The document contains multiple choice questions about key events, people, and developments in late 19th century United States history, including the rise of big business monopolies like Standard Oil, labor union organizing efforts, and political corruption scandals during the Gilded Age. It also covers westward expansion, immigration, social reforms of the Progressive Era, and issues facing African Americans after the Civil War like segregation and different philosophies on achieving equality.

1. L1

2. • 1. In the late 1800s, supporters of laissezfaire capitalism claimed that government
regulation of business would be:
• A. essential to protect the rights of consumers
• B. necessary to provide jobs for the
unemployed
• C. useful in competing with foreign nations
• D. harmful to economic growth

3. • 2. John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, and
J. Pierpont Morgan were sometimes called
robber barons because they:
• A. robbed from the rich to give to the poor
• B. made unnecessarily risky investments
• C. used ruthless business tactics against their
competitors
• D. stole money from the federal government

4. • 3. The Interstate Commerce Act and the
Sherman Antitrust Act were passed by
Congress to:
•
A. increase safety in the workplace
•
B. promote fair hiring practices
•
C. improve working conditions
•
D. regulate big business, especially
the railroads

5. • 4. Businesses formed trusts, pools, and the
techniques of vertical and horizontal
integration mainly to:
• A. increase profits by eliminating competition
• B. offer a wide range of goods and services to
consumers
• C. provide employment opportunities for
minorities
• D. protect the interests of workers

6. • 5. The term business monopoly can best be
described as
• A. the most common form of business in the
United States
• B. government control of the means of
production
• C. an agreement between partners to manage
a corporation
• D. a company that controls or dominates an
industry

7. • 6. Which feature of the
United States economy
in this late nineteenthcentury cartoon is
featured?
• A. technological
improvements in
agriculture
• B. dependence on foreign
oil
• C. creation of monopolies
• D. governmental success
in regulating big business

8. • 7. The principal message of the cartoon is that the
Standard Oil Company:
• A. used its size to lower the prices of its products
• B. protected the nation from foreign competition
• C. used its economic power to influence government
decisions
• D. employed violence to gain an unfair advantage for
its workers

9. • 8. During the late 1800s, the defenders of
Social Darwinism would most likely have
supported
• A. labor unions
• B. progressive income taxes
• C. laissez-faire capitalism
• D. environmental conservation

10. • 9. In the period from 1865 to 1900, the
United States Government aided the
development of the West by
• A. maintaining free and unlimited coinage of
silver
• B. offering low-interest loans to businesses
• C. granting land to railroad companies to build
transcontinental routes
• D. providing price supports for farm products

11. • 10. After the Civil War, one way business
leaders tried to eliminate competition was by
A. forming monopolies or trusts
• B. developing overseas markets
• C. increasing the prices of their products
• D. paying high wages to their workers

12. Lesson 2 &3

13. • 11. The American Federation of Labor’s
support for “bread and butter” unionism was
intended to:
• A. gain control of state and federal
legislatures
• B. change the economic system to socialism
• C. combine all skilled and unskilled workers
into one large organization
• D. improve wages, hours, and working
conditions

14. • 12. During the late 1800s, what was the main
reason labor unions had difficulty achieving
gains for workers?
• A. Communists had taken control of the
major unions.
• B. The government supported business
efforts to limit the powers of unions.
• C. Most unions had been organized by big
business.
• D. Most workers were satisfied with working

15. • 13. One reason the American Federation of
Labor (AFL) was successful was that this
organization:
• A. focused on the needs of skilled workers
• B. rejected the use of strikes and boycotts
• C. ended the use of blacklists by employers
• D. called for government ownership of
industry

16. • 14. During the late 19th century, which
practices were used by employers against
workers?
• A. boycotts and lockouts
• B. picketing and walkouts
• C. blacklists and yellow-dog contracts
• D. mass rallies and sit-down strikes

17. • 15. In the late 1800s, the Great Strike of
1877 and the Pullman Palace Car Strike of
1894 were unsuccessful because:
• A. the government supported business
owners
• B. most workers refused to take part in the
strike
• C. the Supreme Court ruled both strikes were
illegal
• D. factory owners hired children to replace
the strikers

