Social Issues of the Gilded Age

Which of the following would be considered a Pull Factor that attracted Immigrants to the U.S. during the Gilded Age?

• The Dawes Act

• The Reservation System

• Nativism

• The Homestead Act of 1862

Answer explanation

Did you know that 270 million acres of land was given away through this act.... that 10% of the U.S. land area

Which of the following would be a correct description of what life was like in urban areas during the Gilded Age?

• majority of the people were wealthy

• most people in urban areas lived in nice houses

• most people lived in poverty, and cities were overcrowded & dirty

• city streets were well maintained, and the unemployment rate was low

What were the apartment style houses that many immigrants lived in called?

• Tenements

• Condos

• Shack

• Hotel

Answer explanation

Which of the options below would correctly describe the working conditions during the Gilded Age? (choose all that apply)

• long hours & low wages

• child labor

• Plenty of vacation & sick days

• often unsafe working conditions

Answer explanation

Which of the following was a direct result of immigration during the Gilded Age?

• Overcrowded Rural areas

• Overcrowded Cities

• Decreased Nativism

• Improved working conditions

Answer explanation

Did you know that 11.7 million people immigrated to the U.S. during the Gilded Age

Most people that immigrated from Western European countries entered the U.S. through which immigration station?

• Angle Island

• Ellis Island

• New Mexico

• St. Lawrence Seaway

Answer explanation

Ellis Island Fun Facts:

* operated from 1892-1954

* over 14 million people enter the U.S. through Ellis Island

* Immigrants had to pass a medical inspection, prove they had some money, and that they could read

What types of jobs did children often have during the Gilded Age? (click all that apply)

• working on machines in factories

• selling newspapers on street corners

• breaking up coal in mines

• chimney sweeps

How did settlement houses benefit immigrants? (select all that apply)

• Influenced how they would vote in local elections

• Provided them housing

• Helped them maintain their cultural traditions

• Helped them assimilate into American Society

Answer explanation

Jane Addams founded the first settlement house in the U.S........ It was called the Hull House, and it was located in Chicago

What do you think was the most difficult part about immigrating into the U.S. during the Gilded Age?

• The long trip by boat

• Dealing with Nativism once in the U.S.

• Assimilating into American Society

Explain how you think mass immigration during the Gilded Age contributed to each of the Urban Issues of this time period.