Deck 20: Political Realignments, 1876-1901

Question 1

Why were Americans fascinated by politics during the Gilded Age?

A) Women and men were voting for the first time.
B) African Americans were able to use their newly won suffrage.
C) The quality of political candidates was excellent.
D) Most Americans saw it as a form of entertainment.
E) Cash incentives made people eager to vote.

Answer 1

Most Americans saw it as a form of entertainment.

Question 2

In the South, a grandfather clause waived the literacy requirement for voters whose ancestors had

A) already passed a literacy test
B) fought in the Civil War
C) been white
D) voted before 1867
E) correctly interpreted the Constitution

Answer 2

voted before 1867

Question 3

Until the 1890s,________ .

A) the presidency was weaker than Congress
B) the presidency was able to assert its power
C) Congress had little interest in national affairs
D) few presidents seemed committed to national affairs
E) power was equally divided between the president and Congress

Answer 3

the presidency was weaker than Congress

Question 4

Which president entered the White House after the heavily disputed election of 1876?

A) Grover Cleveland
B) William McKinley
C) Rutherford B. Hayes
D) Benjamin Harrison
E) William Jennings Bryan

Question 5

The Pendleton Act________ .

A) eliminated presidential appointments
B) provided a merit system for national government jobs
C) allowed Congress greater power in appointing government jobs
D) gave the judiciary greater power in the national government
E) established the Secret Service to protect presidents

Question 6

Grover Cleveland________ .

A) increased federal activities
B) was committed to higher tariffs
C) curtailed federal activities
D) brought dishonor to the Democratic party
E) was reelected in a landslide in 1888

Question 7

Which of the following groups made up the bulk of the electorate until 1900?

A) white males
B) white males and white females
C) white and African American males
D) landowning white males
E) educated white males

Question 8

The Sherman Antitrust Act________ .

A) was vague and at the mercy of the courts
B) had little effect on antitrust policy
C) was only concerned with regulating railroads
D) did not have criminal penalties for violators
E) was used aggressively by the Justice Department

Question 9

Those who supported the free coinage of silver________ .

A) were convinced it would help the agrarian sectors
B) were primarily found in the North and East
C) wanted to keep monetary power away from the national government
D) found little support for their views in Congress
E) thought it would deflate the currency

Question 10

Farmers complained about crop prices during the late nineteenth century, but________ .

A) overall profits were high
B) rising railroad rates were the real problem
C) their poor economic condition was mainly caused by a lack of demand
D) overproduction was a contributing factor
E) their purchasing power actually increased

Question 11

What was the major objective of the Alliance Movement?

A) to form a social organization for farmers
B) to organize and politicize the American farmer
C) to ensure equal distribution of wealth
D) to elect Democrats and Republicans who represented the farmers
E) to protect farmers against greedy cattle ranchers

Question 12

Which of these was a demand of the Populist party?

A) the free coinage of silver
B) farm subsidies
C) larger protective tariffs
D) elimination of the federal income tax
E) maintenance of the gold standard

Question 13

The Populist candidate for president in 1892 was________ .

A) William Jennings Bryan
B) James Weaver
C) Mary Lease
D) William McKinley
E) Grover Cleveland

Question 14

The Panic of 1893________ .

A) was caused by the economic changes of the period
B) was confined to a small group of investors
C) had little effect on the national government
D) brought quick, decisive action by the government
E) caused banks to increase their number of loans

Question 15

Which individual rocketed to national attention because of the Pullman strike?

A) Jacob Coxey
B) Theodore Dreiser
C) Eugene V. Debs
D) Henry Adams
E) Thomas Watson

Question 16

President Cleveland broke the Pullman strike on grounds that it had________ .

A) exposed the United States to foreign invasion
B) interfered with the collection of taxes
C) raised the possibility of open class warfare
D) obstructed the delivery of the mail
E) forced wealthy travelers to ride in ordinary passenger cars

Question 17

Who was president of the United States during the depression of 1893?

A) Herbert Hoover
B) Grover Cleveland
C) Rutherford B. Hayes
D) William McKinley
E) Theodore Roosevelt

Question 18

Early in the 1890s, the Democrats succeeded in________ .

A) modestly reducing tariff levels
B) taking the United States off the gold standard
C) driving the economy to higher levels
D) correcting the abuses of stock speculators
E) increasing tariffs to protect American industry

Question 19

In 1894,________ .

A) Grover Cleveland had strong support for his policies
B) few voters supported a strong, active government
C) the Populist party was a major political party
D) the deadlock between the Republicans and Democrats ended
E) Americans became more suspicious of government power

Question 20

The greatest change in American literature during the late 1800s was the rise of________ .

A) poetry
B) evolutionism
C) realism
D) romanticism
E) impressionism

Question 21

The writings of Mark Twain________ .

A) reflected the mood of romanticism in literature
B) portrayed life in the tenements of the East
C) relied on literary language in a prose style
D) relied on realism and humor
E) never gained international prominence

Question 22

What was the major issue of the election of 1896?

