Deck 18: Society and Politics in the Gilded Age, 1865-1900

Question 1

As president, Benjamin Harrison supported generous pensions for veterans.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

President Hayes was committed to civil service reform.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

When first created, the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) was too weak to regulate the railroads effectively.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Examples of the new types of entertainment that became popular during the Gilded Age included vaudeville shows and Wild West traveling shows.

Question 5

The Immigration Restriction League sought to pass legislation banning illiterate immigrants, even though illiterate British and German immigrants had been permitted in the past.

Question 6

President Cleveland made the Panic of 1893 worse by convincing Congress to switch back to only minting gold.

Question 7

The peak decade of immigration was the 1890s.

Question 8

The Farmers' Alliances accepted black members.

Question 9

The growth of cities helped to solve many major social problems of the late nineteenth century.

Question 10

The spread of mass transit was a major factor in the growth of the suburbs.

Question 11

By 1897, economic prosperity in the United States was returning as a result of inflation from a flood of gold discovered in South Africa, northwest Canada, and Alaska.

Question 12

Reformers lobbied to replace horse-drawn trolleys with electric-powered streetcars or trolleys.

Question 13

In 1896, the Republican party supported the gold standard.

Question 14

During the period immediately after the Civil War, major cities in the United States

A)experienced growth, with populations sometimes increasing by the millions.
B)suffered from the post-war recession, as factory workers returned to their farms.
C)experienced a crime wave as prohibition became legal.
D)passed bonds to finance internal improvements to help rebuild their destroyed trade centers.
E)created Freedmen's Bureaus to provide economic assistance to the newly freed slaves.

Question 15

Throughout the Gilded Age, the Democrats controlled both houses of Congress.

Question 16

The Grange was the leading farm organization through the 1890s.

Question 17

During the Gilded Age, Americans came to expect a great deal of direct support from the federal government.

Question 18

Farmers were generally hurt by the high tariff.

Question 19

Mugwumps tended to oppose civil service reform.

Question 20

In the late nineteenth century, the growth of cities brought

A)the greater availability of resources for government officials to feed and shelter newcomers.
B)a number of social problems such as widespread poverty.
C)"gilded" social and economic lives to average Americans and recent immigrants.
D)prosperity to small farms and increasing crop prices.
E)the decreased influence of lobbyists and businesses in politics.

Question 21

What is the definition of a party "boss"?

A)An absolute political leader who uses his "machine" to govern local politics, promoting personal and party interests
B)The name given to a leader and scholar who studies and promotes the ideas of social Darwinism
C)A union leader who organizes social activities for members and fights for better representation of workers
D)A political leader who represents a rural area and refuses to associate with or participate in the corruption of the city
E)A business tycoon who dominates trade but refuses to interact with politicians because it is more advantageous for him to keep those spheres separate

Question 22

Dangerously overcrowded, filthy, and poorly maintained __________ were where the poor of the urban areas lived.

A)tenements
B)government housing
C)central housing authorities
D)colonials
E)skyscrapers

Question 23

According to the textbook, what helped spur the development of professional sporting events in cities?

A)Streetcars
B)Public organizers
C)Mass media campaigns
D)Radio broadcasts
E)The standardization of the daily sports sections in newspapers

Question 24

In the time between 1860 and 1920, what made immigration different than in previous years?

A)The immigrants tended to come from eastern and southern Europe.
B)The immigrants tended to come from western and northern Europe.
C)The immigrants tended to come from Central America.
D)Fewer immigrants tended to come to the United States at all.
E)There were very few labor jobs for immigrants once they arrived.

Question 25

During the Gilded Age, temperance organizations were best associated with

A)the Republican party.
B)the Democrat party.
C)saloons.
D)the Immigration Restriction League.
E)vaudeville halls.

Question 26

During the Gilded Age the real movers and shakers of the United States could be said to be

A)the Supreme Court.
B)the labor unions.
C)corporations or "robber barons."
D)Congress.
E)the president.

Question 27

The first federal law passed to restrict immigration on the basis of race was the

A)Anti-Irish Immigration Act.
B)German Exclusion Act.
C)Anti-Polish Immigration Act.
D)Chinese Exclusion Act.
E)Eastern Orthodox Anti-Immigration Act.

