U.S. Citizenship Test Practice: Westward Expansion and American Indians
- Westward Expansion and American Indians
- 10 questions
- 12 minutes
These questions cover how the United States grew from 13 states on the Atlantic coast to 50 states, and what that growth meant for American Indian nations. They give useful background for the history part of the interview.
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Question 1
After the Louisiana Purchase, President Thomas Jefferson sent two explorers to travel all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Who were they?
Correct answer: A
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led the expedition from 1804 to 1806. They mapped the land and met many American Indian nations along the way.
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Question 2
In 1867, the United States bought Alaska. Which country sold it?
Correct answer: C
The United States bought Alaska from Russia in 1867. Many people at the time called it "Seward's Folly," after the Secretary of State who arranged the deal.
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Question 3
In 1959, two territories became states. Which one became the 50th state?
Correct answer: B
Alaska became the 49th state in January 1959 and Hawaii the 50th in August 1959. No new state has joined since then.
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Question 4
In 1848, gold was discovered in which place, and thousands of people rushed west to look for it?
Correct answer: D
Gold was found at Sutter's Mill in California in 1848, which started the California Gold Rush. So many people arrived that California became a state in 1850.
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Question 5
The first transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869. What did it connect?
Correct answer: B
The transcontinental railroad linked the eastern railroads to California. A trip across the country that once took months could now be made in about a week.
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Question 6
What did the Homestead Act of 1862 offer settlers?
Correct answer: C
The Homestead Act gave settlers up to 160 acres of public land if they lived on it and farmed it for five years. It brought many families, including immigrants, to the West.
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Question 7
In the 1830s, the U.S. government forced the Cherokee and other nations to leave their homelands in the Southeast and move west. Thousands died on the way. What is this forced journey called?
Correct answer: A
The Trail of Tears was the forced removal of the Cherokee and other nations to land west of the Mississippi River. The Oregon Trail was a route that settlers chose to travel.
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Question 8
Which President signed the Indian Removal Act of 1830?
Correct answer: D
Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act, which led to the forced removal of many nations from the Southeast. Washington had died long before, and Lincoln and Roosevelt came later.
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Question 9
In the 1840s, many families traveled west in covered wagons on a famous route to the Pacific Northwest. What was this route called?
Correct answer: D
The Oregon Trail ran about 2,000 miles from Missouri to Oregon. Route 66 is a highway from the 1900s, and the Freedom Trail is a walking path in Boston.
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Question 10
What did the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 do?
Correct answer: B
The Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 granted U.S. citizenship to American Indians born in the United States. Many had not been citizens before, even though they were born in the country.
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