Question

Source: "The United States from 1849 to 1850" - Source: "The United States from 1850 to 1853": Which of the following most directly contributed to the change over time depicted on the two maps?

a) Gold Rush in California
b) Abolitionist movements
c) Indian Removal Act
d) Manifest Destiny

Answer 1

The changes depicted on the maps from 1849 to 1853 are most directly attributed to the Gold Rush in California, which prompted California's statehood and a significant population influx.

Step-by-step explanation:

The transition between the maps sourced from "The United States from 1849 to 1850" to "The United States from 1850 to 1853" most directly reflects the impact of the Gold Rush in California. In 1848, the discovery of gold in California led to the rapid population growth known as the "forty-niners", which decisively expedited California's admission as a state by 1850 without ever being a territory. This event, part of the broader theme of Manifest Destiny, triggered significant demographic, economic, and political changes, including spikes in migration and the tensions between free and slave states evidenced by the California Gold Rush's implication in the Compromise of 1850. While the Abolitionist movements, Indian Removal Act, and Manifest Destiny were significant in shaping the 19th-century United States, the most direct contribution to the specific change depicted in the provided maps was due to the Gold Rush's effect on California's statehood and population dynamics.