America: The Story of Us (Westward)

Today we will be talking about the Cumberland Gap and watching a short documentary called, "America: The Story of Us". This episode focuses on Westward Expansion.

America: The Story of Us (Westward)

Please answer the following questions (also on handout) while watching the movie:

1. The land west of the Cumberland Gap is controlled by _____________, ______________, and __________.

2. ____________________ & his men cut through the Cumberland Gap.

3. __________ of Boone's men die settling Kentucky.

4. Land hunger becomes a __________________, even for the government.

5. Jefferson bought the Louisiana Territory from ______________________.

6. The Rockies are _______ separate mountain ranges.

7. Lewis & Clark discover over ___________ species of wildlife.

8. The West's most valuable commodity is _____________, nearly hunted to extinction in Europe.

9. Jed Smith is successful because he works with _______________________________________.

10. The trails Smith made became settler paths, wagon trains, and today it is __________________________.

11. Settlers can walk up to ________________ a day, for up to ______________ months straight.

12. Families save for _____ years to join the exodus.

13. A wagon & oxen cost a minimum of ______________ in today's money.

14. ________________ Americans will die on the journey west, __________ graves for every mile.

15. The settlers needed to clear the mountain passes before ____________________________________, or the consequences would be terrifying.

16. Donner found a shortcut that would shave __________________ off the journey, a savings of __________.

17. Instead, the shortcut added __________________.

18. The Donner Party is stranded for ____________. It takes only ____________________ to eat all the food.

19. Christmas 1846 -- The Donner party eat their first __________________.

20. TRUE OR FALSE: No one from the Donner party survived.

21. The Mexican empire stretches from ____________________ to Guatemala.

22. The Battle of the Alamo showed America was willing to ______________________ to expand West.

23. In _________, gold is discovered in a California river.

24. In 2 years, the population of California goes from ________________ to 100,000.

25. Less than ________ out of ____________ got rich from the gold rush, except for the merchants.

26. Settler families of 10 or more lived in ___________________, with a single room.

27. The forced relocation of Native Americans was the policy of the US for over _______ years.

28. The Mississippi River stretches _________ miles, stretching from Minnesota to ____________________.

29. TRUE OR FALSE: The Mississippi River is the only way for the farmers in the West to sell their produce.

30. Once down the river, the flatboats are sold for ___________, and the farmers walk _________ miles home.

31. The new invention that transforms the Mississippi, the Midwest, & America is the ___________________.

32. The new invention can travel _______ miles a day, _____ times faster and can carry _____ times the cargo of a raft.

33. The problem is that over 1/2 the early models _________________.

34. The steamboat makes the ____________ America's economic powerhouse.

35. Over ______ generations, America grew from a _____ mile wide strip of colonies on the Eastern seaboard to a continental powerhouse.