Day 2 USH A DOL: The Gilded Age Economy

During the Gilded Age there was a notable increase in federal support for —

• the growth of big business

• involvement in foreign wars

• the acquisition of foreign territories

• increased temperance regulations

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.

Which of the following occurred between 1865 and 1900 as a result of the rapid industrialization of the United States?

• Social and economic class divisions began to disappear.

• Concerns about air pollution led to stricter environmental regulations.

• Union membership increased as workers sought better pay and conditions.

• Factory owners introduced wage-equity policies for women in the workplace.

One way the U.S. government responded to the problems caused by the conditions in this list was by —

• passing the Interstate Commerce Act

• implementing the silver standard for currency

• creating a federal jobs program for the unemployed

• establishing a new tax on capital gains

Picture of Carnegie Library, Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan, 1908

Which Andrew Carnegie quotation best explains why he funded libraries like the one in this photograph?

• “Under the law of competition, the employer of thousands is forced into the strictest economies, . . . and often there is friction between the employer and the employed.”

• “The price which society pays for the law of competition, like the price it pays for cheap comforts and luxuries, is... great.”

• “The best means of benefiting the community is to place within its reach the ladders upon which the aspiring can rise.”

• “This, then, is... the duty of the man of wealth: To set an example of modest, unostentatious living, shunning display or extravagance.”

The business practice described above eventually led to the enactment of legislation that —

• guaranteed public access to corporate records

• protected consumers by prohibiting monopolies

• protected domestic industries from foreign competition

• required reciprocity agreements between state governments

How did Andrew Carnegie contribute to civic and social life in the United States?

• By promoting spiritual and moral values in public schools

• By supporting conservative ideals in federal legislation and foreign policy

• By establishing philanthropic organizations dedicated to education and the arts

• By creating a charitable foundation to end hunger

Which application of a new technology can be attributed to an invention of Thomas Edison?

• Refrigerated railroad cars allowed food to be transported long distances.

• Light bulbs made it efficient for factory workers to work at night.

• Diesel engines were used in the production of airplanes.

• Sonar technology was used to track submarines.

The Knights of Labor and the American Federation of Labor developed in response to the —

• increased need to protect worker interests

• decreased power of political machines

• increased demand for skilled workers

• decreased profitability of the agricultural sector

Which benefit resulted from the introduction of the Bessemer steel process?

• Mechanical reapers to replace horse-drawn reapers

• Stronger and cheaper material for railroads and bridges

• Transistors for radios

• Electric lightbulb