Chapter 13: Western Expansion and Southern Secession, 1830–1861
CORE OBJECTIVES
1. Explain how, why, and where Americans moved west of the Mississippi River during the
TRUE/FALSE
1. There were more than 200 different Indian tribes west of the Mississippi River in 1840.
2. Mexico’s independence from Spain slowed American expansion westward.
3. Texians were Hispanic Texans, whereas Tejanos were Anglo-Texan settlers.
4. President Martin Van Buren failed to win the Democratic party’s nomination to run for a
second term because of his opposition to annexing Texas.
5. The outbreak of the Mexican-American War was caused by the dispute over Oregon.
6. Under the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Mexico gave up claims to territory
that would become the states of California, Arizona, and New Mexico.
7. The main political concern addressed by the Wilmot Proviso was whether or not to extend
slavery westward.
8. “Popular Sovereignty” was the concept that citizens of a territory should regulate their own
internal affairs, such as slavery.
9. One aspect of the Compromise of 1850 was to weaken federal laws regarding slavery.
10. An increase in trade with China and Japan led American merchants and manufacturers to
call for the building of a transcontinental railroad line.
11. The Pottawatomie Massacre was part of the conflict between pro-slavery and anti-slavery
forces in Kansas.
12. James Buchanan’s great experience in public service helped him become one of the most
successful presidents.
13. During his senatorial run against Stephen Douglas, Abraham Lincoln stated his belief in
racial equality.
14. According to the textbook, southerners were particularly afraid that newly elected President
Lincoln would prevent the expansion of the cotton economy.
15. The states of the Deep South did not secede from the Union until Lincoln took office.
16. In his first inaugural address, President Lincoln pledged that he would not interfere with
slavery where it already existed.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The term manifest destiny was coined by newspaper editor
a. Horace Mann.
b. James K. Polk.
c. John C. Calhoun.
d. William Lloyd Garrison.
e. John L. O’Sullivan.
2. Manifest destiny was based on the notion that the United States must spread __________
and __________ westward.
a. Catholicism; freedom
b. monarchy; capitalism
c. Christianity; capitalism
d. Protestantism; monarchy
e. aristocracy; socialism
3. By 1843 a mass migration of people by wagon train was headed for __________ in search
of fertile soil and plentiful timber.
a. Oregon
b. Texas
c. California
d. Kansas
e. Iowa
4. What dramatic change did the shift from Spanish to Mexican rule in California produce?
a. Rancheros persuaded the Mexican government to give them control of the missions’
vast farmlands.
b. Indians lost their freedom and instead were under the control of the Catholic Church.
c. Indians successfully took control of Sutter’s Fort and used it as a trading outpost.
d. The government stopped giving out land grants along the California coast.
e. Rancheros lost their status as landowners and became cheap farm laborers.
5. By 1830 the majority of the population living in Mexican Texas was
a. German.
b. Czech and Polish.
c. Hispanic.
d. Texian.
e. Tejano.
6. Which of the following led to the Texas War for Independence?
a. Texian revolutionaries sought to free all black slaves.
b. Santa Anna became a dictator, inspiring Texas colonists to revolt.
c. Texians accused Stephen Austin of “despotism” and threw him in jail.
d. The United States took control of Texas during the Mexican-American War.
e. Santa Anna failed to adhere to the treaty of San Jacinto.
7. The Battle of the Alamo in Texas was a
a. victory for the United States.
b. victory for the Texians.
c. victory for Tejanos.
d. defeat for the Mexican army.
e. defeat for the Texians.
8. Why did the annexation of Texas take place during neither Andrew Jackson’s nor Martin
van Buren’s presidency?
a. The Lone Star Republic voted overwhelmingly against annexation by the United States.
b. Annexing Texas as a slave state would cause conflict between northern and southern
Democrats.
c. Annexing Texas would improve relations between the United States and Mexico,
thereby weakening American relations with Spain.
d. Jackson and van Buren were too focused on other more pressing issues, such as
repealing the Independent Treasury Act.
e. The Lone Star Republic had expanded to the Pacific during this time and was invested
in building its own infrastructure there.
9. When James K. Polk was the Democratic nominee for president in 1844 he firmly believed
that
a. Texas should not be annexed.
b. manifest destiny was not good for the country in the long term.
c. the Oregon Country should be sold.
d. the United States should expand and become a global power.
e. the future of slavery needed to be addressed during his presidency.
10. Why did Polk persuade Congress to restore the Independent Treasury Act?
a. He hoped to give favored state banks exclusive management of government funds.
b. He sought to strengthen the economy by entirely replacing gold and silver with paper
currency.
c. He planned to put large amounts of federal funds toward the infrastructure projects
backed by the Whigs.
d. He intended to replace the Second National Bank with the Independent Treasury to
offset the growth of unregulated state banks.
e. He thought the Treasury would help him to increase tariffs on imports and decrease
foreign competition.
11. President James K. Polk stated that the immediate cause of the Mexican-American War was
a. Mexico’s invasion of American territory.
b. the issue of slavery.
c. rampant corruption in the Mexican government.
d. tariffs.
e. money owed to the United States by Mexico.
12. The greatest opposition to the Mexican-American War was in
a. the southern states.
b. Texas.
c. the Oregon Country.
d. New England.
e. Washington, D.C.
13. At the time of the Mexican-American War, the U.S. military
a. was not well prepared for a major conflict.
b. had already secured the territory of Texas for the United States.
c. eventually recruited more than 500,000 troops.
d. kept its soldiers well supplied.
e. was known as a well-disciplined fighting force.
14. Just before the Mexican-American War, frontiersmen in California organized forces,
encouraged American settlers to declare independence from Mexico, and formed the
a. Republic of Fredonia
b. Republic of California
c. Frémont Territory
d. Western Front
e. Golden Coast Territory
15. The United States Army under Gen. Winfield Scott conquered __________ in September
1847.
a. Mexico City
b. Buena Vista
c. New Mexico
d. Sonoma
e. Tampico
16. The treaty that ended the Mexican-American War was the Treaty of
a. Paris.
b. Ghent.
c. San Jacinto.
d. Guadalupe Hidalgo.
e. Buena Vista.
17. As a result of the Mexican-American War, the United States acquired territory that would
eventually become the states of
a. Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas.
b. California, Arizona, and New Mexico.
c. Washington and Oregon.
d. Coahuila and Tampico.
e. Texas and Arkansas.
18. Which of the following was part of the Wilmot Proviso?
a. Annexing Texas as a free state
b. Banning “popular sovereignty” in the West
c. Abolishing slavery west of the Mississippi River
d. Allowing slavery in the southern regions of land acquired from Mexico
e. Banning slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico
19. __________ was the notion that citizens of a territory should regulate their own internal
affairs just like the citizens of a state.
a. Popular sovereignty
b. Slave codes
c. Black codes
d. Judicial review
e. Congressional oversight
20. After the end of the Mexican-American War, Senator John C. Calhoun of South Carolina
made the claim that __________ protected the institution of slavery.