Part 1: North Dakota Agriculture

Questions: Sections 5-8

Comprehension Questions

  1. Who were the first non-Indians who came to North Dakota? Who was the first non-Indian we know of who practiced agriculture in North Dakota?
  2. Who signed the Homestead Act? What did it give people who fulfilled certain conditions?
  3. What was the period of major settlement by Euro-Americans from 1878 to 1886 called?
  4. Name two factors that helped agriculture become the number one industry of North Dakota.
  5. When was the first bonanza farm established? By whom? Where were most bonanza farms located? What was their size range?
  6. What part of the state was ideal for cattle ranching? Where did most of the cattle come from? Which U.S. president ranched in North Dakota? What happened during the winter of 1886–87?

Critical Thinking Question

  1. American Indians had been living in North Dakota for thousands of years before Euro-Americans came to the area. Explain how the settlement of North Dakota by Euro-Americans affected the American Indians.