Gilded Age

In the late nineteenth century, critics of big business claimed that monopolies in the United States harmed the economy by

• unfairly limiting competition
• decreasing the urban growth rate
• preventing technological innovation
• failing to keep pace with European industries

The Interstate Commerce Act (1877) and the Sherman Antitrust Act (1890) were efforts by the federal government to

• regulate aspects of business
• expand the positive features of the trusts
• favor big business over small companies
• move toward governemnt ownership of key industries

Which bests describes the positive contribution of Andrew Carnegie?

• Carnegie helped workers obtain better conditions in his factories.
• Carnegie showed how to organize large scale production as well as how to use profits in philanthropic activities
• Carnegie obtained secret rebates from railroad companies shipping his products
• Carnegie obtained near monopoly control of one part of a national industry, rather than engaing in several related activities

What was the importance of the laissez-fair policies of the federal government in the late nineteenth century?

• American entrepreneurs were able to invest in their business with little government interference
• American businesses were able to avoid the ups and downs of the business cycle
• American workers found it easy to organize into labor unions
• American workers felt secure about the safety conditions in factories.

What was the main purpose of the antitrust legislation passed by Congress?

• to promote corporate consolidation
• to restrict foreign access to American markets
• to protect competition between private businesses
• to ref

During the period from 1865 to 1900, disputes between labor and business owners were sometimes marked by

• the use of violence by both sides
• cooperative efforts to resolve differences
• government support for striking workers
• negotiations by the federal government

What social issue was raised by the philanthropic activities of many American business leaders during the Gilded Age?

• Should private industries be taken over by worker organizations?
• Were American businesses charging too much for their products?
• Should state governments limit the philanthropic activities of private citizens?
• Was it right for business owners to pay low wages to their workers to finance philithropic activities?

During the late 1800s, what was a major effect of industrialization on American workers?

• Membership in labor unions declined
• Workers migrated to rural regions
• Most factory jobs became service industry jobs
• Skilled craftsmen were often replaced by unskilled machine operators

In the late 1800s, which factor directly contributed to the growth of the American steel industry?

• government regulation
• employee ownership
• new production techniques
• the formation of labor unions

Which goal was shared by both the Knights of Labor and the American Federation of Labor?

• to help large corporations to increase their production
• to introduce new and innovative techniques to factories
• to promote immigration of skilled workers from Asia dn Europe
• to organize workers to demand better conditions from employers