Question 1

By the 1850s most workers in the New England textile mills came from which of the following groups?
A) Dispossessed farmers
B) New England farm daughters
C) Free blacks
D) Female immigrants

Accepted Answer

Female immigrants were the largest group of workers in the New England textile mills by the 1850s. They came from Ireland, England, and other European countries.

Question 2

Individual farmers in the new market economy of the 1800s
A) specialized in growing crops that could be sold for cash on the market.
B) started trading surplus crops with their neighbors.
C) were self-sufficient.
D) raised a wide variety of crops.

Accepted Answer

In the new market economy of the 1800s, farmers began to specialize in growing crops that could be sold for cash on the market rather than just being self-sufficient. This allowed them to earn more money and participate in the growing economy.

Question 3

Which of the following acted as an impediment to industrial growth in the early nineteenth century?
A) The enactment of laws in many Northeastern states that outlawed corporations
B) Supreme Court decisions that were unfavorable to business interests
C) The absence of businessmen willing to take investment risks
D) The lack of cheap, quick transportation

Accepted Answer

The lack of cheap, quick transportation acted as an impediment to industrial growth in the early nineteenth century. Without efficient transportation, it was difficult to move goods and materials across long distances and expand industries beyond local markets. This problem was addressed with the development of canals, railroads, and steamboats in later years.

Question 4

During the first half of the nineteenth century, internal improvements in the North
A) sometimes caused the degradation of the natural world.
B) were celebrated by all Americans as examples of their ingenuity and creativity as a people.
C) aided the northern fresh-water fishing industry by increasing the number of lakes and streams in which fish could thrive.
D) led to a significant increase in the number of mills by making water power more available and cheaper.

Accepted Answer

Internal improvements, such as the construction of canals and railroads, often led to environmental degradation, including deforestation and pollution, as natural landscapes were altered to accommodate these projects.

Question 5

Which of the following is a reason for the rapid manufacturing and commercial expansion experienced by the Northeast during the forty years following the War of 1812?
A) The unparalleled natural increase in the population of the North and South increased demand for manufactured products.
B) The federal government poured vast sums of money into the building of factories and the building of canals.
C) Internal improvements in the Northeast dramatically reduced transportation costs.
D) After the war most European nations refused to import goods to the United States, thus domestic manufacturing expanded rapidly in the Northeast to meet consumer demand.

Accepted Answer

Internal improvements such as canals and improved transportation infrastructure dramatically reduced transportation costs, making it easier and cheaper for manufacturers to move their goods to market. This helped to spur rapid manufacturing and commercial expansion in the Northeast. While population growth and domestic manufacturing expansion may have also played a role, they are not as significant as the impact of improved transportation infrastructure. There is no evidence to suggest that the federal government poured vast sums of money into building factories and canals, and the statement about European nations refusing to import goods is inaccurate.

Question 6

Which of the following can be attributed to the Erie Canal?
A) the decline of farming in the Northeast
B) the passage of the protective tariff
C) development of the New England textile industry
D) the decision of other states to build similarly large, though often less successful, canals

Accepted Answer

The Erie Canal's success inspired other states to build their own canals, although many were less successful.

Question 7

After the War of 1812,
A) farmers in the North remained self-reliant and seldom participated in the emerging market economy.
B) more people in the North began to work for others in return for wages.
C) there seemed to be few economic differences between the North and the South.
D) the United States was immediately flooded with foreign imports, thus pushing many newly emerging domestic industries into bankruptcy.

Accepted Answer

After the War of 1812, the North experienced a shift towards wage labor and the emerging market economy, with more people working for others and the growth of industrialization. This is in contrast to the self-reliant farming lifestyle that was prevalent before the war. There were also economic differences between the North and South, with the North becoming increasingly industrialized while the South remained primarily agricultural. While there were some issues with imports, it did not immediately push domestic industries into bankruptcy.

Question 8

Which of the following best explains the deterioration of the working and living conditions of workers in New England textile mills in the 1830s and 1840s?
A) Living and working conditions deteriorated primarily because of the economic depression of the late 1830s.
B) Working and living conditions deteriorated primarily because of the growing labor surplus.
C) As the economy deteriorated, management's emphasis shifted from providing decent working and living conditions for the workers to maximizing profits.
D) Competition from English imports was the primary reason for the deterioration of working and living conditions.