18. • 16. In the late 19th century, the major
argument used by labor union leaders against
immigrants was that immigrants
• A. took jobs from United States citizens
• B. contributed little to enrich American life
• C. placed financial drains on social services
• D. refused to assimilate into American culture

19. • 17. During the Gilded Age, political scandals
were typical. Which scandal did not happen
during this period?
• A. Credit Mobilier – railroad scandal of late 1860s
based on false claims by a railroad company to
get subsidy money
• B. Tweed Ring- New York City political machine
exposed by Nast cartoons and prosecuted for
embezzlement
• C. Whiskey Ring – Grant scandal allowing whiskey
distillers to not pay income taxes
• D. Teapot Dome – illegal selling of government oil
reserves by cabinet member for a bribe

20. • 18. The Sherman Antitrust Act, the Interstate
Commerce Act, and the Federal Trade
Commission (FTC) are examples of
• A. Federal laws designed to protect consumers
from unsafe products
• B. the Federal Government’s response to
changes in the economy
• C. Federal laws designed to control spending
• D. the Federal Government’s attempts to
regulate big business

21. • 19. The Populists believed that most of the
United States economic problems would be
solved by establishing
• A. currency reform
• B. postal savings banks
• C. a national property tax
• D. a renewed policy of open immigration

22. • 20. Laws requiring individuals to pass civil
service examinations to obtain government
jobs were enacted to
• A. eliminate patronage and corruption in
government hiring
• B. allow the government to compete with
private industry for employees
• C. support the development of public
employee labor unions
• D. encourage the growth of local political
parties

23. • 21. During the second half of the 19th
century, the federal government’s
commitment to the principles of laissez-faire
capitalism contributed to
• A. healthy and positive competition between
businesses
• B. the growth of small business firms
• C. friendly working relationships between
labor and management
• D. economic domination by business trusts

24. • 22. Which conclusion can be drawn about the
impact of the Populist and the Progressive
parties on the United States?
• A. Some third-party goals eventually become
planks in the platforms of the major parties.
• B. The United States has steadily moved from a
two-party system to a multiparty system.
• C. Religious ideals have most often motivated
people to splinter away from major parties .
• D. An increasing number of citizens have grown
weary of party politics and fail to vote in
elections.

25. • 23. During the early 1900’s, the initiative,
recall, and referendum were changes made in
many states to give
• A. citizens the right to choose Presidential
candidates
• B. voters greater direct participation in
government
• C. workers more rights in the collective
bargaining process
• D. business leaders more control over their
industries

26. • 24. Reformers of the early 20th century
frequently attacked political machines
because the politicians in these organizations
often:
• A. denied voting rights to the poor
• B. accepted bribes in return for favors
• C. wasted money on military spending
• D. discriminated against migrant workers

27. • 25. In the 19th century, protective tariffs,
subsidies for railroads, and open immigration
showed that the federal government
followed a policy of:
• A. support for expanding economic
development in the west
• B. non-interference in the laissez-faire freemarket system
• C. regulation of unfair business practices
• D. support for organized labor

28. • 26. The passage of the Dawes Severalty Act
(1887) was primarily an attempt by the United
States government to:
• A. limit the power of the Bureau of Indian Affairs
• B. return eastern land to Native American Indian
tribes forced to move west under the Indian
Removal Act
• C. encourage Native Americans to give up their
traditional cultures and assimilate into the
dominant culture
• D. hire Native American Indians as military scouts
to fight in the Sioux Wars

29. • 27. The graduated income tax, free and
unlimited coinage of silver, and the direct
election of senators were proposals that
were included in the:
• A. Declaration of Sentiments
• B. Republican plan for Reconstruction
• C. Populist Party platform
• D. Federal Reserve System

30. • 28. The Panic of 1893 did NOT lead to which of
the following?
• A. the March on Washington by Coxey’s Army
seeking government intervention in the economy
• B. the need for foreign trade between European
nations and the United States
• C. the federal government recognizing labor
unions right to collectively bargain
• D. the rise of the Populist movement and the
electoral showdown over the economy in 1896

