Texas 
B)  due to their alliance with the Comanche Native Americans 
C)  out of fear that he was becoming dictatorial and might use that power to free their slaves 
D)  at the request of Spain, which was trying to regain control of Mexico 
E)  due to their opposition to taxation without representation 
A)  out of worry that the Mexicans planned to attack U.S. territories east of Texas 
B)  due to their alliance with the Comanche Native Americans 
C)  out of fear that he was becoming dictatorial and might use that power to free their slaves 
D)  at the request of Spain, which was trying to regain control of Mexico 
E)  due to their opposition to taxation without representation

Question 4

Match each description with the item below.
-Abraham Lincoln

Accepted Answer

A) was the young congressman who argued that Polk had maneuvered the Mexicans into attacking 
B) was the general-in-chief of the American army during the Mexican-American War and was called the "greatest living soldier" by the Duke of Wellington 
C) was elected vice president in 1840 but took over the presidency without having been elected to the office 
D) was one of the defenders at the Alamo who led the "regular army" soldiers, partly as a means to leave behind a checkered past in Alabama 
E) was the American who captured San Diego and Los Angeles after quarreling with General Stephen Kearny over who was in command of the army
F)was the secretary of state who negotiated the treaty resolving the boundary between the northeastern United States and British Canada
G)was known as "the Pathfinder" and became the most enthusiastic champion of American settlement in Mexican California and the Far West
H)called himself the "Napoleon of the West" and suspended the Mexican national congress in the face of Texan rebelliousness
I)founded a colony of European emigrants in California and sought to create a wilderness empire by putting Native Americans to work
J)was a Franciscan friar who led the creation of a Catholic mission in San Diego, California 
A) was the young congressman who argued that Polk had maneuvered the Mexicans into attacking 
B) was the general-in-chief of the American army during the Mexican-American War and was called the "greatest living soldier" by the Duke of Wellington 
C) was elected vice president in 1840 but took over the presidency without having been elected to the office 
D) was one of the defenders at the Alamo who led the "regular army" soldiers, partly as a means to leave behind a checkered past in Alabama 
E) was the American who captured San Diego and Los Angeles after quarreling with General Stephen Kearny over who was in command of the army
F)was the secretary of state who negotiated the treaty resolving the boundary between the northeastern United States and British Canada
G)was known as "the Pathfinder" and became the most enthusiastic champion of American settlement in Mexican California and the Far West
H)called himself the "Napoleon of the West" and suspended the Mexican national congress in the face of Texan rebelliousness
I)founded a colony of European emigrants in California and sought to create a wilderness empire by putting Native Americans to work
J)was a Franciscan friar who led the creation of a Catholic mission in San Diego, California

Question 5

John C. Calhoun was against taking more than the northernmost territories of Mexico because that would mean incorporating "colored races" into the Union.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

There were hundreds of different Indian tribes west of the Mississippi River in 1840, each with its own language, religion, cultural practices, and forms of governance.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

How did Texas become part of the United States? Why was the process so complicated, and how did it impact national politics?

Accepted Answer

Texas became part of the United States t

Question 8

Match each description with the item below.
-Winfield Scott

Accepted Answer

A) was the young congressman who argued that Polk had maneuvered the Mexicans into attacking 
B) was the general-in-chief of the American army during the Mexican-American War and was called the "greatest living soldier" by the Duke of Wellington 
C) was elected vice president in 1840 but took over the presidency without having been elected to the office 
D) was one of the defenders at the Alamo who led the "regular army" soldiers, partly as a means to leave behind a checkered past in Alabama 
E) was the American who captured San Diego and Los Angeles after quarreling with General Stephen Kearny over who was in command of the army
F)was the secretary of state who negotiated the treaty resolving the boundary between the northeastern United States and British Canada
G)was known as "the Pathfinder" and became the most enthusiastic champion of American settlement in Mexican California and the Far West
H)called himself the "Napoleon of the West" and suspended the Mexican national congress in the face of Texan rebelliousness
I)founded a colony of European emigrants in California and sought to create a wilderness empire by putting Native Americans to work
J)was a Franciscan friar who led the creation of a Catholic mission in San Diego, California 
A) was the young congressman who argued that Polk had maneuvered the Mexicans into attacking 
B) was the general-in-chief of the American army during the Mexican-American War and was called the "greatest living soldier" by the Duke of Wellington 
C) was elected vice president in 1840 but took over the presidency without having been elected to the office 
D) was one of the defenders at the Alamo who led the "regular army" soldiers, partly as a means to leave behind a checkered past in Alabama 
E) was the American who captured San Diego and Los Angeles after quarreling with General Stephen Kearny over who was in command of the army
F)was the secretary of state who negotiated the treaty resolving the boundary between the northeastern United States and British Canada
G)was known as "the Pathfinder" and became the most enthusiastic champion of American settlement in Mexican California and the Far West
H)called himself the "Napoleon of the West" and suspended the Mexican national congress in the face of Texan rebelliousness
I)founded a colony of European emigrants in California and sought to create a wilderness empire by putting Native Americans to work
J)was a Franciscan friar who led the creation of a Catholic mission in San Diego, California