Question 28

By 1900, what percentage of the residents in major cities was foreign born?

A)10 percent
B)30 percent
C)50 percent
D)70 percent
E)90 percent

Question 29

Which of the following statements about reforms in the cities during the Gilded Age is accurate?

A)Reformers first introduced horse-drawn carriages to the cities, making transportation easier and safer.
B)Reformers convinced millions of people to leave the cities and start their own farms in rural areas.
C)Regular trash collection and the creation of sewer systems did not begin until well after 1900.
D)Reformers argued that slaughterhouses should stay within city limits because they provided healthy food options.
E)Public health officials and engineers improved tenements by calling for rules regarding more windows and plumbing.

Question 30

The most popular leisure destinations for urban working-class men during the Gilded Age were

A)football stadiums.
B)temperance organizations.
C)the streets as a public space.
D)saloons.
E)opera halls.

Question 31

Unlike today, citizens during the Gilded Age expected the __________ government to have little to no effect on their daily lives.

A)state
B)local
C)city
D)federal
E)municipal

Question 32

Which of the following were associated with new forms of entertainment and social activities in large cities during the Gilded Age?

A)Political organizations and labor unions
B)Community volunteer programs
C)Fitness clubs and gyms
D)Centers of transportation
E)Religious organizations

Question 33

Which of the following statements regarding the "Gilded Age" is true?

A)Only a relatively small percentage of society experienced rapid income growth.
B)Wages for unskilled laborers increased at a faster pace than skilled laborers.
C)Entrepreneurs invested profits primarily in higher wages for their employees.
D)Income growth was generally the same for all Americans.
E)Economic equality extended to the agricultural sector of the economy.

Question 34

Which of the following statements accurately characterizes immigrants' accommodation to city life in the United States around 1900?

A)They were able to quickly discard their ethnic customs and languages.
B)Company recruiters only sought immigrants for jobs in coastal rather than inland cities.
C)They were only considered for simple, repetitive work as opposed to dangerous mining work.
D)They were often targets for exploitation because of a lack of familiarity with employment practices.
E)They easily blended in and quickly grew accustomed to American culture.

Question 35

Immigrants who arrived before 1890 to the United States were mainly

A)Hindus and Buddhists.
B)Jewish.
C)Protestants and Roman Catholics.
D)Eastern Orthodox.
E)Muslim.

Question 36

What organization was formed primarily to prevent the Anglo-Saxon "race" from being "contaminated"?

A)Immigration Restriction League
B)Populist Party
C)American Party
D)Anti-Mason League
E)Workers Progress Association

Question 37

Native-born Americans who were concerned by the influx of new immigrants to the United States and motivated by racial prejudice were called

A)sanitary reformers.
B)nativists.
C)the American party.
D)muckrakers.
E)mugwumps.

Question 38

In 1885, the U.S.government stopped

A)companies from recruiting immigrant workers, such as at the ports upon their arrival.
B)companies from paying to import workers from outside the nation.
C)any immigrants from Poland, Russia, and Greece from entering the country.
D)racial prejudice from influencing government legislation on immigration.
E)discrimination against Chinese immigrants through laws protecting their rights.

Question 39

What was reform Darwinism?

A)A conservative method of thinking that predominantly valued competition as the means to social progress
B)A belief system that promoted "rugged individualism" and opposed government regulation of business
C)The idea of active human control over the process of evolution, emphasizing cooperation as the means to social progress
D)A way of thinking strongly at odds with the "progressive" movement of the late nineteenth century
E)An application of evolutionary theory that used the concept of "survival of the fittest" to justify class distinctions and oppose sanitation and housing standards

Question 40

In the 1870s, what invention allowed the construction of large apartment buildings to become significantly cheaper?

A)The sawmill
B)Steam radiators
C)Steel
D)The light bulb
E)The automatic chimney sweep

Question 41

What did President Garfield believe was the most important political change since the adoption of the Constitution in 1787?

