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Exam Preparation for American West History

Jun 3, 2025

EdXLGCC History: The American West, 1835 to 1895

Predicted Paper Exam Walkthrough for 2025

General Overview

  • This walkthrough focuses on predicted questions for the 2025 exam series.
  • Best preparation involves revising all topics, though this guide highlights questions not recently covered.

Exam Structure

  1. Explain One Consequence

    • New format for 2025: focus on one consequence instead of two.
    • Example topics: Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851, Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890.
  2. Narrative Account

    • Link and connect events using phrases like "this led to," "as a result of," and "a consequence was that."
    • Example topic: Development of the cattle industry in the 1860s.
  3. Explain the Importance Of

    • Choose two events from a choice of three focusing on significance and consequences.
    • Example topics: Oregon Trail, new technologies for farming, and the Dawes Act 1887.

Example Questions and Strategies

1. Explain One Consequence

  • Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851

    • Aim: Reduce conflict between tribes and settlers; set boundaries.
    • Consequence: Increased migration west, building of forts, tensions due to restricted movement of tribes.
  • Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890

    • Incident: US Army killed 146 Lakota Sioux at Wounded Knee.
    • Consequence: Marked end of Indian wars, forced assimilation, increased reservation life.

2. Narrative Account: Cattle Industry Development

  • Chronological Structure
    • Over-supply of cattle post-Civil War led to creation of cattle trails.
    • Goodnight-Loving Trail (1866): Pioneered by Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving.
    • Development of Cow Towns like Abilene by Joseph McCoy for cattle transport.
    • Ranching on Plains: Innovations by figures like John Iliff.
  • Writing Tips
    • Use specific historical knowledge.
    • Connect events in chronological order.
    • Highlight significance and consequences.

3. Explain the Importance Of

  • Oregon Trail

    • Encouraged migration through providing a practical, mapped route.
    • Linked to Manifest Destiny and led to the Oregon Treaty of 1846.
  • New Technologies and Farming Methods

    • Enabled survival on the plains with inventions like metal wind pumps.
    • Improved farming techniques increased settlement potential.
  • Dawes Act 1887

    • Divided reservation lands into individual plots.
    • Promoted assimilation, undermining indigenous cultures and social structures.

Tips for Exam Success

  • Place events in the correct historical context.
  • Use detailed evidence for support.
  • Analyze importance by considering both short-term and long-term impacts.
  • Focus on the overall significance and consequences of events.