1. About how far is it from the East Coast to the West
Coast? (Hint: Look for a map with a scale of miles.)
2. In the 1850s, how could you travel or send a message
from the East Coast to Oregon or California? (Hint: You probably wouldn't
travel this way today!)
3. How did transportation and communications improve during
the 1860s? (Hint: There were two important inventions.)
4. Who had already settled in the Southwest and Oregon
before many Americans moved there during the 1850s?
5. Why do many states, cities, rivers, and mountains in
the United States have non English names, such as Florida, Montana, Colorado,
Sierra Nevada, and Los Angeles?
6. The North and South argued over the new territories.
What did they quarrel over? (Hint: This issue led in part to the Civil War.)
