Practice STAAR Questions - Gilded Age and some Progressive

Which of the following best characterizes the Gilded Age?

• The discovery of goldfields in the West led to an increase in the amount of money issued for circulation

• Industrialists used their connections with corrupt government officials for material gain and political power

• In the Deep South, a sharp increase in immigration brought a boom in construction and industry

• Small, family-owned farms were bought and consolidated to form large agricultural corporations

Answer explanation

Remember Gilded Age was gold on the outside, but bad on the inside!

The primary objective of the Dawes Act was to -

• promote cultural assimilation of American Indians

• turn American Indian reservations into corporate farmland

• end warfare between American Indians and the U.S. military

• promote American Indian investment in private industry

Answer explanation

The Dawes Act gave free land to Natives but it was POOR AND DRY LAND!

Which issue is this cartoon addressing?

• Political corruption

• Temperance

• Civil-service reform

• Segregation

Answer explanation

One way political machines got votes was by bribing voters with free food and help!

What was one reason for the expansion of machine politics in the late 19th century?

• The rapid influx of immigrants made it difficult for local governments to provide basic services

• Federal restrictions prevented voters from influencing government decisions at the local level

• The economy was too tightly regulated to allow urban growth

• Settlement houses failed to help immigrants adjust to life in the city

Answer explanation

Yes, political machines were bad and stole money... but they used some of that money to help immigrants!

Which result completes the diagram?

• Ratification of a suffrage amendment

• Building of the transcontinental railroad

• Passage of prohibition legislation

• Expansion of labor unions

Answer explanation

Labor unions are a group of workers who fight for better working conditions and pay!

Which group of people most likely inspired the creation of this 1893 cartoon?

• Union leaders

• Philanthropists

• Political bosses

• Nativists

Answer explanation

Nativists are people who are anti-immigrant :(

Which factor facilitated statehood for the darker-shaded areas?

• The introduction of barbed wire throughout the Great Plains

• The expansion of railway lines throughout the West

• The acceptance of Mormons by other religious sects in the East

• The peaceful integration of settlers with American Indian populations

Answer explanation

The Transcontinental Railroad connected the United States from east to west

Which of the following occurred as a result of the Sherman Antitrust Act?

• Workers secured a greater share of company profits

• The influence of labor unions on factory owners was reduced

• The federal government could dissolve business monopolies

• Businesses were required to pay fees to open overseas locations

Answer explanation

Remember another word for 'monopoly' is 'trust'. Meaning one person/company controls an industry!

How did the Nineteenth Amendment expand the democratic process?

• By prohibiting discrimination in voting on the basis of race

• By eliminating the poll tax

• By prohibiting discrimination in voting on the basis of gender

• By lowering the voting age

Answer explanation

The 19th Amendment allows women to vote

Which of these contributed to the ratification of the Eighteenth Amendment?

• Veteran soldiers protesting to obtain benefits

• The growing political influence of women

• Politicians campaigning for education reform

• The growing number of workers organizing into labor unions

Answer explanation

18th Amendment says NO ALCOHOL! Women didn't like it when men drank because they became violent!