31. • 29. In the late 1800’s, the goal of the Federal
Government’s policy toward Native American
Indians was to
• A. destroy tribal bonds and thus weaken their
traditional cultural values
• B. grant them full citizenship and due process
• C. give their tribal groups authority over their
own affairs
• D. increase the land holdings of western tribes

32. • 30. The Homestead Act, the mass killing of
buffalo, and the completion of the
transcontinental railroad are most closely
associated with the
• A. rise of organized labor
• B. building of the Erie Canal
• C. northern migration of African Americans
• D. decline of the Plains Indians

33. • 31. Although the Populist Party failed to elect
its candidates to the Presidency, some of the
Party’s aims were later achieved by the
• A. adoption of the gold standard
• B. elimination of racial segregation laws in the
South
• C. creation of a graduated income tax and the
direct election of Senators
• D. establishment of higher protective tariffs on
manufactured goods

34. • 32. The mechanization of agriculture in the
United States led directly to
• A. an increase in production
• B. less dependence on railroads by farmers
• C. fewer agricultural exports
• D. the decreasing size of the average farm

35. • 33. In the late 19th century, farmers desired
“cheap money” policies because farmers
believed that rising prices for their crops
would:
• A. enable them to pay back their loans more
easily
• B. require banks to lend them more money at
reduced interest rates
• C. force manufacturers to reduce the prices of
manufactured goods purchased by farmers
• D. cause the price of undeveloped farmland
to drop

36. • 34. The Federal Civil Service System was
begun in the late 19th century under the
Pendleton Act primarily to:
•
A. reward political party supporters
•
B. reduce the practice of political
patronage
•
C. secure political campaign contributions
•
D. provide government contracts for big
business

37. • 35. Match the following inventions with their inventor.
•
A. Electric Generator
1. Thomas Alva Edison
•
B. Telephone
2. Christopher Sholes
•
C. Airplane
3. George Eastman
•
D. Typewriter
4. Alexander Graham Bell
• E. Automobile- Model T . 5. Orville and Wilbur Wright
•
F. Light bulb
6. Henry Ford
•
G. Kodak Camera/Film
7. George Westinghouse
•
•
[A] A-6, B-3, C-1, D-2, E-7, F-4, G-5
•
[B] A-7, B-4, C-1, D-3, E-5, F-2, G-6
•
[C] A-7, B-4, C-2, D-1, E-6, F-3, G-5
•
[D] A-7, B-4, C-5, D-2, E-6, F-1, G-3

38. • 36. Skyscrapers were made possible with the
invention(s) of _______________________.
• A. Safer fire escapes
• B. Larger bricks and stronger cement
• C. Elevators and steel framework
• D. New construction safety standards

39. • 37. Which statement best expresses the
melting pot theory as it relates to American
society?
• A. Only European immigrants will be allowed
into the United States.
• B. All immigrant groups will maintain their
separate cultures.
• C. Different cultures will blend to form a
uniquely American culture.
• D. Immigrant ghettos will develop in urban
areas.

40. • 38. Between 1890 and 1915, the majority of
immigrants to the United States were labeled
“new immigrants” because they were:
• A. considered physically and mentally
superior to earlier immigrants
• B. forced to settle in the cities of the Midwest
• C. from Southern and Eastern Europe and
Asian countries
• D. culturally assimilated quicker than earlier
immigrants

41. • 39. A major purpose of both the Chinese
Exclusion Act (1882) and the Gentlemen’s
Agreement with Japan (1907) was to:
• A. limit immigration of certain ethnic groups to
please nativist groups
• B. enrich America’s cultural diversity and create a
more non-white society
• C. treat all Asian and European immigrants
equally by increasing immigration of non-whites
• D. relocate Asians displaced by war and famine in
China and Japan

42. • 40. Between 1840 and 1860, the majority of
the “old immigrants” to the United States
came from:
•
A. northern and western Europe
•
B. southern and eastern Europe
•
C. Canada and Latin America
•
D. China and Southeast Asia

43. • 41. Nativism is the ____________________.
• A. Overt favoritism toward native-born
Americans
• B. Dominance of cities by ethnic groups
• C. Dominance of states by political machines
• D. Overt favoritism toward new immigrants

