GCSE HISTORY- AMERICAN WEST
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH
SOLUTIONS 2024
What is the Manifest Destiny? - ANSWER It is a belief of white Americans that They would expand
throughout the country
Who described the Plains "Unfit for cultivation"? - ANSWER Major Stephen Long
What are some Characteristics and Problems of the Plains? - ANSWER Enormous size= Getting there in
the first place. Isolation when there.
Lack of trees=Nothing to build houses etc with. Nothing for fuel.
Semi-arid - little water available=Need for drinking water. Need for water for animals.
Unpredictable weather, including extremely cold and violent winters =Very difficult to grow crops.
Animals died in winter.
Many areas flat and featureless= Easy to get lost. Nowhere to get protection from winds.
Inhabited by locusts and grasshoppers=These ate any crops.
What did early explorers call the Great Plains? - ANSWER The Great American Desert
What were they 4 famous tribes and who were they led by? - ANSWER Apache, Sioux(biggest tribe-
25,000 members), Blackfeet and Cheyenne, each one led by its own Council of Elders.
,"The Native Americans did not live in one permanent place" What is is called and why did not stay in one
place? - ANSWER NOMADIC
-They were dependent on the buffalo to survive and as the herd moved so did the Indians
-They believed that the Great Spirit (God) provided land for all creatures to share
What is Polygamy and Why? - ANSWER Having more than one wife, because many men died in the
struggle to survive, so there was an excess of women to be cared for.
What Power did the chief have over his people? - ANSWER No Power at all however they had great
respect for him due to his bravery
Who are the Dog Soldiers and what did they do? - ANSWER They were the 'police' in Native American
society who selected and broke camp, fed the old and the weak, stopped buffalo being scared away, and
controlled the hunt.
What is an EXPOSURE and why? - ANSWER Old people wandered off to die, as the tribe couldn't afford
troubling the tribe
What is Counting Coup? - ANSWER A bravest act of war was to score a coup (where a warrior tapped his
enemy with a stick and escaped).
What is heaven in the Native American sense? - ANSWER Happy Hunting Ground
What was the one occasion during which 'everybody had to obey', in Native American society? -
ANSWER The hunt
What is a Tipi and what are the features of it? - ANSWER Tipis were home to Native american.
-It was made from buffalo hides
-They were warm in winter, cool in summer.
-Tipis were circular, and Native Americans thought that: "...the power of the world works in circles". Also
the shape protected it from the Plains winds.
, -Tipis were easy to move (and fitted the nomadic lifestyle).
What type of activities did Native Americans do for fun? - ANSWER Horse Racing
Shooting Contests
Why were buffalo's important to plains Indians? - ANSWER -Provided Food
Hooves-Glue
Dung-Fuel and somked by men in special ceremonies
Bladder-Food bags
Tongue-Hair brush
Hides-Clothing and tipis
How important were the horses to Indians? - ANSWER -Currency
-Used to hunt and War
-Used to carry heavy loads (travios)
-Bravery to steal
What were the roles of men women and children? - ANSWER Men= Go off an hunt or go to war
Women=look after the children, household work, decorating tipis
Children (Girls)= learnt to do the household chores e.g. prepare food
Children (Boys)= Learn to hunt and warfare also lookouts
What was the worst crime in Native American society? - ANSWER Not to look after one's parents
What is Scalping and what is gained of it? - ANSWER Scalping is taking off the scalp of the enemy so they
would not enter the Happy Hunting Ground. Most of these scalps were hung on top of tipis
What was the Great Spirit Called? - ANSWER Wakan Tanka
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