Question 9

Discuss the ways in which the settlement of the West affected Native American cultures.

Accepted Answer

The settlement of the West had a profoun

Question 10

Explain the phrase "manifest destiny." What factors were most important in drawing Americans to the West, both mentally and physically?

Accepted Answer

The phrase "manifest destiny" refers to

Question 11

Because of its lack of infrastructure, Sam Houston said that the Lone Star Republic had two choices: either to be annexed by the United States or to

Accepted Answer

A)  dissolve and return the land entirely to the Native American tribes who had previously controlled it. 
B)  build official housing for the incoming white Americans who far outnumbered African Americans. 
C)  stop the arrival of more Americans because no more land or resources were available in the region. 
D)  develop closer trade relations with Britain, which had begun buying cotton from Texas planters. 
E)  decline the offer to join the United States, as Texas had already become a world power. 
A)  dissolve and return the land entirely to the Native American tribes who had previously controlled it. 
B)  build official housing for the incoming white Americans who far outnumbered African Americans. 
C)  stop the arrival of more Americans because no more land or resources were available in the region. 
D)  develop closer trade relations with Britain, which had begun buying cotton from Texas planters. 
E)  decline the offer to join the United States, as Texas had already become a world power.

Question 12

In 1849, Congress created the Department of the Interior to supervise the distribution of land, the creation of new territories and states, and the "protection" of the Indians and their reservations.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

Match each description with the item below.
-Junípero Serra

Accepted Answer

A) was the young congressman who argued that Polk had maneuvered the Mexicans into attacking 
B) was the general-in-chief of the American army during the Mexican-American War and was called the "greatest living soldier" by the Duke of Wellington 
C) was elected vice president in 1840 but took over the presidency without having been elected to the office 
D) was one of the defenders at the Alamo who led the "regular army" soldiers, partly as a means to leave behind a checkered past in Alabama 
E) was the American who captured San Diego and Los Angeles after quarreling with General Stephen Kearny over who was in command of the army
F)was the secretary of state who negotiated the treaty resolving the boundary between the northeastern United States and British Canada
G)was known as "the Pathfinder" and became the most enthusiastic champion of American settlement in Mexican California and the Far West
H)called himself the "Napoleon of the West" and suspended the Mexican national congress in the face of Texan rebelliousness
I)founded a colony of European emigrants in California and sought to create a wilderness empire by putting Native Americans to work
J)was a Franciscan friar who led the creation of a Catholic mission in San Diego, California 
A) was the young congressman who argued that Polk had maneuvered the Mexicans into attacking 
B) was the general-in-chief of the American army during the Mexican-American War and was called the "greatest living soldier" by the Duke of Wellington 
C) was elected vice president in 1840 but took over the presidency without having been elected to the office 
D) was one of the defenders at the Alamo who led the "regular army" soldiers, partly as a means to leave behind a checkered past in Alabama 
E) was the American who captured San Diego and Los Angeles after quarreling with General Stephen Kearny over who was in command of the army
F)was the secretary of state who negotiated the treaty resolving the boundary between the northeastern United States and British Canada
G)was known as "the Pathfinder" and became the most enthusiastic champion of American settlement in Mexican California and the Far West
H)called himself the "Napoleon of the West" and suspended the Mexican national congress in the face of Texan rebelliousness
I)founded a colony of European emigrants in California and sought to create a wilderness empire by putting Native Americans to work
J)was a Franciscan friar who led the creation of a Catholic mission in San Diego, California

Question 14

What was the result of Winfield Scott's assault on Veracruz, which was considered the strongest fortress in North America?

