Question 1

Railroad construction in the late 19th century

Accepted Answer

B

Question 2

In the late 19^th century, the chief railroad terminus was

Accepted Answer

Chicago became the chief railroad terminus in the late 19th century due to its strategic location, which made it a central hub for the transportation of goods and people across the United States.

Question 3

Before the nation's first transcontinental railroad was completed, travelers to the West Coast used which forms of transportation?

Accepted Answer

Before the completion of the transcontinental railroad, travelers to the West Coast commonly used clipper ships for sea travel and wagons or mules for overland travel. Dugout canoes and dirigibles were not commonly used for this purpose, making options A and C correct.

Question 4

Gains in railroad productivity were caused by

Accepted Answer

All of the above options contributed to gains in railroad productivity. More powerful locomotives allowed for the transportation of more goods over longer distances. Automatic couplers and air brakes improved safety and efficiency, allowing for faster speeds and reducing the time and labor needed to operate trains.

Question 5

Data on miles of main line track in operation between 1860 and 1910 show that

Accepted Answer

Total mileage of main line track in operation increased steadily during this period due to the expansion of the railroad system across the United States. However, the growth rate tapered off because, as the railroad network became more developed and extensive, the rate of new track being added each year decreased relative to the already large total mileage.

Question 6

The alternate-section provision was designed to

Accepted Answer

The alternate-section provision was designed to allow the government to share in increased land values resulting from railroad building, as the sale of government land adjacent to the railroads would likely increase in value and thus generate more revenue.

Question 7

The joining of the eastern and western sections of nation's first transcontinental railroad was commemorated with the driving of the last spike on May 10, 1869

Accepted Answer

The eastern and western sections of the nation's first transcontinental railroad were joined at Promontory Point, Utah, with the driving of the last spike on May 10, 1869.

Question 8

Between 1864 and 1900, the largest portion of railroad track (as a percentage of total annual construction) was laid in which region of the U.S.?

Accepted Answer

During this period, the Great Plains region saw the most significant railroad expansion, primarily due to the push to connect the eastern and western parts of the country, facilitating transportation and commerce across the vast plains.

Question 9

The most significant kind of federal subsidy to railroads was

Accepted Answer

Land grants were the most significant form of federal subsidy to railroads, as they were given vast amounts of land alongside the tracks they laid, which could then be sold to finance the construction and operation of the railroads.

Question 10

Albert Fishlow argued that if the railroads were built ahead of demand we would observe initial profit rates that were very ______ and initial population densities that were very _______.

Accepted Answer

Fishlow's argument implies that if railroads were built before there was actual demand for them, they would initially not be very profitable due to the lack of immediate use, and the areas around them would have low population densities because the infrastructure was not yet needed or utilized by a large population.

Question 11

A number of economic historians have attempted to determine whether US railroads were built ahead of demand.  Which of the following statements presents accurate information about the findings of this area of research?

Accepted Answer

Fogel and Mercer found that post-bellum transcontinentals had relatively low initial profit rates that grew over time, indicating they were built ahead of demand but eventually became profitable.

Question 12

During the last part of the 19th century, which factor contributed to the lag in railroad construction in the Southeast and Southwest?

Accepted Answer

All of the factors listed contributed to the lag in railroad construction in the Southeast and Southwest during the last part of the 19th century. The sparseness of population made it less economically viable to build railroads, war-induced poverty (especially following the Civil War) limited available capital for such large projects, and the availability of coastal shipping provided an alternative means of transport that competed with railroads.

Question 13

The Willie and Martin Companies were

Accepted Answer

The Willie and Martin Companies were indeed two groups of Mormon "handcart pioneers" who faced severe hardships when early winter storms hit during their migration to Salt Lake Valley in 1856.

Question 14

The sustained productivity growth of railroads occurred primarily because of:

Accepted Answer

The answer of The sustained productivity growth of railroads occurred...

Question 15

From 1860 to 1910, miles of railroad track in operation increased from roughly ____ miles to _____ miles.

Accepted Answer

Between 1860 and 1910, the miles of railroad track in operation in the United States increased from approximately 30,000 miles to 250,000 miles, reflecting the rapid expansion of the rail network during this period.

Question 16

Quantitative evidence from Fishlow, Fogel and Mercer indicates that

Accepted Answer

The answer of Quantitative evidence from Fishlow, Fogel and Mercer...

