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Lesson 2: Early Settlement — Practice Questions

  1. 1. Who was the Franciscan leader that founded many of the first missions in California?

    • A. Juan Bautista de Anza
    • B. Gaspar de Portolá
    • C. Junípero Serra
    • D. King Charles III
  2. 2. The missions relied on the work of one group of people to build the churches and farm the land. Who was this group?

    • A. Spanish soldiers from the presidios
    • B. Settlers from the nearby pueblos
    • C. California Indians
    • D. Priests who traveled from Spain
  3. 3. Why did some California Indians willingly join a mission?

    • A. To become soldiers
    • B. To learn how to trade with Russia
    • C. For food and safety
    • D. To travel back to Spain with the priests
  4. 4. Which statement is true about the experience of some California Indians in the mission system?

    • A. They were all paid high wages for their work.
    • B. They were all free to come and go as they pleased.
    • C. They were given leadership roles to run the missions themselves.
    • D. Some were brought by force and were not permitted to leave.
  5. 5. The daily operation and survival of the missions, including farming and construction, depended mainly on what?

    • A. Money sent directly from the King of Spain
    • B. The labor of the California Indians
    • C. Food and supplies grown in nearby pueblos
    • D. Protection provided by Russian traders
  6. 6. Which California city was the western end of the first Transcontinental Railroad?

    • A. San Francisco
    • B. Los Angeles
    • C. Sacramento
    • D. San Diego
  7. 7. Before the railroad was built, why was it hard to travel to California?

    • A. There were no maps of the area.
    • B. Travel by wagon or ship was very slow and dangerous.
    • C. People did not know where California was.
    • D. There were no rivers leading to the state.
  8. 8. What was the main purpose of building the Transcontinental Railroad?

    • A. To help miners find more gold.
    • B. To create a faster way to move people and goods between the east and west coasts.
    • C. To build new missions in the west.
    • D. To sell train tickets to make money.
  9. 9. How did the new railroad help California's economy grow?

    • A. It made farming more difficult.
    • B. It allowed goods and people to move quickly across the country.
    • C. It stopped people from moving to California.
    • D. It was used only to transport gold.
  10. 10. What was the most important change that the railroad brought to California?

    • A. It made the state's weather better.
    • B. It helped the state grow by connecting it to the rest of the country.
    • C. It created many new hiking trails.
    • D. It caused the Gold Rush to end.