12 Questions
What was the general perception of the land west of the Mississippi River by most Americans before the mid-nineteenth century?
An arid wasteland suitable only for American Indians
What was Major Stephen Harriman Long's description of the Great Plains?
A great American desert
What changed the way Americans thought of the West in the 1840s?
A combination of economic opportunity and ideological encouragement
Who was unable to make the trip westward despite government aid?
The truly poor
What was a major reason for the prohibitive nature of the move westward for most Americans?
The cost of moving an entire family westward
What was the primary goal of the federal government's incentives for Americans to move westward?
To make it viable for Americans to take on the challenge of seizing the West from its Native American and Hispanic owners
What was a major obstacle for many people to pursue commercial farming in the West after the Panic of 1837?
Lack of financial resources
What was a fundamental aspect of the concept of Manifest Destiny?
The idea that Americans were destined to expand democratic institutions throughout the continent
Who coined the phrase 'Manifest Destiny' in 1845?
John O'Sullivan
What was a major factor in the federal government's encouragement of westward settlement during the Civil War?
Concerns over the expansion of slavery
What was a primary goal of westward expansion, according to the concept of Manifest Destiny?
To spread Protestant institutions
What was a key motivation for land developers, railroad magnates, and investors in promoting westward settlement?
Financial benefit
Test your knowledge of the early exploration and settlement of the American West. Learn about the perceptions of the land and its inhabitants before the mid-19th century.
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