Accepted Answer

A)  Scott and most American soldiers were killed in the opening moments of the attack. 
B)  Santa Fe became an official part of the United States. 
C)  The large amphibian operation was carried out without a loss and opened the way to Mexico City. 
D)  The battle was a major Mexican victory and almost resulted in an American surrender. 
E)  The Spanish joined the war on the side of the Americans to protect their interests in Veracruz. 
A)  Scott and most American soldiers were killed in the opening moments of the attack. 
B)  Santa Fe became an official part of the United States. 
C)  The large amphibian operation was carried out without a loss and opened the way to Mexico City. 
D)  The battle was a major Mexican victory and almost resulted in an American surrender. 
E)  The Spanish joined the war on the side of the Americans to protect their interests in Veracruz.

Question 15

President Tyler infuriated Henry Clay by vetoing his bill in support of

Accepted Answer

A)  Texas annexation. 
B)  higher tariffs. 
C)  Indian removal. 
D)  pensions for veterans. 
E)  a new national bank. 
A)  Texas annexation. 
B)  higher tariffs. 
C)  Indian removal. 
D)  pensions for veterans. 
E)  a new national bank.

Question 16

What was one way the Mexican-American War proved unique in American history?

Accepted Answer

A)  It was America's first major military defeat on foreign soil and led Americans to adopt a wholly new approach to war in terms of both weapons and military strategy. 
B)  It was a war in which nearly all Americans consistently supported the conflict and continued to believe it to have been justified even after its conclusion. 
C)  It was at odds with the idea of manifest destiny that had long influenced other American wars and was driven mainly by religious factors. 
D)  It was America's first major military intervention outside the United States and the first time that U.S. military forces had conquered and occupied another country. 
E)  In terms of the percentage of combatants killed, it had the lowest death rate of any war in American history and, thus, made more Americans likely to join the military in the next war. 
A)  It was America's first major military defeat on foreign soil and led Americans to adopt a wholly new approach to war in terms of both weapons and military strategy. 
B)  It was a war in which nearly all Americans consistently supported the conflict and continued to believe it to have been justified even after its conclusion. 
C)  It was at odds with the idea of manifest destiny that had long influenced other American wars and was driven mainly by religious factors. 
D)  It was America's first major military intervention outside the United States and the first time that U.S. military forces had conquered and occupied another country. 
E)  In terms of the percentage of combatants killed, it had the lowest death rate of any war in American history and, thus, made more Americans likely to join the military in the next war.

Question 17

Why did the Mexican government attempt to curtail the American settlement of Texas?

Accepted Answer

A)  The Mexican government feared it would spark a war with Napoléon, who continued to have a stake in the South and held control of most of Louisiana. 
B)  The Mexican government worried about the intentions of the Americans living there, namely the possibility of their conspiring with the United States to take Texas. 
C)  The Americans had adopted the Mexican identity as their own to such a degree that the Mexican government feared Mexico would not reap the benefits of Americanization. 
D)  Food resources in the region were already scarce, which the Mexican government feared would result in intense competition with the Americans for basic resources. 
E)  The Mexican government wished to honor the British claim to the territory that had been in place since the end of the French and Indian War. 
A)  The Mexican government feared it would spark a war with Napoléon, who continued to have a stake in the South and held control of most of Louisiana. 
B)  The Mexican government worried about the intentions of the Americans living there, namely the possibility of their conspiring with the United States to take Texas. 
C)  The Americans had adopted the Mexican identity as their own to such a degree that the Mexican government feared Mexico would not reap the benefits of Americanization. 
D)  Food resources in the region were already scarce, which the Mexican government feared would result in intense competition with the Americans for basic resources. 
E)  The Mexican government wished to honor the British claim to the territory that had been in place since the end of the French and Indian War.

Question 18

In which territory-Texas, California, or Oregon-was America's claim best? In which was it worst? Explain the reasoning behind your conclusions.

