The Gilded Age Introduction

Multiple Choice

Which of the following eras is associated with the use of steam power in transforming energy?

• Stone Age

• Bronze Age

• Industrial Revolution

• Information Age

Open Ended

Which technological advancement do you think had the greatest impact on the rise of big business, and why?

Multiple Choice

What is one major advantage for investors in a corporation if the business experiences economic problems?

• They lose no more than they invested.

• They are required to pay off all company debts.

• They automatically become the sole owners.

• They receive government compensation.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following rights did corporations have that made them suitable for expanding markets?

• They could buy and sell property.

• They could vote in elections.

• They could avoid paying taxes.

• They could not be sued in court.

Open Ended

Describe two strategies corporations used to maximize profits in the late 19th century.

Multiple Select

Based on slides 3 and 4, which of the following were ways corporations tried to decrease their cost of producing goods or services?

• Adopting new business forms like horizontal or vertical integration

• Paying high wages to workers

• Supporting research labs for new production methods

• Obtaining raw materials as cheaply as possible

Open Ended

Cornelius Vanderbilt and John D. Rockefeller used different methods to gain advantage over their competitors. Compare and contrast their approaches based on the information provided.

Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the blank: According to H.D. Lloyd in The Atlantic, 1881, Rockefeller could dictate to

in the railroad industry.

Multiple Choice

What is horizontal integration in business management?

• A system of consolidating many firms in the same business

• A system of controlling all stages of production

• A method to increase worker productivity

• A way to reduce government regulation

Open Ended

How did the management innovation of horizontal integration impact labor and business efficiency?

Fill in the Blanks

Carnegie used the model of

integration to make his company more efficient.

Multiple Select

Which of the following are characteristics of vertical integration?

• Control of supply chain

• Elimination of competition by buying rivals

• Integration of raw materials, distribution, and retail

• Control of prices and supply

Open Ended

What are some potential advantages and disadvantages of big business as suggested by the images and titles in the slides?

Multiple Choice

Why did many consumers, workers, and the federal government begin to oppose business leaders in the late 1800s?

• They believed business leaders had an unfair advantage

• They supported higher prices set by monopolies

• They wanted more business mergers

• They preferred trusts to small companies

Multiple Choice

What was a common criticism of the government's laissez-faire policies during the era of 'robber barons'?

• They hurt workers and consumers.

• They promoted fair wages.

• They encouraged small businesses.

• They reduced monopolies.

Open Ended

How did the relationship between government and business begin to change during the late 19th century?

Multiple Select

Which of the following were reasons Americans wanted the federal government to regulate business?

• Price fixing and pooling drove up rates.

• Unfair business practices and poor wages.

• Good working conditions for labor force.

• High costs of laissez-faire policies.

Fill in the Blanks

The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) was created in

to monitor railroad shipping rates.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following was NOT an advantage of the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890?

• It was easy to enforce.

• It enabled Congress to regulate trade between states.

• It tried to eliminate hidden monopolies.

• It enabled competitors to sue trustees of rival companies.

Open Ended

In what ways did the ICC and Sherman Antitrust Act begin a trend toward federal limitations on corporate power, even if they did not immediately stop unfair business practices?

Multiple Choice

Which of the following best represents the main political issue depicted in the cartoon on the first slide?

• Corruption in government

• Economic prosperity

• Expansion of voting rights

• Civil rights movement

Fill in the Blanks

Political power during the Gilded Age was difficult to keep due to

and corruption.

Open Ended

How did the issues of weak leadership and corruption in national politics during the 1870s-1890s affect the effectiveness of the government?

Multiple Choice

During the Gilded Age, what were some of the challenges that made it difficult for political parties to pass new laws?

• Evenly divided party loyalties

• Strong presidential leadership

• Lack of political parties

• Widespread public support for reforms

Open Ended

Reflecting on the timeline of technological progress, what do you think might be the next major transformation after computing information?

Multiple Choice

How has the transformation of material, energy, and information contributed to the progress of human society according to the timeline?

• By enabling the development of new tools and technologies

• By limiting the growth of civilizations

• By preventing communication between societies

• By reducing the need for innovation