During early western expansion, the most common method of traveling west was to follow old buffalo paths or american indian trails using a. riverboats and rafts b. wagons and stagecoaches c. trains and handcarts d. ships and steamers

the correct answer is b. wagons and stagecoaches

hope this helps!

d. i assume the underlined word is "role." reformat if it isn't.

explanation:

role is closest to part because when replacing words, "playing a vital decision," "playing a vital activity," and "playing a vital dollar" don't make logical sense. the only meaningful choice is "playing a vital part."

this fits one of merriam-webster's definitions of role: "a function or part performed especially in a particular operation or process."