Deck 18: The Emergence of Americas Labor Consciousness

Question 1

Which of the following statements is least accurate with regard to immigration after the Civil War?

A)The number of immigrants fluctuated dramatically until World War I.
B)The proportion of immigrants from Northern and Western Europe fell dramatically.
C)The cost of crossing the Atlantic was much lower than it was in earlier decades.
D)A growing network of relatives in the US could help immigrants find jobs and places to live.
E)The majority of immigrants moved to the Midwest to take advantage of the excellent farming opportunities.

Answer 1

The proportion of immigrants from Northern and Western Europe fell dramatically.

Question 2

After 1896 the majority of immigrants to the U.S.were from

A)Great Britain and Ireland.
B)Scandinavia.
C)Central,Eastern and Southern Europe.
D)Germany.

Answer 2

Great Britain and Ireland.

Question 3

In 1917,Congress imposed a serious restriction on immigration when it passed ________________ over President Wilson's veto.

A)a quota system
B)a minimum wealth standard
C)a literacy test
D)a ban on Chinese immigration

Answer 3

a minimum wealth standard

Question 4

Statutes prescribing maximum hours and minimum wages for women were common by 1920.The effects of these laws included all of the following except

A)complementary limits on the hours of male workers.
B)a negligible impact on female employment.
C)reduced competition for jobs between male and female workers.
D)increased employment of women in managerial positions.

Question 5

In the late 19ᵗʰ and early 20ᵗʰ century,the relative earnings of foreign workers were ________________ the earnings of native workers after adjusting for differences in schooling,skills and other factors.

A)approximately equal to
B)much less than
C)slightly greater than
D)much greater than

Question 6

Between 1800 and 1940,the U.S.birthrate fell steadily.Factors contributing to this downward trend include

A)urbanization.
B)rising female employment.
C)compulsory schooling
D)declining infant mortality.
E) All of the above.

Question 7

_____________ is (are)the key factor in explaining the decline in death rates in the U.S.in the late 19ᵗʰ and early 20ᵗʰ century.

A)Improved sanitation
B)Improved medical treatments
C)Urbanization
D)A more varied and nutritious diet

Question 8

Between the 1880s and 1920,women composed roughly ____ of the workforce.

A)1-2%
B)5-10%
C)15-20%
D)30-40%

Question 9

Samuel Gompers is most recognized for:

A)the invention of air brakes for trains.
B)his role as an early union leader.
C)invention of a steel manufacturing process.
D)the development of refrigerated train cars.

Question 10

Which of the following was never a labor union?

A)American Federation of Labor
B)Labor Relations Board
C)Congress for Industrial Organization
D)Knights of Labor

Question 11

Which of the following was NOT a major factor in explaining the decline of death rates in the U.S.in the late 19ᵗʰ and early 20ᵗʰ century?

A)urbanization
B)improvements in sanitation
C)improvements in medical treatments
D)Both a and c are correct.

Question 12

In 1910 _____________ of children between the ages of 10 and 15 had jobs,but by 1920,this percentage had fallen to ____________ .

A)50 percent;25 percent
B)30 percent;20 percent
C)20 percent;less than 10 percent
D)10 percent;less than 1 percent

Question 13

Which of the following is most accurate about the period between the Civil War and World War I?

A)An increasing share of the U.S.population lived in rural areas.
B)Unions pursued strategies of peaceful negotiation with employers.
C)The average number of hours of work increased significantly during the period.
D)The difference between male and female wages decreased.

Question 14

Between 1860 and 1890,both daily wages and annual earnings

A)fell slightly.
B)stayed roughly the same.
C)increased by 10%.
D)increased by 50%.

Question 15

All of the following groups benefited from immigration to the U.S.in the late 19ᵗʰ and early 20ᵗʰ century except

A)steamship companies
B)mining companies
C)manufacturing companies
D)railroads
E) All of the above benefited from immigration.

Question 16

In general,which the following is NOT true about the "new" immigrants that arrived after 1880?

A)They experienced pervasive wage and hiring discrimination.
B)They originated mostly from south and eastern Europe.
C)They took the lowest positions in the social strata.
D)All of the above are true about the "new" immigrants.

Question 17

The Contract Labor Law,which was passed in 1864 and repealed in 1868,

A)authorized labor contracts made abroad between American companies and foreign workers.
B)resulted in a large increase in European immigration to the U.S.
C)was supported by American wage earners.
D)authorized workers to strike and engage in collective bargaining.

Question 18

In the 1870s,roughly ___ percent of immigrants came from northern and western Europe;by 1910,more than ___ percent of the total came from southern and eastern Europe.

A)10;10
B)20;80
C)40 ;60
D)80;60

Question 19

In 1860 the ratio of farmers to manufacturing workers was roughly ____ ;by 1910 that ratio was ____ .

A)1:1;1:5
B)1:3;1:1
C)3:1;1:1
D)10:1;1:1

Question 20

All of the following groups benefited from immigration to the U.S.in the late 19ᵗʰ and early 20ᵗʰ century except

A)manufacturing and mining companies.
B)retailers.
C)railroad companies.
D)unskilled native workers.

Question 21

American union membership as a percentage of the total nonfarm labor force reached its peak in

A)1900
B)1910
C)1920
D)1930

Question 22

During what period did the greatest violence between organized labor and companies occur?

A)1800-1820.
B)1860-1870.
C)1875-1895.
D)1910-1930.

Question 23

Assuming that (1)labor supply is perfectly inelastic (vertical),and (2)immigrants and skilled labor are complements,an increase in unskilled immigrant labor ___________ the real wages of unskilled labor and __________the real wages of skilled labor.

A)increases;increases
B)increases;decreases
C)decreases;increases
D)decreases;decreases

Question 24

Violent labor-management conflicts of the late 1800s included all of the following except

A)the Haymarket Square riot
B)the Carnegie Homestead Works incident
C)the Pullman strike
D)the Credit Mobilier scandal

Question 25

If skilled labor is ___ unskilled labor,then an influx of unskilled immigrants could ____ the demand for skilled labor.

A)a substitute for;raise
B)a complement to;raise
C)a complement to;lower
D)a complement to;substitute.

Question 26

In Coppage v.Kansas (1912),the Supreme Court held that

A)all employers were required to offer employees the option of joining a union.
B)an employer's right to require that employees sign "yellow-dog contracts" was protected by the 14ᵗʰ Amendment.
C)"yellow-dog" contracts were illegal for any business engaged in interstate commerce.
D)using federal troops to break strikes was a legitimate use of police power.
E) All of the above.

Question 27

The American Federation of Labor

A)was an amalgamation of two labor organizations.
B)had over 1 million members by 1905.
C)sought to control job opportunities and conditions within each craft.
D)allied with the National Civic Federation in attempt to create a more favorable public image.
E) All of the above.

Question 28

What is the most accurate description of skilled and unskilled workers if labor supply curves are not perfectly inelastic (perfectly vertical)?

A)If the two types are complements,then the increases in immigration during the late 1800s would have increased the quantity and wages of skilled workers and decreased the wages of unskilled workers.
B)If the two types are substitutes,then the increases in immigration during the late 1800s would have increased the quantity and wages of skilled workers and decreased the wages of unskilled workers.
C)If the two types are complements,then the increases in immigration during the late 1800s would have increased wages of skilled workers,decreased the number of skilled workers,and decreased the wages of unskilled workers.

Question 29

Union activity in late 19th and early 20th centuries in the United States

A)was largely apolitical at the national level.
B)was the impetus for several national parties.
C)relied heavily on help from the federal government.
D)None of the above is correct.