19th Century Humanities
Multiple-Choice Questions
- After the Civil War, one way business leaders tried to eliminate competition was by
② developing overseas markets
③ increasing the prices of their products
④ paying higher wages to their workers
2. In the United States, organized labor made its greatest membership gains when
① the right to unionize and bargain collectively was guaranteed by legislation
② international competition began to threaten jobs in the United States
③ the major business groups encouraged unionization
④ the economy began to shift from manufacturing to service employment
3. During the latter half of the 19th century, many business organizations in the United States combined into large corporations because
① income levels for workers would be improved
② government intervention in economic affairs would decline
③ efficiency in production methods could be increased
④ economic possibilities outside the United States could be explored
4. From 1865 to 1900, how did the growth of industry affect American society?
① The United States experienced the disappearance of their own traditions
② Population centers shifted from the Northeast to the South
③ Restrictions on immigration created a more homogeneous culture
④ The percentage of Americans living in urban areas increased
5. During the late 1800’s, a major reaction to the activities of labor unions in the United States was that
① the press in most communities supported unions
② United States Presidents opposed the use of Federal troops to end strikes called by organized labor
③ courts frequently issued injunctions to stop strikes
④ most factory workers quickly joined the unions
6. Laws requiring individuals to pass civil service examinations to obtain government jobs were enacted to
① eliminate patronage and corruption in government hiring
② allow the government to compete with private industry for employees
③ support the development of public employee labor unions
④ encourage the growth of local political parties
7. Businesses formed trusts, pools, and holding companies mainly to
① increase profits by eliminating competition
② offer a wide range of goods and services to consumers
③ provide employment opportunities for minorities
④ protect the interests of workers
8. The Rockefeller Foundation, Carnegie Hall, and the Morgan Library illustrate various ways that entrepreneurs and their descendants have
① suppressed the growth of labor unions
② supported philanthropic activities to benefit society
③ applied scientific discoveries to industry
④ attempted to undermine the United States economic system
9. The American Federation of Labor became the first long-lasting, successful labor union in the United States mainly because it
① refused to participate in strikes against employers
② concentrated on organizing workers in industries in the South
③ formed its own political party and elected many public officials
④ fought for the rights of skilled workers
10. Many wealthy American industrialists of the late 19th century used the theory of Social Darwinism to
① support the labor union movement
② justify monopolistic actions
③ promote legislation establishing a minimum wage
④ encourage charitable orga-nizations to help the poor
11. During the period from 1865 to 1900, disputes between labor and management were often marked by
① the use of violence by both sides
② cooperative efforts to resolve differences
③ government support of striking workers
④ arbitration by the Federal Government
12. The Federal Civil Service System was begun in the late 19th century primarily to
① reward political party supporters
② reduce the practice of political patronage
③ secure political campaign contributions
④ provide government contracts for big business
13. Which economic concept is best illustrated by the cartoon?
① supply and demand
② mercantilism
③ monopoly
④ trade
② mercantilism
③ monopoly
④ trade
ANSWER
1. Correct Answer Number: ①
Explanation: A monopoly is a business that controls a vast majority or all of the market for a specific good or service. During the Gilded Age, many areas of the US economy were dominated by companies engaged in monopolies that drove competitions out of business. It was not until the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890 that the government made any attempts to regulate or control the business practices of these monopolies.
2. Correct Answer Number: ①
Explanation: Collective bargaining is the idea in which workers cooperate to achieve a common goal. In collective bargaining, representatives of the workers will negotiate with the management to secure gains for all workers, for each individual workers are forbidden to negotiate for him or herself. This concept greatly increased the power of workers to pressure for concessions and increased the power and importance of the union movement.
3. Correct Answer Number: ③
Explanation: The advantage of larger corporations over smaller ones becomes clear when considering the idea of “Economies of Scale”. The idea is basically about larger corporations making more from given product, and as a result, they can buy more raw materials needed in production and negotiate a lower cost for those materials at the same time. All in all, a bigger corporation will be able to offer the same product at a lower overall cost to consumers, giving it the advantage in the marketplace against smaller competitors. Corporations such as John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company used this advantage to lower prices and drive many smaller companies out of business, cutting its competitors into a limited number.