Accepted Answer

The deteriorating economy resulted in a shift in management's priorities from providing decent working and living conditions for workers to maximizing profits. This led to the deterioration of working and living conditions in New England textile mills in the 1830s and 1840s.

Question 9

Some New England textile mill workers responded to their deteriorating working conditions in the 1830s by
A) organizing a nationwide product boycott.
B) lobbying state legislatures for a shorter workday.
C) engaging in sabotage against the machines.
D) organizing and going on strike.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is D, organizing and going on strike. This is because strikes were a common response to poor working conditions in the textile mills of New England during the 1830s. Workers recognized that they had a collective bargaining power and used it to demand better wages, shorter work hours, and safer working conditions. While product boycotts and lobbying may have been attempted, they were not the primary method of resistance for these workers. Engaging in sabotage against the machines may have been a tactic used by some individuals, but it was not a widespread strategy adopted by the textile mill workers during this time period.

Question 10

As evidenced by the formation of the Lowell Female Reform Association in 1844, female workers in New England textile mills had changed their methods of resistance to deteriorating working conditions. What new method were they using?
A) They organized a nationwide product boycott.
B) They called for the passage of state legislation to shorten the workday.
C) They engaged in sabotage against the machines.
D) They organized and went on strike.

Accepted Answer

The Lowell Female Reform Association called for legislative reform to shorten the workday, indicating a shift towards political advocacy rather than direct action like strikes or sabotage.

Question 11

The labor parties formed in Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts in the 1820s advocated which of the following?
A) An end to imprisonment for debt
B) A four-day work week
C) A pension plan guaranteed by employers
D) Free room and board for mill workers

Accepted Answer

The labor parties formed in Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts in the 1820s advocated for an end to imprisonment for debt, as it was a common issue faced by laborers during this time period. The other options listed were not specific demands made by these labor parties.

Question 12

Which of the following was true of the nation's canals and railroads by the 1850s?
A) The national transportation network they created promoted a sense of national unity.
B) Construction was so haphazard that they hampered the emergence of a national marketplace.
C) They did little to unite the North and the South.
D) They had been completely financed by the federal government.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following was true of...

Question 13

To adequately staff the Lowell textile mill at Waltham, Massachusetts, mill managers first turned to
A) runaway slaves from the South.
B) newly arrived European immigrants.
C) young girls from New England farms.
D) farmers who could no longer support themselves through farming.

Accepted Answer

Mill managers initially turned to young girls from New England farms to staff the Lowell textile mill at Waltham, Massachusetts. These young girls were seen as reliable workers who would be easier to control and less likely to cause trouble than other labor groups. They were also seen as a source of cheap labor since they could be paid less than male workers.

Question 14

By the 1850s, which of the following was a consequence of internal improvements in the North?
A) The canals and railroads built in the North only benefited factory owners and financiers.
B) The canals and railroads built in the North had a unifying effect by linking the Northeast with the Old Northwest.
C) The canals and railroads built in the North benefited the entire nation and helped to integrate both the South and the Old Northwest into the North's market economy.
D) The canals and railroads built in the North severely strained the economy of many Northern states, causing some of those states to declare their state treasuries bankrupt.

Accepted Answer

The canals and railroads built in the North, particularly the Erie Canal and various rail networks, significantly enhanced connectivity between the Northeast and the Old Northwest (the region around the Great Lakes). This infrastructure facilitated the movement of goods, people, and information, thereby fostering economic integration and growth across these regions.

Question 15

When Mary Ann Archbald produced cloth to sell for cash, her primary objective was to
A) gain money for the purchase of luxury items.
B) accumulate wealth.
C) gain economic independence for herself.
D) pay off her family's land debt.

Accepted Answer

Mary Ann Archbald's primary objective in producing cloth to sell for cash was to pay off her family's land debt, which was a common motivation for women in her situation during that time period.

Question 16

How did railroad construction in the South differ from railroads in the North?
A) Research clearly indicated that such investments would be of no economic benefit to the South.
B) The South erected large, national railroad lines.
C) The southern states believed that such construction should be the responsibility of the federal government.
D) Railroads in the South remained local.

