AMSCO 3 2026 PRACTICE TEST SHEET FULL
SOLUTIONS CORRECT ANSWERS
PREPARATION SET
◉ industrial technology.
Answer: After 1840, industrialization spread rapidly throughout
most of the Northeast. New factories produced shoes, sewing
machines, ready-to-wear clothing, firearms, precision tools, and iron
products for railroads and other new products. (p. 238)
◉ railroads.
Answer: In the 1840s and the 1850s this industry expanded very
quickly and would become America's largest industry. It required
immense amounts of capital and labor and gave rise to complex
business organizations. Local and state governments gave the
industry tax breaks and special loans to finance growth. (p. 238)
◉ Panic of 1857.
Answer: Financial crash which sharply lowered Midwest farmers
prices and caused unemployment in the Northern cities. The South
was not affected as much because cotton prices remained high. (p.
239)
◉ Great American Desert.
,Answer: In the 1850s and 1860s, the arid area between the
Mississippi River and the Pacific Coast, was known by this name. (p.
236)
◉ mountain men.
Answer: The first non-native people to open the Far West. These fur
trappers and explorers included James Beckwourth, Jim Bridger, Kit
Carson, and Jedediah Smith. (p. 237)
◉ Far West.
Answer: In the 1820s the Rocky Mountains would be known by this
name. (p. 237)
◉ overland trails.
Answer: The wagon train trails that led from Missouri or Iowa to the
west coast. They traveled only 15 miles per day and followed the
river valleys through the Great Plains. Months later, the wagon trains
would finally reach the foothills of the Rockies or face the hardships
of the southwestern deserts. The final challenge was to reach the
mountain passes before the first heavy snows. Disease was even a
greater threat than Indian attack. (p. 237)
◉ mining frontier.
Answer: The discovery of gold in California in 1848 caused the first
flood of newcomers to the West. A series of gold strikes and silver
,strikes in what became the states of Colorado, Nevada, Idaho,
Montana, Arizona, and South Dakota kept a steady flow of hopeful
young prospectors pushing into the West. (p. 237)
◉ gold rush.
Answer: California's population soared from 14,000 in 1848 to
380,000 in 1860, primarily because of this event. (p. 237)
◉ silver rush.
Answer: The discovery of silver in Colorado, Nevada, the Black Hills
of the Dakotas, and other western territories, created a mining
boom. (p 237)
◉ farming frontier.
Answer: In the 1830s and 1840s pioneer families moved west to
start homesteads and begin farming. Government programs allowed
settlers to purchase inexpensive parcels of land. (p. 237)
◉ urban frontier.
Answer: Western cities that arose as a result of railroads, mineral
wealth, and farming. They included San Francisco, Denver, and Salt
Lake City. (p. 238)
◉ federal land grants.
, Answer: In 1850, the U.S. government gave 2.6 million acres of
federal land to build the Illinois Central railroad from Lake Michigan
to Gulf of Mexico. (p. 238)
◉ John Tyler.
Answer: He was elected Vice President, then he became the tenth
president (1841-1845) when Benjamin Harrison died. He was
responsible for the annexation of Mexico after receiving a mandate
from Polk. He opposed many parts of the Whig program for
economic recovery. (p. 231)
◉ Oregon territory.
Answer: This was a vast territory on the Pacific coast that stretched
as far north as the Alaskan border. Originally the United States was
interested in all the territory, but in 1846 Britain and the U.S. agreed
to divide the territory at the 49th Parallel, today's border between
Canada and the United States. (p. 232)
◉ Fifty-four Forty or Fight.
Answer: The slogan of James K. Polk's plan for the Oregon Territory.
They wanted the border of the territory to be on 54' 40° latitude
(near present-day Alaska) and were willing to fight Britain over it.
Eventually, 49 degrees latitude was adopted as the northern border
of the United States, and there was no violence. (p. 232)
SOLUTIONS CORRECT ANSWERS
PREPARATION SET
◉ industrial technology.
Answer: After 1840, industrialization spread rapidly throughout
most of the Northeast. New factories produced shoes, sewing
machines, ready-to-wear clothing, firearms, precision tools, and iron
products for railroads and other new products. (p. 238)
◉ railroads.
Answer: In the 1840s and the 1850s this industry expanded very
quickly and would become America's largest industry. It required
immense amounts of capital and labor and gave rise to complex
business organizations. Local and state governments gave the
industry tax breaks and special loans to finance growth. (p. 238)
◉ Panic of 1857.
Answer: Financial crash which sharply lowered Midwest farmers
prices and caused unemployment in the Northern cities. The South
was not affected as much because cotton prices remained high. (p.
239)
◉ Great American Desert.
,Answer: In the 1850s and 1860s, the arid area between the
Mississippi River and the Pacific Coast, was known by this name. (p.
236)
◉ mountain men.
Answer: The first non-native people to open the Far West. These fur
trappers and explorers included James Beckwourth, Jim Bridger, Kit
Carson, and Jedediah Smith. (p. 237)
◉ Far West.
Answer: In the 1820s the Rocky Mountains would be known by this
name. (p. 237)
◉ overland trails.
Answer: The wagon train trails that led from Missouri or Iowa to the
west coast. They traveled only 15 miles per day and followed the
river valleys through the Great Plains. Months later, the wagon trains
would finally reach the foothills of the Rockies or face the hardships
of the southwestern deserts. The final challenge was to reach the
mountain passes before the first heavy snows. Disease was even a
greater threat than Indian attack. (p. 237)
◉ mining frontier.
Answer: The discovery of gold in California in 1848 caused the first
flood of newcomers to the West. A series of gold strikes and silver
,strikes in what became the states of Colorado, Nevada, Idaho,
Montana, Arizona, and South Dakota kept a steady flow of hopeful
young prospectors pushing into the West. (p. 237)
◉ gold rush.
Answer: California's population soared from 14,000 in 1848 to
380,000 in 1860, primarily because of this event. (p. 237)
◉ silver rush.
Answer: The discovery of silver in Colorado, Nevada, the Black Hills
of the Dakotas, and other western territories, created a mining
boom. (p 237)
◉ farming frontier.
Answer: In the 1830s and 1840s pioneer families moved west to
start homesteads and begin farming. Government programs allowed
settlers to purchase inexpensive parcels of land. (p. 237)
◉ urban frontier.
Answer: Western cities that arose as a result of railroads, mineral
wealth, and farming. They included San Francisco, Denver, and Salt
Lake City. (p. 238)
◉ federal land grants.
, Answer: In 1850, the U.S. government gave 2.6 million acres of
federal land to build the Illinois Central railroad from Lake Michigan
to Gulf of Mexico. (p. 238)
◉ John Tyler.
Answer: He was elected Vice President, then he became the tenth
president (1841-1845) when Benjamin Harrison died. He was
responsible for the annexation of Mexico after receiving a mandate
from Polk. He opposed many parts of the Whig program for
economic recovery. (p. 231)
◉ Oregon territory.
Answer: This was a vast territory on the Pacific coast that stretched
as far north as the Alaskan border. Originally the United States was
interested in all the territory, but in 1846 Britain and the U.S. agreed
to divide the territory at the 49th Parallel, today's border between
Canada and the United States. (p. 232)
◉ Fifty-four Forty or Fight.
Answer: The slogan of James K. Polk's plan for the Oregon Territory.
They wanted the border of the territory to be on 54' 40° latitude
(near present-day Alaska) and were willing to fight Britain over it.
Eventually, 49 degrees latitude was adopted as the northern border
of the United States, and there was no violence. (p. 232)