A)Civil service reform
B)Changing over to a single monetary system of gold
C)The way the President chooses his Vice President running mate
D)The elevation of blacks from slavery to full rights of citizenship
E)Reconstruction efforts in the south

Question 42

During his administration, this president tried to control both sides of his fractured party while pursing reform during the Gilded Age.

A)Hayes
B)Harrison
C)Grant
D)Cleveland
E)Roosevelt

Question 43

At Cleveland's urging, one of the first major areas of reform during the Gilded Age was toward the

A)railroads.
B)political rings.
C)steel manufacturers.
D)oil refiners.
E)textile industry.

Question 44

Though rarely enforced at the time, which of the following acts was the first effort in the world to limit the size of businesses by prohibiting companies from "conspiring" to establish monopolies?

A)The Sherman Silver Purchase Act
B)The McKinley Tariff Act
C)The Dependent Pension Act
D)The Sherman Anti-Trust Act
E)The Interstate Commerce Act

Question 45

Which of the following were most likely to favor the policy of sound money?

A)Farmers
B)Shippers
C)Land developers
D)Bankers
E)Ranchers

Question 46

The section of the Republican party during the Gilded Age that was concerned with the excesses of the time were known as the

A)Whigs.
B)Tories.
C)Stalwarts.
D)Know-Nothings.
E)Half-Breeds.

Question 47

One of the ways politics in the Gilded Age was different than today was that

A)the activities of "special interest" groups did not play much of a role in politics.
B)the national political parties were much more powerful forces than they are today.
C)people did not display much party loyalty, with it rarely extending over generations.
D)voter turnout was much lower then than it is today.
E)both Republicans and Democrats sought controversial issues and bold initiatives.

Question 48

Which of the following statements accurately describes the Democratic Party in the late nineteenth century?

A)It was mostly rural and proved the strongest advocate for the temperance movement.
B)It was a diverse, often unruly coalition of southern whites, northern immigrants, Roman Catholics, Jews, and free-thinkers.
C)It sought an expansion of the federal government and greater rights for African Americans.
D)It was considered a largely Protestant "party of morality" that typically organized in saloons.
E)It often "waved the bloody shirt," accusing the Republican Party of having seceded from the Union during the Civil War.

Question 49

The presidential election of 1884 could be described as

A)style over substance.
B)scandals over political issues.
C)party issues over candidates.
D)domestic issues over foreign issues.
E)monetary issues over trade issues.

Question 50

Which of the following replaced the spoils system for federal jobs with job placement on the basis of competitive testing?

A)Sherman Anti-Trust Act
B)Barnes-Hailey Act
C)Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act
D)Garfield Memorial Reform Act
E)Civil Service Commission Testing and Placement Act

Question 51

Which political party during the Gilded Age promoted the plight of miners and farmers?

A)Progressives
B)Mugwumps
C)Democrats
D)Republicans
E)Populists

Question 52

Which of the following did farmers blame for the terrible economic conditions in the South during the late nineteenth century?

A)Low tariffs
B)The increased prices of their crops
C)Underproduction in the South
D)International competition
E)The lack of labor

Question 53

Perhaps one of the greatest catalysts to reform during the Gilded Age was the assassination of

A)J.P.Morgan.
B)President Grant.
C)J.D.Salinger.
D)President Garfield.
E)President Roosevelt.

Question 54

Which of the following did the Republican Mugwumps favor?

A)Tariffs on imports
B)Strong trade restrictions
C)The Republican James G.Blaine's candidacy for president
D)The Democrat Grover Cleveland's candidacy for president
E)Partisan federal jobs

Question 55

This power meant that those newly elected could appoint people to jobs in their sphere of authority.

A)Pardoning
B)Peculation
C)Patronage
D)Primogeniture
E)Paternalism

Question 56

The first federal agency designed to regulate business activities was

A)the Pacific Railroad Company.
B)Civil Service Commission.
C)Granger movement.
D)Farmers' Alliances.
E)Interstate Commerce Commission.

Question 57

What occurred because of President Chester A.Arthur's reform programs?