4. Correct Answer Number: ④
Explanation: The rise of American industry during the late 1800’s mostly resulted in an urban population increase. Areas such as New York City, Chicago, Boston and other major cities experienced huge influxes of population from rural locales as well as foreign immigration. This urbanization was occurring as people sought for available jobs in the growing US factories located in the cities. Another contributing factor was the increase in farming technology and efficiency, which reduced the need for farm workers and forced these displaced workers to seek other available employment.
5. Correct Answer Number: ③
Explanation: The policy of the US government during the era of early union growth was to support industry in strikes and worker conflicts. In strikes such as the Great Railway Strike of 1877 and the Pullman Car Co. Strike of 1894, the federal government sided with the business, forcing the striking employees back to work.
6. Correct Answer Number: ①
Explanation: The 1883 Pendleton Act created the civil service system as a way of reducing the effect of the “spoils system”. Under the spoils system, corruption in government was rampant as political jobs, appointments and access was based on favoritism and political connections. The Civil Service System was designed to grant jobs and such to the most qualified individuals, based mainly on their merit and skills.
7. Correct Answer Number: ①
Explanation: A monopoly is a business that controls a vast majority or all of the market for a specific good or service. Holding companies and pools are various forms of this idea in which one larger company may own many of the smaller companies within an industry. During the Gilded Age, many areas of the US economy were dominated by monopolistic companies that drove competitions out of business, thereby reducing competition. It was not until the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890 that the government made any attempts to regulate or control the business practices of these monopolies.
8. Correct Answer Number: ②
Explanation: Steel magnate Andrew Carnegie is perhaps the most famous of all philanthropists in American history. He once stated "The man who dies thus rich dies disgraced.". From this explanation, he is trying to encourage the donation of excess wealth for the betterment of society. Carnegie and his contemporaries donated huge sums for the construction of libraries, hospitals, schools and other public institutions. This American tradition continues today in the one billion dollar donation by Ted Turner to the United Nations and the on-going work of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
9. Correct Answer Number: ④
Explanation: Craft unions such as the American Federation of Labor (AFL) were successful at organizing skilled or craft workers. This was more successful due to the fact that skilled workers are more difficult to replace. Organizing unskilled workers proved to be much tougher, as companies could easily replace such workers with any number of newly arrived immigrants willing to work for the wages they offered.
10. Correct Answer Number: ②
Explanation: Based on the work of Charles Darwin's explanation of evolution, Social Darwinism is the application of “survival of the fittest” to society and business. It held that weaker companies would die off at the hands of stronger, better, and superior corporations. It was seen as justification of laissez-faire capitalism, as government should not interfere in the nature of economic evolution by which smaller, weaker companies are eliminated. This concept was also applied to individual success, by which the most successful in society were thought to be the smartest, hardest working, and most fit.
11. Correct Answer Number: ①
Explanation: In the Homestead Strike against Carnegie Steel in 1892, workers struck in protest of a cut in pay. The management of the plant brought in security guards (the famous Pinkerton agency, which is mentioned in my Prezi---- *Artifact 13*) to guard the plant. Hostilities ran high and violence resulted. In the wake of these hostilities, sixteen men were killed. Subsequently the National Guard was called into the break the strike and it ended with a loss for the union and few of the striking steel workers were rehired.
12. Correct Answer Number: ②
Explanation: The 1883 Pendleton Act created the civil service system as a way of reducing the effect of the “spoils system”. Under the spoils system, corruption in government was rampant as political jobs, appointments and access was based on favoritism and political connections. The Civil Service System was designed to grant jobs and such to the most qualified individuals, based mainly on their merit and skills.
