1. Western Movement Trivia

2. The steel plow is to farming as barbed wire is to -
A mining
B transportation
C ranching
D manufacturing

3. What physical feature of the Great Plains made the land ideal for raising cattle?
A Abundant trees
B Rolling hills
C Flat open prairie
D Large rivers

4. The physical region of the Great Plains in the 19th century can best be described as:
A heavy rainfall, some dust storms, not many flatlands
B low rainfall, flatlands, frequent dust storms
C abundant timber, numerous streams, rolling mountains
D lots of timber, numerous streams, flat mountains

5. Western settlers no longer saw the Great Plains as a "treeless wasteland" due to -
A land erosion
B new inventions
C climate changes
D frequent rainfall

6. Wheat farming on the Great Plains:
A was easy due to a steady supply of rain
B forced farmers to plant special wheat that needed less water
C did not help any farmers earn a living
D allowed Congress to pass legislation forbidding farming in the plains states

7. The Great Plains attracted many settlers mainly because:
A the 20th Amendment was enacted.
B the Homestead Act was introduced.
C women were granted the right to vote.
D gold was discovered in California.

8. All of the following were made possible by the completion of the transcontinental railroad, except:
A moving valuable minerals, such as lead and copper, to the eastern part of the country.
B the ability to move products to larger cities that have a demand for such items.
C a national waterway linking the East and West Coasts.
D moving iron ore to cities that were producing steel.

9. Which of the following inventions had no effect on farming in the Great Plains?
A barbed wire B steel plows
C windmills D cotton gin

10. How did the dry climate of the West influence farmers?
A Special fertilizers were used to make farming in the dry climate possible.
B American Indians (First Americans) worked with western farmers to teach them new farming methods.
C Farmers were forced to leave the West and return East.
D New techniques such as dry farming and windmills were used to make farming possible.

11. The farming of wheat on the Great Plains:
A was easy due to water being readily available.
B called for the use of a special wheat that required less water.
C was not a factor in the way farmers earned money.
D led to the passage of laws forbidding farming in that region.

12. The land on the Great Plains can best be described as -
A marsh and swamp drained by westward flowing rivers
B forested hills running north and south
C tall mountains and narrow valleys
D flat lands rising gradually from east to west

13. What is a major reason people settled the Great Plains?
A 19th Amendment
B Homestead Act
C Women’s Suffrage
D California gold rush

14. A Dry farming B Barbed wire C Wet farming D Steel plow
Due to low rainfall on the Great Plains, farmers adapted by using which of the following techniques?
A Dry farming
B Barbed wire
C Wet farming
D Steel plow

15. Because of new technologies, people saw the Great Plains as a
A Treeless wasteland
B Vast area to be settled
C A wilderness with trees and resources
D A forest to be chopped down

16. How did the lack of trees affect the settlers on the Great Plains?
A It made the land difficult to cultivate
B There was no material to use for buildings or fuel
C There were no home for birds
D No trees made it easier

17. The Great Plains can be described as all of the following EXCEPT -
A rolling hills and abundant trees
B an area that has frequent dust storms
C land eroded by wind and water
D flat lands that rise gradually from east to west

18. Before the invention of the steel plow and barbed wire, most Americans saw the Great Plains as -
A a treeless wasteland
B the best place to settle
C the source of most natural resources
D an American Indian (First American) reservation

19. How did the invention of barbed wire and the steel plow influence westward movement?
A It improved tobacco farming in Virginia.
B It allowed people to move to more challenging environments.
C It improved railroad construction.
D It allowed farmers to plant crops in the Rocky Mountain region.