A) race relations
B) tariffs
C) political patronage
D) railroad regulation
E) currency

Question 23

Who were the two major presidential candidates in the 1896 election?

A) William Howard Taft and William Jennings Bryan
B) Thomas Reed and Grover Cleveland
C) William Jennings Bryan and William McKinley
D) Marcus Hanna and Thomas Watson
E) Grover Cleveland and William Jennings Bryan

Question 24

When the Democrats endorsed silver in 1896, the Populists________ .

A) disbanded and merged with the Democrats
B) seconded the nomination of Bryan
C) disbanded and merged with the Republicans
D) seconded the nomination of McKinley
E) nominated Tom Watson of Georgia for president

Question 25

As president, William McKinley________ .

A) was an activist president
B) could not get along with Congress
C) was perceived as a reactionary president
D) decreased federal power while in office
E) maintained an isolated administration

Question 26

Politically, which of the following was the case in the 1870s and 1880s?

A) The Republicans dominated the South.
B) The Democrats dominated the North.
C) National elections were usually decided in the biggest states, such as Virginia.
D) The influence of the Civil War generation was fading.
E) Nationally the two parties were evenly balanced in strength.

Question 27

The Republican party platform in the post-Civil War period________ .

A) included lower protective tariffs
B) did not include civil rights legislation
C) promised subsidies to railroads
D) included decentralized government power
E) ignored moral issues

Question 28

How did the Democrats and Republicans feel about federal tariffs in the 1880s?

A) Republicans wanted to lower the tariff so that Americans could spend more, but Democrats wanted to keep the tariff to pay for infrastructure.
B) Both Democrats and Republicans wanted the tariff to be lowered, but for different reasons.
C) Democrats wanted to lower the tariff, but Republicans felt that this undermined American business.
D) Republicans wanted to raise the tariff to boost business, but Democrats felt that the tariff should remain as it was.
E) Democrats wanted to raise the tariff in order to fund public education, but Republicans wanted to lower the tariff in order to boost business.

Question 29

What was the result of the 1895 Supreme Court case involving the E. C. Knight Company?

A) The regulatory powers of the federal government were strengthened.
B) There was stronger regulation over manufacturing.
C) It had little effect on national policy.
D) It further weakened the Sherman Antitrust Act.
E) A sharp distinction was drawn between commerce and manufacturing.

Question 30

Why was the Republican-controlled Congress of 1890 notable?

A) It was unable to assert federal authority.
B) Its legislation shaped the future policy of the nation.
C) It was overwhelmingly reelected.
D) It gained support of the Democrats.
E) It spent frugally in an effort to build up the U.S. Treasury.

Question 31

Which of the following lists events in the correct chronological order?

A) Republican policy to regulate industry, Panic of 1893, Republican policy to promote industry
B) Republican policy to promote industry, Republican policy to regulate industry, Panic of 1893
C) Republican policy to promote industry, Panic of 1893, Republican policy to regulate industry
D) Panic of 1893, Republican policy to promote industry, Republican policy to regulate industry
E) Republican policy to regulate industry, Republican policy to promote industry, Panic of 1893

Question 32

In 1890, the American electorate rejected________ .

A) Democratic legislative activism by crushing the party in the congressional elections
B) Republican legislative activism by crushing the party in the congressional elections
C) the legislative passiveness of both major parties by electing many third-party and especially Populist candidates to Congress
D) Republican passiveness by crushing the party in the congressional elections
E) Democratic passiveness by crushing the party in the congressional elections

Question 33

Which of the following was a reason for farm discontent in the late nineteenth century?

A) the inability of farmers to organize to voice discontent
B) the rising railroad rates
C) the lack of new farm technology
D) the perception of a loss of status in society
E) the loss of farmers to urban factories

Question 34

The leaders of the Southern Farmers' Alliance________ .

A) formed the first major People's party
B) tried to capture the Democratic party
C) eschewed politics for more radical methods
D) often crossed over to the Republican party
E) were more concerned about economic rights than political rights

Question 35

Why did the Colored Farmers' National Alliance end?

A) A posse lynched 15 strikers.
B) Prices on cotton increased significantly.
C) Southern planters used strike breakers in the cotton fields.
D) The Farmers' Alliance expelled all African Americans from the organization.
E) African Americans were integrated into the Farmers' Alliance.

Question 36

What was one result of the election of 1892?

A) It brought disappointing results for the Populists.
B) It provided the Populists with a national forum.
C) It saw many voters switching to the Populist party.
D) It had little effect on national issues.
E) It brought Leonidas Polk to the presidency.

Question 37

What was a consequence of the depression of 1893?

A) It changed American ideas about government and the economy.
B) It united the country in support of the free silver movement.
C) It pushed rural and urban societies farther apart.
D) It had a lasting effect on American society.
E) It mainly hurt western and southern farmers.

Question 38

In the Pullman Strike of 1894, what did Grover Cleveland's intervention accomplish?

A) It gave business the court injunction as a new weapon against labor.
B) It ensured the success of the strike.
C) It failed to end the strike.
D) It gave workers the protection of a court injunction.
E) It led to the creation of the Pullman Porters Union.