13. Correct Answer Number: ③
Explanation: A monopoly is a business that controls a vast majority or all of the market for a specific good or service. During the Gilded Age, many areas of the US economy were dominated by companies engaged in monopolies that drove competitions out of business. It was not until the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890 that the government made any attempts to regulate or control the business practices of these monopolies.
2. Correct Answer Number: ①
4. Correct Answer Number: ④
Explanation: The rise of American industry during the late 1800’s mostly resulted in an urban population increase. Areas such as New York City, Chicago, Boston and other major cities experienced huge influxes of population from rural locales as well as foreign immigration. This urbanization was occurring as people sought for available jobs in the growing US factories located in the cities. Another contributing factor was the increase in farming technology and efficiency, which reduced the need for farm workers and forced these displaced workers to seek other available employment.
5. Correct Answer Number: ③
Explanation: The policy of the US government during the era of early union growth was to support industry in strikes and worker conflicts. In strikes such as the Great Railway Strike of 1877 and the Pullman Car Co. Strike of 1894, the federal government sided with the business, forcing the striking employees back to work.
6. Correct Answer Number: ①
Explanation: The 1883 Pendleton Act created the civil service system as a way of reducing the effect of the “spoils system”. Under the spoils system, corruption in government was rampant as political jobs, appointments and access was based on favoritism and political connections. The Civil Service System was designed to grant jobs and such to the most qualified individuals, based mainly on their merit and skills.
7. Correct Answer Number: ①
Explanation: A monopoly is a business that controls a vast majority or all of the market for a specific good or service. Holding companies and pools are various forms of this idea in which one larger company may own many of the smaller companies within an industry. During the Gilded Age, many areas of the US economy were dominated by monopolistic companies that drove competitions out of business, thereby reducing competition. It was not until the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890 that the government made any attempts to regulate or control the business practices of these monopolies.
8. Correct Answer Number: ②
Explanation: Steel magnate Andrew Carnegie is perhaps the most famous of all philanthropists in American history. He once stated "The man who dies thus rich dies disgraced.". From this explanation, he is trying to encourage the donation of excess wealth for the betterment of society. Carnegie and his contemporaries donated huge sums for the construction of libraries, hospitals, schools and other public institutions. This American tradition continues today in the one billion dollar donation by Ted Turner to the United Nations and the on-going work of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
9. Correct Answer Number: ④
Explanation: Craft unions such as the American Federation of Labor (AFL) were successful at organizing skilled or craft workers. This was more successful due to the fact that skilled workers are more difficult to replace. Organizing unskilled workers proved to be much tougher, as companies could easily replace such workers with any number of newly arrived immigrants willing to work for the wages they offered.
10. Correct Answer Number: ②
Explanation: Based on the work of Charles Darwin's explanation of evolution, Social Darwinism is the application of “survival of the fittest” to society and business. It held that weaker companies would die off at the hands of stronger, better, and superior corporations. It was seen as justification of laissez-faire capitalism, as government should not interfere in the nature of economic evolution by which smaller, weaker companies are eliminated. This concept was also applied to individual success, by which the most successful in society were thought to be the smartest, hardest working, and most fit.
11. Correct Answer Number: ①
Explanation: In the Homestead Strike against Carnegie Steel in 1892, workers struck in protest of a cut in pay. The management of the plant brought in security guards (the famous Pinkerton agency, which is mentioned in my Prezi---- *Artifact 13*) to guard the plant. Hostilities ran high and violence resulted. In the wake of these hostilities, sixteen men were killed. Subsequently the National Guard was called into the break the strike and it ended with a loss for the union and few of the striking steel workers were rehired.
12. Correct Answer Number: ②
Explanation: The 1883 Pendleton Act created the civil service system as a way of reducing the effect of the “spoils system”. Under the spoils system, corruption in government was rampant as political jobs, appointments and access was based on favoritism and political connections. The Civil Service System was designed to grant jobs and such to the most qualified individuals, based mainly on their merit and skills.
13. Correct Answer Number: ③
