Texas History Test Case Studies & Practical Application 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A Texas rancher in the 1870s wanted to move cattle to northern markets. Which practical route would he most likely have used?
- The Chisholm Trail leading to Kansas railheads (Correct answer)
- The Santa Fe Trail toward New Mexico
- The El Camino Real toward Louisiana
- The Oregon Trail toward the Pacific Northwest
Correct answer: The Chisholm Trail leading to Kansas railheads
The Chisholm Trail was the primary cattle drive route from South Texas to Abilene, Kansas, connecting ranchers to northern rail markets.
Question 2: During the Texas Revolution, Sam Houston retreated eastward instead of immediately engaging Santa Anna's forces. What strategic outcome did this produce?
- It allowed his army time to train and wait for a tactical opportunity (Correct answer)
- It surrendered San Antonio permanently to Mexico
- It caused the entire Texian army to desert
- It led directly to the fall of the Alamo
Correct answer: It allowed his army time to train and wait for a tactical opportunity
Houston's 'Runaway Scrape' strategy stretched Mexican supply lines and allowed his forces to regroup, culminating in victory at San Jacinto.
Question 3: A student studying the 1836 Texas Constitution notices it mirrors the U.S. Constitution but explicitly protects slavery. What does this reflect about the delegates' priorities?
- Securing the plantation economy that many Anglo settlers depended upon (Correct answer)
- Appealing to free Black Texans for military support
- Complying with Mexican federal law on labor
- Distancing Texas from Southern U.S. states
Correct answer: Securing the plantation economy that many Anglo settlers depended upon
Many Anglo colonists came from slaveholding Southern states and drafted protections for slavery to preserve their agricultural economy.
Question 4: Texas was an independent republic from 1836 to 1845. Which practical problem most threatened its survival during this period?
- Massive national debt and inability to defend its borders (Correct answer)
- Overpopulation straining food resources
- Disputes with the United States over the Mississippi River
- Lack of any organized government structure
Correct answer: Massive national debt and inability to defend its borders
The Republic of Texas accumulated enormous debt and faced ongoing threats from Mexico and Comanche raids, making annexation to the U.S. financially necessary.
Question 5: A historian studying the Battle of Goliad (1836) wants to understand its impact on Texian morale. What event specifically inflamed recruitment and resolve?
- Santa Anna's execution of over 300 Texian prisoners after their surrender (Correct answer)
- The burning of the Goliad mission by Mexican troops
- The capture of James Bowie at Goliad
- A failed Texian attack on Mexican artillery positions
Correct answer: Santa Anna's execution of over 300 Texian prisoners after their surrender
Santa Anna ordered the execution of Colonel Fannin and over 300 surrendered Texian soldiers, making 'Remember Goliad' a rallying cry alongside 'Remember the Alamo.'
Question 6: Stephen F. Austin brought colonists to Texas under an empresario grant. What practical obligation did he accept in return for this land grant?
- Recruit and settle a specified number of Catholic colonists loyal to Mexico (Correct answer)
- Pay annual tribute to the Mexican government in silver
- Build a military fort to defend the colony from the United States
- Establish a university within five years of settlement
Correct answer: Recruit and settle a specified number of Catholic colonists loyal to Mexico
Empresarios like Austin contracted with Mexico to bring a set number of Catholic settlers who would become Mexican citizens and follow Mexican law.
Question 7: When Texas was admitted to the United States in 1845, it negotiated a unique provision regarding its territory. What was that provision?
- Texas reserved the right to divide into up to five states (Correct answer)
- Texas kept ownership of all federal lands within its borders
- Texas maintained its own army separate from the U.S. military
- Texas was allowed to set its own tariff rates for ten years
Correct answer: Texas reserved the right to divide into up to five states
The joint resolution admitting Texas allowed it to subdivide into as many as five states, a provision that has never been exercised.
Texas History Test Case Studies & Practical Application 2
A Texas rancher in the 1870s wanted to move cattle to northern markets.
Which practical route would he most likely have used?