Question 39

What was a result of the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act?

A) Republicans were mostly confined to the South.
B) Democrats became the majority party in the country.
C) The country's gold reserve rose.
D) It led to higher inflation.
E) It strengthened the Democrats who supported silver in their bid for the 1896 presidency.

Question 40

Why did Populists not gain as many seats in Congress as they had expected to gain in the 1894 election?

A) In the South, Democrats used fraud and violence to keep people from voting for Populist candidates.
B) In the Midwest, discontented voters tended to vote for Democrats and not Populists.
C) The unemployed, who were big supporters of the Populists, did not vote as widely as expected.
D) In the South, despite Populist support, more people ultimately voted Republican.
E) The Populist supporters in New England chose to vote Republican instead.

Question 41

What was the significance of a 1901 study of working-class families?

A) It revealed that child labor had virtually ceased.
B) It showed that the number of working women decreased.
C) It showed that over 50 percent of the principal breadwinners were out of work.
D) It revealed that children were attending school in record numbers.
E) It showed that fewer immigrants were working-class.

Question 42

During the 1890s, writers who rejected romanticism often wrote________ .

A) regional stories depicting everyday life
B) grand epic stories in which the hero always defeated the villain
C) disparaging tales about ethnic groups, perpetuating anti-immigrant feelings
D) political pamphlets championing their candidate
E) allegorical stories that used many examples from the Bible

Question 43

Why did support for free silver coinage grow rapidly from 1894 to 1896?

A) It seemed a simple, compelling answer to the economic crisis.
B) Workers joined farmers in support of coinage.
C) Cleveland Democrats joined workers in support of coinage.
D) The country was rapidly running out of gold reserves.
E) Silver would ensure that there would be less actual money in circulation.

Question 44

Why did the Populists nominate Tom Watson for vice president in the 1896 election?

A) They felt that he was a stronger candidate than William Jennings Bryan.
B) They wanted a Republican vice president to balance the ticket with a Democratic president.
C) Watson, unlike William Jennings Bryan, supported free coinage of silver, which the Populists also supported.
D) They thought that Watson would ensure that voters would elect a Populist president.
E) They were endorsing the Democratic candidate for president and so wanted their own candidate for vice president.

Question 45

Why was William Jennings Bryan defeated in 1896?

A) He did not campaign directly among the voters.
B) He was unable to win Populist support.
C) The established eastern press had deserted him.
D) Few voters were interested in the campaign.
E) He was an awkward and shy speaker.

Question 46

Which best describes the decision that shattered the Populist party in 1896?

A) endorsement for the presidency of the Democratic candidate William Jennings Bryan
B) admission of African Americans to the party's ranks
C) nomination of their own candidate, James Weaver, for the presidency
D) expulsion of all African American members in an attempt to attract more southern support
E) support of free coinage of silver

Question 47

By 1900, toward what new policy was President McKinley attempting to direct the Republican party?

A) monetary inflation through silver coinage
B) promoting economic growth with subsidies and tariffs
C) laissez-faire
D) increasing tariff rates again
E) decreasing the country's gold supply then in circulation

Question 48

What was the general difference between the Democrats and Republicans in the late 1800s?

A) Democrats felt that social reform was fundamental to the economic success of the nation, while Republicans felt that government regulation was more important.
B) Democrats favored high inflation to boost business, while Republicans favored the free coinage of silver and gold.
C) Democrats favored government control of all business, while Republicans wanted very little government regulation of business.
D) Democrats tended to favor little federal government intervention, while Republicans believed that the federal government should promote economic and social reform.
E) Democrats believed that the federal government should take an active role in economic and social reform, while Republicans favored little government intervention.

Question 49

Why was silver not just a political or economic issue but also a social movement in the 1890s?

A) Those who favored silver coinage identified themselves with urbanization and industrialization.
B) Supporting the free coinage of silver meant rejecting all government intervention in economic issues.
C) Those who were unemployed tended to fight against the free and independent coinage of silver.
D) Those who supported the free coinage of silver also supported other economic programs and could be identified as supporters of change.
E) Identifying oneself with silver coinage also indicated one's values and political affiliation.

Question 50

What does the following quotation mean: "In 1899, McKinley spoke of lowering tariff barriers in a world that technology had made smaller"?

A) After technology had connected the United States to the rest of the world, it made sense to lower taxes on goods to and from other countries.
B) Because the population of the United States had been decreasing slowly over the nineteenth century, it made sense to lower taxes on goods from other countries.
C) Since the United States was so dependent on technology from other countries, it made sense to lower taxes on this technology.
D) Because taxes had decreased over the last decades of the nineteenth century, technology exchange between countries had increased.
E) Until taxes on goods exported to other countries were increased, the rest of the world could not benefit from American technology.

Question 51

What factors account for political party loyalty in the late nineteenth century? How was the sectional political balance related to high voter turnout in presidential elections?

Question 52

What issues led to the Populist movement? Why did the Populist party fail to achieve major party status?