Texas History Test Texas Economic & Social Development 1

Question 1

The cattle drives of the post-Civil War era primarily moved Texas longhorn cattle along which famous trail to Kansas railheads?

Accepted Answer

Chisholm Trail

Answer

The Chisholm Trail ran from south Texas through Oklahoma to Abilene, Kansas, and was the primary route for massive cattle drives from the 1860s to 1880s.

Question 2

Which Texas city became the 'Space City' after NASA established the Manned Spacecraft Center there in 1961?

Accepted Answer

Houston

Answer

NASA's Manned Spacecraft Center, later renamed Johnson Space Center, was established in Houston in 1961, earning the city the nickname 'Space City.'

Question 3

What 19th-century phenomenon brought large numbers of German immigrants to settle in the Texas Hill Country?

Accepted Answer

The failed German Revolutions of 1848

Answer

The failed liberal revolutions in German states in 1848 prompted thousands of Germans, known as 'Forty-Eighters,' to emigrate to Texas, settling heavily in the Hill Country.

Question 4

The Texas cotton economy in the 19th century was heavily dependent on what labor system that was central to the state's antebellum history?

Accepted Answer

Chattel slavery

Answer

Chattel slavery was the foundation of Texas's antebellum cotton economy, with enslaved African Americans making up nearly 30% of the Texas population by 1860.

Question 5

Which industry transformed the Texas economy in the early 20th century, shifting it from primarily agricultural to industrial?

Accepted Answer

Petroleum (oil and gas)

Answer

The petroleum industry, ignited by the Spindletop discovery in 1901, transformed Texas into an industrial powerhouse and one of the wealthiest states in the nation.

Texas History Test Practice Test

Texas History Test Practice Test

Texas History Test Texas Economic & Social Development 1