Study Guide for History Test
The test will be given December 9th. It is given on the computer. Know the following:
1.A historian studies events from the past and provides answers to who was involved and when things
happened.
2.Original letters are an example of a primary source.
3. An historian would use a textbook as a secondary source.
4. If you were making a timeline, the order of three important events, in order, would be: 1) The Erie
Canal was built 2) More people came to Michigan 3) Michigan became a state
5.Around 1500 the French began exploring the Great Lakes region and they found beavers and the fur
trade began.
6. The Erie Canal is a man-made waterway completed in 1825 to connect the Great Lakes to the Atlantic
Ocean.
7.Traditional American Indian stories teach us about the Indians beliefs
8. One important belief that can be found in traditional American Indian stories is that there is a Great
Spirit who helps people.
9. The main reason the French explorers came to the Great Lakes region was that they wanted silk and
spices from China.
10.The French wanted to trade with the American Indians for beaver furs because there were very few
beavers in France and the people in France wanted beaver hats.
11.The American Indians agreed to trade with the French because they wanted French goods.
12.The fur trade between the French and the American Indians began about 400 years ago.
13. A missionary is someone who travels to a new place to teach their religion to people.
14. One challenge the early settlers in Michigan faced was they had to clear land and build their own
houses.
15. In exchange for losing the Toledo Strip to Ohio Michigan received the Upper Peninsula.
16. In 1834 Governor Mason applied for Michigan statehood. Congress refused because they wanted
the conflict over the Toledo strip territory settled.
17.The correct timeline sequence for Michigan’s history is: 1) Exploration 2) Settlement 3) Statehood
18. American Indians of Michigan keep their cultural traditions from the past by attending powwows.
19. There will be 2 essay questions on the test. In one question they will need to explain 2 ways the
American Indians and the early pioneers used or changed the land for food and shelter. In the other
question they will need to identify two of the issues that slowed the process of Michigan becoming a
state and describe solutions for those issues.