Texas History Test Risk Assessment & Management 2

Question 1

During the Texas Revolution, which battle represented the greatest strategic risk miscalculation by Mexican General Santa Anna?

Accepted Answer

Splitting his forces before the Battle of San Jacinto

Answer

Santa Anna split his forces while pursuing fleeing Texians, leaving his main column vulnerable to Sam Houston's surprise attack at San Jacinto.

Question 2

What risk management principle did Stephen F. Austin apply when negotiating the terms of his original land grant with the Mexican government?

Accepted Answer

Accepting incremental concessions while building political capital

Answer

Austin strategically accepted incremental gains and built trust with Mexican officials over time rather than demanding everything at once.

Question 3

Which environmental hazard posed the greatest recurring risk to early Anglo-American settlers of the Texas Gulf Coast?

Accepted Answer

Hurricanes and flooding from tropical storms

Answer

The Texas Gulf Coast was regularly struck by powerful hurricanes, most devastatingly illustrated by the 1900 Galveston hurricane.

Question 4

How did the Republic of Texas manage its financial risk of near-bankruptcy in the early 1840s?

Accepted Answer

Negotiating annexation with the United States as a long-term solution

Answer

Republic leaders pursued U.S. annexation partly because the Republic's debt and financial instability made long-term sovereignty unsustainable.

Question 5

What risk did Texas cattlemen face during long drives on the Chisholm Trail in the 1870s that most threatened their profit margins?

Accepted Answer

Quarantine laws preventing entry into Kansas markets

Answer

Kansas and Missouri enforced quarantine laws against Texas longhorns carrying tick fever, forcing trail bosses to find alternate routes or markets.

Texas History Test Practice Test