Question

question 20 of 20
which of the following events caused americans to move west right away?

a. the mexican - american war

b. the discovery of the pacific ocean

c. the 1848 discovery of gold in california

d. the civil war

Explanation:

• Option A: The Mexican - American War (1846 - 1848) was about territorial disputes between the US and Mexico. While it led to the US acquiring new western territories, it didn't cause an immediate mass westward migration for settlement or opportunity in the same way as a gold rush.
• Option B: The discovery of the Pacific Ocean (by Vasco Núñez de Balboa in 1513) was a very early exploration event and not related to a sudden westward movement of Americans in the context of US history's westward expansion.
• Option C: The 1848 discovery of gold in California led to the California Gold Rush. Thousands of Americans (and people from around the world) rushed west immediately in search of gold, hoping to get rich quickly. This was a major event that spurred immediate westward migration.
• Option D: The Civil War (1861 - 1865) was a conflict within the US between the North and the South, and it was not a cause of westward migration; in fact, it disrupted normal life and movement in many ways.

Answer:

C. The 1848 discovery of gold in California