Question 17

Which of the following was not used to subsidize railroad companies and their building of railroads?

Accepted Answer

Reduced corporate income taxes were not a method used to subsidize railroad companies during the period of rapid railroad expansion in the United States. The government primarily used loans, land grants, and direct payments based on track mileage to encourage and support the building of railroads.

Question 18

Widespread assumptions about the first transatlantic railroad did NOT include

Accepted Answer

The answer of Widespread assumptions about the first transatlantic railroad...

Question 19

According to Joseph Schumpeter, many Midwestern railroads

Accepted Answer

Schumpeter argued that many Midwestern railroads were built ahead of demand, reflecting his view on the nature of capitalist economies and the role of entrepreneurs in creating markets where none previously existed.

Question 20

Each of the three major waves in 19^th-century railroad construction ended due to

Accepted Answer

The three major waves of 19th-century railroad construction in the United States each ended due to a major financial crisis. These financial crises disrupted the availability of capital for investment, leading to a halt in railroad expansion projects.

Quiz 16: Railroads and Economic Change

Railroad construction in the late 19th century

In the late 19^th century, the chief railroad terminus was

Before the nation's first transcontinental railroad was completed, travelers to the West Coast used which forms of transportation?

Gains in railroad productivity were caused by

Data on miles of main line track in operation between 1860 and 1910 show that

The alternate-section provision was designed to

The joining of the eastern and western sections of nation's first transcontinental railroad was commemorated with the driving of the last spike on May 10, 1869

Between 1864 and 1900, the largest portion of railroad track (as a percentage of total annual construction) was laid in which region of the U.S.?

The most significant kind of federal subsidy to railroads was

Albert Fishlow argued that if the railroads were built ahead of demand we would observe initial profit rates that were very and initial population densities that were very _.

A number of economic historians have attempted to determine whether US railroads were built ahead of demand. Which of the following statements presents accurate information about the findings of this area of research?

During the last part of the 19th century, which factor contributed to the lag in railroad construction in the Southeast and Southwest?

The Willie and Martin Companies were

The sustained productivity growth of railroads occurred primarily because of:

From 1860 to 1910, miles of railroad track in operation increased from roughly miles to _ miles.

Quantitative evidence from Fishlow, Fogel and Mercer indicates that

Which of the following was not used to subsidize railroad companies and their building of railroads?

Widespread assumptions about the first transatlantic railroad did NOT include

According to Joseph Schumpeter, many Midwestern railroads

Each of the three major waves in 19^th-century railroad construction ended due to

Quiz 16: Railroads and Economic Change

Railroad construction in the late 19th century

In the late 19th century, the chief railroad terminus was

Before the nation's first transcontinental railroad was completed, travelers to the West Coast used which forms of transportation?

Gains in railroad productivity were caused by

Data on miles of main line track in operation between 1860 and 1910 show that

The alternate-section provision was designed to

The joining of the eastern and western sections of nation's first transcontinental railroad was commemorated with the driving of the last spike on May 10, 1869

Between 1864 and 1900, the largest portion of railroad track (as a percentage of total annual construction) was laid in which region of the U.S.?

The most significant kind of federal subsidy to railroads was

Albert Fishlow argued that if the railroads were built ahead of demand we would observe initial profit rates that were very ______ and initial population densities that were very _______.

A number of economic historians have attempted to determine whether US railroads were built ahead of demand. Which of the following statements presents accurate information about the findings of this area of research?

During the last part of the 19th century, which factor contributed to the lag in railroad construction in the Southeast and Southwest?

The Willie and Martin Companies were

The sustained productivity growth of railroads occurred primarily because of:

From 1860 to 1910, miles of railroad track in operation increased from roughly ____ miles to _____ miles.

Quantitative evidence from Fishlow, Fogel and Mercer indicates that

Which of the following was not used to subsidize railroad companies and their building of railroads?

Widespread assumptions about the first transatlantic railroad did NOT include

According to Joseph Schumpeter, many Midwestern railroads

Each of the three major waves in 19th-century railroad construction ended due to

In the late 19^th century, the chief railroad terminus was

Albert Fishlow argued that if the railroads were built ahead of demand we would observe initial profit rates that were very and initial population densities that were very _.

From 1860 to 1910, miles of railroad track in operation increased from roughly miles to _ miles.

Each of the three major waves in 19^th-century railroad construction ended due to