Question

practice vocabulary
words in context for each question below, write an answer that shows
your understanding of the boldfaced key term.

1. why was the alamo significant? 298
2. how did santa anna’s actions as a dictator spark the texas fight for

independence?

1. why did missions continue to spread throughout california? 294
2. why were vaqueros a part of california tradition? 295
3. how did the santa fe trail affect trade routes in the united states?
4. why is the thirteen - day siege of the alamo significant? 298
5. who were the puebloans? 293
6. how did missions in california become self - sufficient? 294

Explanation:

1. The Alamo became a symbol of Texan resistance against Mexican rule; the deaths of its defenders rallied Texans to fight harder for independence.
2. Santa Anna abolished the Mexican Constitution, centralized power, and suppressed regional autonomy, which angered Texan settlers and Tejanos who wanted self-governance, prompting them to rebel.
3. Spanish missionaries aimed to convert Indigenous peoples to Christianity, and the missions also served as outposts to expand Spanish territorial control in the region.
4. Vaqueros were Mexican cowhands who developed cattle-raising techniques in California; their practices were adopted by later settlers, becoming a core part of California's ranching and cultural identity.
5. The Santa Fe Trail created a direct overland trade route between the U.S. Midwest and the Southwest (and Mexico), boosting commerce by allowing the exchange of manufactured goods for raw materials like furs and silver.
6. The 13-day siege showed the fierce resistance of Texan defenders against a much larger Mexican force; the rallying cry "Remember the Alamo" unified Texans and helped them win the Battle of San Jacinto.
7. Puebloans are Indigenous peoples of the American Southwest who lived in permanent, multi-story adobe villages (pueblos); they had advanced agricultural and cultural systems long before European arrival.
8. California missions grew their own food, raised livestock, made their own tools and clothing, and used labor from Indigenous converts to produce all necessary goods without relying on external supplies.

Answer:

1. It was a rallying symbol for Texan independence, as the defenders' deaths unified Texans to fight Mexico.
2. He abolished the Mexican Constitution, suppressed self-rule, angering Texans into rebellion.
3. To spread Christianity and expand Spanish territorial control in the region.
4. They were Mexican cowhands whose ranching practices shaped California's cultural and agricultural traditions.
5. It established an overland trade link between the U.S. Midwest and Southwest, boosting cross-regional commerce.
6. It demonstrated Texan resolve, and the "Remember the Alamo" cry unified Texans to win independence.
7. Indigenous Southwest peoples who lived in permanent adobe pueblo villages with advanced agriculture.
8. They grew food, raised livestock, made goods, and used Indigenous labor to produce all needed supplies.