AnswersPA-US History 1850 to Present AHomesteaders and the Transcontinental Railroad

Homesteaders and the Transcontinental Railroad Answers

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What did the Homestead Act grant to homesteaders?

A
It granted participants as much land as they pledged to farm.
B
It granted an extra 80 acres of land to anyone who made a purchase.
C
It granted anyone the right to rent farmland from the government.
D
It granted 160 acres of land to settlers who paid a small filing fee.
2
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In the 1840s, the main argument in Congress over the transcontinental railroad concerned

A
the geographic direction of the railroad.
B
the money needed to fund the railroad.
C
the lack of available workers to build the railroad.
D
where the railroad should run.
3

Read the passage.Although the Dakota Territory was organized in 1861, the population was quite small, and the majority of the population were Indigenous People. The Homestead Act of 1862 drew homesteaders, and soon large cattle ranches were proving to Americans that farmers could be successful in the northern Great Plains. Transportation became easier between 1871 and 1889, when more than two thousand lines of railroad track were laid across the state. The effect on the population was dramatic. In 1860 the white population of North Dakota was 2,576. By 1889, that number had jumped to 191,000. Both North Dakota and South Dakota were able to apply for statehood.According to the passage, what were effects of the Homestead Act? Choose three answers.

A
New states were added to the Union.
B
The number of railroads declined.
C
The population grew in the territories.
D
The cattle-ranching industry grew.
E
Transportation became more difficult in the territories.
4

Due to the railroads, American settlers were able to travel west in larger numbers. How did this migration impact Indigenous People?

A
Indigenous People’s way of life changed because buffalo herds were destroyed for commercial markets.
B
Indigenous People voluntarily went to reservations because they needed to find food and shelter.
C
Indigenous People became cattle ranchers in order to survive a decrease in income.
D
Indigenous People faced economic decline because they could no longer sell buffalo meat.
5

After the completion of the railroad, a major industry in the West was

A
ranching.
B
banking.
C
milling.
D
fishing.
6

How were the conflicts between homesteaders and Indigenous People resolved in the wake of the Homestead Act?

A
Homesteaders formed their own small armies and militias.
B
The American government forced Indigenous People to leave the land.
C
The American government used force against the homesteaders.
D
Congress repealed the Homestead Act to prevent further conflict.
7

One modern town that was originally built to serve the railroads was

A
Cheyenne.
B
San Francisco.
C
New York.
D
Omaha.
8

Materials used to build the Central Pacific Railroad were shipped

A
across North America.
B
from west to east.
C
around South America.
D
from north to south.
9

How did the completion of the transcontinental railroad change the lives of American citizens?

A
It increased the wealth of all Americans and enabled them to travel more.
B
It made cross-country travel too expensive for ordinary Americans.
C
It decreased the safety of Americans who moved to settle the plains.
D
It shortened travel time between the East and West for all Americans.
10

Materials that had to be shipped to Central Pacific workers included

A
coal and oil.
B
silver and machinery.
C
oil and gold.
D
iron and machinery.
11

Which statement best explains why the transcontinental railroad took several years to build?

A
Digging through the mountains was very difficult, and the long winters hampered workers’ ability to make progress.
B
Several Civil War battles took place where the railroad was being built, so workers had to wait for the land to be clear and safe.
C
A divided Congress continued fighting over funding for the railroad, leading to work stoppages every few months.
D
Chinese immigrants engaged in frequent clashes with rail workers, so work stopped while safety measures were adopted.
12

How did Abraham Lincoln affect the construction of the transcontinental railroad?

A
Lincoln signed the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862 into law, which stimulated the construction of the railroad.
B
Lincoln appointed Theodore Judah to survey the land and locate investors for the transcontinental railroad.
C
Lincoln obstructed the passage of the railroad bill because he wanted the government to focus on the Civil War.
D
Lincoln prevented Leland Stanford from running one of the two railroad companies in order to avoid a monopoly.
13

How did the transcontinental railroad affect US commerce?

A
The railroad decreased commerce by making shipping more expensive.
B
The railroad increased commerce by making shipping easier and cheaper.
C
The railroad led to major corruption in business, which hurt commerce.
D
The railroad decreased commerce by making trading posts disappear.
14

What did the Homestead Act of 1862 make possible for millions of people to achieve- including former slaves, women, immigrants, and men?

A
acquiring immense wealth
B
owning a farm
C
living in a brick house
D
moving to a big city
15

What was one fraudulent strategy that speculators engaged in to meet the requirements of the Homestead Act?

A
They sold high priced public land to the Indigenous People.
B
They promised homesteaders a reliable link to the East.
C
They rented out plots of land to the Indigenous People.
D
They built tiny dwellings measured in inches rather than feet.

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