A)He was elected to another term.
B)He lost his attempt to win a third term.
C)He was not chosen by the Republicans as their candidate for a second term.
D)He was not chosen by the Democrats as their candidate for a second term.
E)He sought to become more closely aligned with the Stalwarts.

Question 58

Republican Protestants during the Gilded Age had a tendency to consider __________ the central social evil in the United States.

A)Democrats
B)saloons
C)immigrants
D)theaters
E)brothels

Question 59

The decision to only allow gold to be coined for money was derisively called the

A)Corrupt Bargain.
B)New Deal.
C)Crime of '73.
D)Panic of 1893.
E)New Prosperity.

Question 60

Why did many people want a monetary supply not tied to gold or silver?

A)It would make it harder to get loans.
B)It would support a "sound money" policy.
C)It would decrease the amount of money in circulation.
D)It would make prices higher on goods.
E)It would make it harder to repay debts.

Question 61

Discuss the diversity of immigrant groups, their impact on different regions of the country, their contributions to American culture, and the negative reactions to them.

Question 62

Trace the rise of popular culture in America.Focus on the new patterns of recreation and leisure.Who led this movement, and what activities were available to Americans?

Question 63

Why was the Panic of 1893 significant?

A)It began because of fears that banks were about to collapse, but it was largely a false alarm and created no lasting national economic effects.
B)It began when the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad declared bankruptcy and grew into the worst depression the nation had experienced.
C)Cleveland responded by immediately putting more money into circulation, which soon remedied the situation and provided a model for future panics.
D)It largely affected big business owners and had little impact on workers and farmers, resulting in very few strikes for a time of economic unrest.
E)It occurred because of unfavorable legislation that passed after Populist James B.Weaver won the presidency over Cleveland.

Question 64

President Cleveland's decision to support the gold standard

A)fractured the Democrat party into pro-gold and pro-silver wings.
B)won him a second term.
C)made the Democrats the dominant political party for the next twenty years.
D)destroyed his chances for a second term.
E)saved the United States from suffering through an economic depression.

Question 65

What was one reason why the Democratic Convention in 1896 was a turning point in American political history?

A)For the first time, currency was not a major issue during a presidential election.
B)Moneylenders overwhelmingly began to support keeping the value of money low through inflation.
C)The candidates presented such similar views on the economy that the election would be unpredictable.
D)The Populist Party abandoned its support of the Democratic Party.
E)Pro-silver, largely rural delegates captured the convention with the help of a stirring speech.

Question 66

The National Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry promoted the use of ________ to help farmers.

A)tenant farming
B)cooperatives
C)machinery
D)banks
E)savings and loans

Question 67

Unlike the Grange, the __________ promoted political involvement among its members to enact change for their members.

A)Farmers' Alliances
B)Knights of Labor
C)Working Man's party
D)American Federation of Labor
E)Congress of International Workers

Question 68

Identify and explain what led to urbanization, including technological factors and reasons immigrants most often located to urban areas.

Question 69

Discuss the most serious public health challenges the urban population faced, how those challenges were addressed, and how effective the solutions were.

Question 70

Describe the explosive growth of urbanization in the late nineteenth century.What factors led to this growth, and where did the largest growth take place?

Question 71

How did immigration to America change in the latter half of the nineteenth century, and what was the response to that change?

Question 72

Compare social Darwinism and reform Darwinism.What were the basic assumptions of each movement?

Question 73

Evaluate the impact of new immigration on the American economy and society in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Question 74

Which of the following describes the movement of populism?

A)A cultural movement that sought to improve access to the arts
B)A movement that sought decreased government involvement in the economy
C)A narrowly focused reform movement orchestrated by various elites and favoring Big Business
D)A third political party in a system dominated by two major political parties
E)A social movement started by manufacturers in the Northeast

Question 75

After the Election of 1896, the

A)Populist party continued to increase its influence.
B)Democratic Party began to shift from pro-business to liberal reform.
C)Republicans would not be a dominant political party for another century.
D)economic depression continued for another ten years.
E)Populists joined the Republican Party.

Question 76

Discuss the impact that rapid growth had on the environment.

Question 77

Describe how living in an urban environment affected women's lives.