Question 1

As the nineteenth century progressed, the upper middle class

Accepted Answer

As the nineteenth century progressed, the upper middle class often tended to merge with the old aristocracy, both through financial interests and social interactions, blurring the lines between these two elite groups.

Question 2

As a result of the idea of separate spheres, middle-class married women who sought to work outside the home

Accepted Answer

The idea of separate spheres dictated that women's primary role was in the domestic sphere and therefore women who sought to work outside the home often faced discrimination and limited job opportunities. Women were often paid less than men for the same work and job opportunities that were considered appropriate for women were often low-paying.

Question 3

What was a central component of the improvements in sanitation in the nineteenth century?

Accepted Answer

The central component of the improvements in sanitation in the nineteenth century was the use of sewers to carry away excrement from cities. This helped to improve public health by reducing the spread of disease. Communal baths were not widely used as a sanitation measure, and horses were not a major source of disease for humans. While rural laborers may have contributed to the spread of disease in cities, they were not the main focus of sanitation improvements.

Question 4

Which of the following describes late-nineteenth-century prostitution?

Accepted Answer

Many poor young women in the late nineteenth century engaged in prostitution temporarily as a means of financial survival before moving on to establish their own homes and families.

Question 5

How did wages change in the late nineteenth century?

Accepted Answer

Real wages rose for the mass of the population during the late nineteenth century due to industrialization and economic growth. However, the gap between the rich and the poor did not decrease, as the benefits of economic growth were not evenly distributed.

Question 6

How did the urban working class change in the latter half of the nineteenth century?

Accepted Answer

The latter half of the nineteenth century saw the emergence of semiskilled groups of workers who had some training and specialized knowledge, but not the expertise of highly skilled artisans. This blurred the traditional distinction between skilled and unskilled workers, and created a more diverse and complex working class.

Answer: C
 While some skilled artisans remained in the working class, the trend was for them to achieve upward social mobility and join the ranks of the middle class. This was partly due to the availability of better-paying jobs in the expanding industrial and service sectors, and partly due to the cultural and social prestige associated with being a "white-collar" worker.

Answer: D
 The labor aristocracy, or the privileged group of skilled, unionized workers who earned higher wages and enjoyed better working conditions than most other workers, did decline in the latter half of the nineteenth century. However, their positions were not necessarily replaced by mechanized factory labor, as many new jobs were created in transportation, communications, and other service industries.

Question 7

How did the expansion of the Industrial Revolution affect the work life of the middle class?

Accepted Answer

The expansion of the Industrial Revolution led to the establishment of new professions that required specialized knowledge and advanced education. This allowed the middle class to move into new roles in management, finance, and technical fields, which were higher-paying and more secure than traditional artisanal or agricultural work.

Question 8

Which of the following characterizes early-nineteenth-century British cities?

Accepted Answer

Early-nineteenth-century British cities were characterized by a severe lack of open space due to nearly all available land being used for buildings. This resulted in almost no parks or open areas in cities.

Question 9

Why did illegitimacy rates decline after 1850?

Accepted Answer

The decline in illegitimacy rates after 1850 was largely due to the higher incidence of marriage for expectant mothers, as societal norms and pressures encouraged couples to marry if a pregnancy occurred.

Question 10

What did the middle class generally agree was the correct attitude toward behavior and morality?

Accepted Answer

The middle class generally believed in adhering to a strict moral code, which included virtues like hard work, self-discipline, and thrift. This code of behavior was seen as necessary for success and social mobility.

Question 11

What was a result of improved economic conditions in the nineteenth century?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What was a result of improved economic...

Question 12

How did the culture of sports change in the late nineteenth century?

Accepted Answer

The late nineteenth century saw a decline in cruel sports such as cockfighting and the rise of commercialized spectator sports, such as baseball and football. These sports became more popular among middle and working-class individuals, who could afford to attend or participate. The trend towards commercialization also led to the creation of professional sports leagues, which further transformed the culture of sports.

Question 13

What was Georges Haussmann's contribution to nineteenth-century life?

Accepted Answer

Georges Haussmann is best known for overseeing the rebuilding of Paris in the mid-19th century, which included the creation of wide boulevards, grand public spaces, and modern sewers and water systems. This contributed to improving the infrastructure and quality of life in the city.

Question 14

In the nineteenth century, Edwin Chadwick gained fame as

Accepted Answer

Edwin Chadwick was a British social reformer who dedicated his life to improving public health and sanitation. He believed that poor sanitary conditions were the main cause of diseases and that they could be prevented by improving public sanitation. He played a significant role in the passage of the 1848 Public Health Act in the United Kingdom, which aimed to improve the living conditions of the working classes by addressing sanitation issues. Therefore, option B is the best choice.

Question 15

How did the electric streetcar affect the urban environment?

Accepted Answer

The electric streetcar made it easier for people to move around the city, allowing for the expansion of cities and enabling even people of modest means to travel quickly and cheaply to new housing that was less crowded. This led to the growth of suburban neighborhoods and increased the overall size of cities.

Question 16

How did the goals of middle-class feminists differ from those of socialist women?

Accepted Answer

Middle-class feminists focused on achieving legal and political rights for women, such as suffrage, and improving educational opportunities. In contrast, socialist women believed that women's liberation was inseparable from the struggle for economic rights as part of a broader working-class revolution. They emphasized the need to challenge patriarchal power structures within the home and workplace, and to fight for better working conditions and pay for all women, not just the middle class.

Question 17

Why did middle-class families spend considerable portions of their income on food?

Accepted Answer

They gave frequent, large dinner parties as their favored social activity.

Question 18

What was the breakthrough implication of Louis Pasteur's work?

Accepted Answer

Louis Pasteur's work demonstrated that diseases were caused by specific living microorganisms (e.g. bacteria) that could be controlled and prevented through anti-microbial measures such as sterilization and vaccination. This breakthrough discovery revolutionized the understanding of disease causation and paved the way for the development of modern medical microbiology and public health practices.

Question 19

What was the flaw in Jean-Baptiste Lamarck's theory of evolution?

Accepted Answer

Lamarck's theory included the idea of the inheritance of acquired traits, meaning that characteristics acquired by an individual during its lifetime could be passed on to its offspring through heredity. This concept has been proven to be untrue and not supported by modern genetics.

Question 20

What was one of the social functions of the labor aristocracy's strict moral code?

Accepted Answer

The labor aristocracy's strict moral code helped them maintain their unstable social and economic position by distinguishing themselves from lower-paid, unskilled workers and aligning more closely with middle-class values.

Quiz 22: Life in the Emerging Urban Society 1840-1914