Industrial Revolution, Immigration and Big Business

What was one effect of new tools that led to increased efficiency on American farms?

• Farming became much more profitable, and more people chose to work on farms.

• Farms shrank in size and became less profitable as a result.

• Many American farm workers were forced to move to other countries to find work.

• Fewer workers were needed on farms, and many people moved from rural areas to cities.

Which answer choice best describes the role of American entrepreneurs in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries?

• American entrepreneurs started the labor movement in the United States to improve working conditions.

• American entrepreneurs were government employees who helped inventors bring their ideas to the marketplace.

• American entrepreneurs were business people who took risks in creating new businesses, some of which succeeded.

• American entrepreneurs were scientists who studied the impact of new inventions on American society.

Which of the following is an example of an innovation leading to improvements in how goods or products are made?

• The Bessemer process made it possible to produce high-quality steel more cheaply than before.

• Andrew Carnegie bought iron and coal mines so he could own the main materials he needed to make steel.

• John D. Rockefeller built an oil refinery to help turn oil into gasoline.

• Harvey S. Firestone manufactured and sold tires to use on Ford automobiles.

Which of the following would be the best caption for the photograph?

• New immigrants enjoy working in an American city.

• A family of immigrants arrives in America.

• Workers sew clothing in a large American factory.

• A family works together in a crowded, urban tenement.

How did immigrants contribute to the diversity of American culture?

• They gave up their native languages and adopted English.

• They no longer practiced their traditions or cooked traditional foods.

• They brought their languages, foods, and traditions with them.

• They lived in isolated communities and refused to share with other Americans.

Identify two inventions from this period that improved the lives of Americans. Explain how each improved their lives.

Immigrants had many expectations when they decided to come to the United States from their home countries. Which expectations do you think were generally met, and which expectations were not met?

Based on the graph, what generalization can you make about telephone usage between 1900 and 1920?

• The use of the telephone increased nearly 400 percent during the period.

• Nearly half of all Americans had telephones by 1920.

• Telephone usage did not really begin to grow until after 1910.

• By 1920, most telephone users were making 500 calls per day.

Starting in 1908, Henry Ford developed a method of manufacturing cars that allowed his company to greatly reduce the price for a car. Soon, the Ford Motor Company was responsible for nearly half of all car sales in the United States. Based on the graph, what was the probable effect of Ford's producing a less expensive car?

• Car sales rose significantly before 1908.

• The reduction of prices caused little change in car sales.

• Car sales went down slightly after 1908.

• Car sales rose significantly after 1908.

Why did businessmen such as Andrew Carnegie and Henry Ford try out new methods to reduce their manufacturing costs?

• To increase the profitability of their businesses

• To reduce their use of valuable resources in factories

• To encourage other people to start businesses

• To encourage more workers to move into cities