44. • 42. The Supreme Court decision in Plessy v.
Ferguson (1896) had a major impact on the lives
of African Americans because it ruled that:
• A. segregation was illegal in educational
institutions
• B. voting was a right guaranteed by the
Constitution
• C. separate but equal public facilities were legal
• D. military occupation of the South was
unconstitutional

45. • 43. Which statement about the philosophies of
Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois is
MOST ACCURATE?
• a) They differed as to the best way that African
Americans could effectively achieve equality.
• b) Both demanded programs that would provide
for immediate social equality.
• c) Both believed that vocational training would
provide the most important kind of education for
African Americans.
• d) Neither wanted the Federal Government to
play a major role in protecting the civil rights of
African Americans.

46. • 44. The main goal of the Americanization
Movement was to
________________________.
• A. Limit the number of immigrants entering
the country
• B. Assimilate people of various cultures into
the dominant culture
• C. Improve the living conditions in America’s
largest cities
• D. Encourage people to move from the
country to the city

47. • 45. Match the Progressive amendment to its
reform.
• A. 16th 1. prohibition of alcohol
• B. 17th
2. women’s suffrage
• C. 18th
3. graduated income tax
• D. 19th 4. direct election of U.S. Senators
•
• [A] A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4
• [B] A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2
• [C] A-2, B-3, C-4, D-1
• [D] A-4, B-1, C-2, D-3

48. • 46. The Progressive movement supported
the idea that the federal government should:
• A. regulate big business
• B. reduce immigration
• C. build an overseas empire
• D. reduce the number of farms

49. • 47. Upton Sinclair, Lincoln Steffens, Jacob
Riis and Ida Tarbell made their greatest
contributions to the
•
Progressive movement by:
• A. working to end political corruption in cities
• B. speaking out for the equal rights of
Hispanic Americans
• C. supporting legislation to improve tenement
housing
• D. publishing books and articles to expose the
problems of society

50. • 48. Which event of the early 1900s is
evidence that Upton Sinclair’s novel The
Jungle had an important impact on the
United States?
• A. adoption of reforms in public education—
Newlands Act
• B. passage of legislation limiting immigration
and requiring a literacy test—Chinese
Exclusion Act
• C. adoption of the 18th amendment
establishing Prohibition
• D. passage of legislation requiring Federal
inspection of meat—Meat Inspection Act

51. • 49. President Woodrow Wilson supported
creation of the Federal Reserve System in
1913 to:
• A. balance the federal budget
• B. regulate the amount of money in
circulation
• C. serve as a source of loans for farmers
• D. solve the financial problems of the Great
Depression

52. • 50. The purpose of the Interstate Commerce
Act (1887), the Sherman Antitrust Act (1890),
and the Clayton Antitrust Act (1914) was to
• A. eliminate unfair business practices
• B. reduce imports from foreign nations
• C. reduce the power of the unions
• D. increase the power of local governments

53. • 51. Which generalization
about population growth is
supported by information
in this chart?
• A. For every census listed,
rural population exceeded
urban population.
• B. By 1920, more people
lived in cities than in rural
areas.
• C. The Civil War significantly
slowed the rate of
population growth.
• D. Most urban population
growth was due to people
migrating from rural areas.

54. • 52. The Panic of 1893 did NOT lead to which
of the following?
• A. the March on Washington by Coxey’s Army
seeking government intervention in the
economy
• B. the need for foreign trade between
European nations and the United States
• C. the federal government recognizing labor
unions right to collectively bargain
• D. the rise of the Populist movement and the
electoral showdown over the economy in
1896

55. • 53. Reformers of the early 20th century
frequently attacked political machines
because the politicians in these organizations
often:
• A. denied voting rights to the poor
• B. accepted bribes in return for favors
• C. wasted money on military spending
• D. discriminated against migrant workers

56. • 54. The initiative, referendum, and recall
election were supported by the Progressives
as ways to:
• A. limit government regulation of the press
• B. limit the role of the Supreme Court in
constitutional issues
• C. increase citizen participation in the political
process
• D. increase the influence of major political
parties