Accepted Answer

America's claim was best in Texas and wo

Question 19

Polk's order that Zachary Taylor move his troops to the disputed territory north of the Rio Grande

Accepted Answer

A)  protected American settlers along the border in such a way that they regained their trust in the United States government and left the West behind. 
B)  provoked a Mexican attack as part of a scheme to justify the beginning of a war with Mexico and, ultimately, to gain New Mexico and California. 
C)  persuaded Mexico to sell California to the United States to avoid a costly war that would be sure to hurt Mexican resources and infrastructure. 
D)  caused an uproar among German and Irish immigrants that resulted in increased anti-war sentiment and a lack of immigrant groups joining in the American army. 
E)  won him political support in the North and, thus, helped to secure his victory in the next presidential election. 
A)  protected American settlers along the border in such a way that they regained their trust in the United States government and left the West behind. 
B)  provoked a Mexican attack as part of a scheme to justify the beginning of a war with Mexico and, ultimately, to gain New Mexico and California. 
C)  persuaded Mexico to sell California to the United States to avoid a costly war that would be sure to hurt Mexican resources and infrastructure. 
D)  caused an uproar among German and Irish immigrants that resulted in increased anti-war sentiment and a lack of immigrant groups joining in the American army. 
E)  won him political support in the North and, thus, helped to secure his victory in the next presidential election.

Question 20

James Polk's plan to acquire California and New Mexico primarily entailed

Accepted Answer

A)  his willingness to purchase them at whatever price Mexico demanded. 
B)  a war big enough to acquire the land, but small enough to avoid creating a political rival. 
C)  the exchange of territory still held by the United States in Canada for the Southwest. 
D)  constant migration until the land was American simply by virtue of population and settlement. 
E)  the initial threat of war but intention to stick to purchase or diplomacy during his second term. 
A)  his willingness to purchase them at whatever price Mexico demanded. 
B)  a war big enough to acquire the land, but small enough to avoid creating a political rival. 
C)  the exchange of territory still held by the United States in Canada for the Southwest. 
D)  constant migration until the land was American simply by virtue of population and settlement. 
E)  the initial threat of war but intention to stick to purchase or diplomacy during his second term.

Exam 13: Western Expansion

Among the vocal opponents of the Mexican-American War was

What effect did Mexico's winning its independence from Spain have on American settlement in the Southwest?

Why did the Anglo Texans rebel against the Mexican government of Santa Anna?

Match each description with the item below. -Abraham Lincoln

John C. Calhoun was against taking more than the northernmost territories of Mexico because that would mean incorporating "colored races" into the Union.

There were hundreds of different Indian tribes west of the Mississippi River in 1840, each with its own language, religion, cultural practices, and forms of governance.

How did Texas become part of the United States? Why was the process so complicated, and how did it impact national politics?

Match each description with the item below. -Winfield Scott

Discuss the ways in which the settlement of the West affected Native American cultures.

Explain the phrase "manifest destiny." What factors were most important in drawing Americans to the West, both mentally and physically?

Because of its lack of infrastructure, Sam Houston said that the Lone Star Republic had two choices: either to be annexed by the United States or to

In 1849, Congress created the Department of the Interior to supervise the distribution of land, the creation of new territories and states, and the "protection" of the Indians and their reservations.

Match each description with the item below. -Junípero Serra

What was the result of Winfield Scott's assault on Veracruz, which was considered the strongest fortress in North America?

President Tyler infuriated Henry Clay by vetoing his bill in support of

What was one way the Mexican-American War proved unique in American history?

Why did the Mexican government attempt to curtail the American settlement of Texas?

In which territory-Texas, California, or Oregon-was America's claim best? In which was it worst? Explain the reasoning behind your conclusions.

Polk's order that Zachary Taylor move his troops to the disputed territory north of the Rio Grande

James Polk's plan to acquire California and New Mexico primarily entailed

The Collision of Cultures

Englands Colonies

Colonial Ways of Life

From Colonies to States

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Business and Labor in the Industrial Era

The New South and the New West

Political Stalemate and Rural Revolt

Seizing an American Empire

The Progressive Era

America and the Great War

A Clash of Cultures

The Reactionary Twenties

25

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Cold War America

A New Frontier and a Great Society

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