Accepted Answer

Railroad construction in the South differed from railroads in the North because railroads in the South remained local, meaning that they primarily served small geographic areas rather than being part of a national railroad network. In contrast, railroads in the North were often part of larger, interconnected systems that spanned multiple states. Additionally, unlike in the North where railroad construction was often supported by government funding, railroad development in the South was primarily driven by private investment.

Question 17

The development of a national railroad system was hampered by which of the following?
A) The absence of a national standard for track width
B) The public's fear concerning the safety of rail travel
C) The refusal of most financial institutions to grant loans for rail construction
D) The cost of both buying land and hiring the number of workers necessary to lay track over rough terrain

Accepted Answer

The absence of a national standard for track width, known as "gauge," led to inefficiencies and complications in the development of a cohesive national railroad system. Different railroads used different gauges, which made it difficult to connect and transfer goods and passengers across different lines.

Question 18

In the mid-nineteenth century, where was the one place that northern and southern railroads connected?
A) Baltimore, Maryland
B) Bowling Green, Kentucky
C) Nashville, Tennessee
D) Richmond, Virginia

Accepted Answer

Bowling Green, Kentucky was the one place that northern and southern railroads connected in the mid-nineteenth century. The Louisville and Nashville Railroad connected Louisville, Kentucky to Nashville, Tennessee, and the Memphis and Charleston Railroad connected Memphis, Tennessee to Charleston, South Carolina. These two railroads intersected at Bowling Green, Kentucky, creating a vital link between the North and the South.

Question 19

Which of the following was true of factory work in the 1840s?
A) Workers in large factories continued to have a close personal relationship with the factory owner.
B) The shortage of labor meant that most factory workers had job security.
C) The flow of work was governed by bells or steam whistles that marked stop and start times.
D) Workers usually had far more opportunities for advancement than would have been true in pre-industrial artisan shops.

Accepted Answer

In the 1840s, the flow of work in large factories was governed by bells or steam whistles that marked stop and start times. This made work more regimented and less flexible for workers. Choices A, B, and D are not true. Personal relationships between factory owners and workers were less common in large factories, job security was not guaranteed, and opportunities for advancement were limited due to the specialized nature of factory work.

Question 20

The key to the American system of manufacturing was
A) the financial method used to finance plant expansion.
B) a unique method of corporate management.
C) the use of machine-tooled, interchangeable parts.
D) the vertical integration of companies.

Accepted Answer

The American system of manufacturing, also known as the "interchangeable parts system," relied on the use of machine-tooled, interchangeable parts. This allowed for mass production and assembly line methods, leading to increased efficiency and lower costs. While financial methods, corporate management, and vertical integration were also important factors in American industry, they were not the key to the system of manufacturing that revolutionized production.

Quiz 10: The Restless North

By the 1850s most workers in the New England textile mills came from which of the following groups?

Individual farmers in the new market economy of the 1800s

Which of the following acted as an impediment to industrial growth in the early nineteenth century?

During the first half of the nineteenth century, internal improvements in the North

Which of the following is a reason for the rapid manufacturing and commercial expansion experienced by the Northeast during the forty years following the War of 1812?

Which of the following can be attributed to the Erie Canal?

After the War of 1812,

Which of the following best explains the deterioration of the working and living conditions of workers in New England textile mills in the 1830s and 1840s?

Some New England textile mill workers responded to their deteriorating working conditions in the 1830s by

As evidenced by the formation of the Lowell Female Reform Association in 1844, female workers in New England textile mills had changed their methods of resistance to deteriorating working conditions. What new method were they using?

The labor parties formed in Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts in the 1820s advocated which of the following?

Which of the following was true of the nation's canals and railroads by the 1850s?

To adequately staff the Lowell textile mill at Waltham, Massachusetts, mill managers first turned to

By the 1850s, which of the following was a consequence of internal improvements in the North?

When Mary Ann Archbald produced cloth to sell for cash, her primary objective was to

How did railroad construction in the South differ from railroads in the North?

The development of a national railroad system was hampered by which of the following?

In the mid-nineteenth century, where was the one place that northern and southern railroads connected?

Which of the following was true of factory work in the 1840s?

The key to the American system of manufacturing was