The Gilded Age

A chief characteristic of the Gilded Age includes —

• Greater rights for Indians

• Growth of big business and industry

• Indian removal and farming in the west

• The development of labor unions and populist movements

Answer explanation

A chief characteristic of the Gilded Age is the growth of big business and industry, which transformed the economy. Additionally, westward expansion and the rise of labor unions and populist movements were significant social and economic developments during this period.

The growth of political machines and corruption of the “spoils system" led to call for...

• protests from Congressional leaders to regulate state governments

• demands from labor leaders that hiring practices needed to change

• Civil Service reform and calls for a merit system

• the direct election of senators and creation of an income tax

Answer explanation

The rise of political machines and corruption from the spoils system prompted demands for Civil Service reform and a merit system to ensure fair hiring practices based on ability rather than political connections.

The purpose of the Dawes Severalty Act of 1877 was to —

• return lands to American Indian tribes

• make American Indians more successful on the reservations

• assimilate American Indians

• draft American Indians into the U.S. military

Answer explanation

The Dawes Severalty Act of 1877 aimed to assimilate American Indians by allotting them individual plots of land, breaking up tribal lands and promoting integration into American society.

Why did the U.S. attack Indians, try to exterminate the buffalo, and move Indians onto the reservations?

• To secure the boundaries of the United States

• To try and stop the Indians from taking over Texas

• To make land available for Americans to settle

• To make an area to banish former Confederates after the Civil Wr

Answer explanation

The U.S. aimed to make land available for American settlers by attacking Indians, exterminating buffalo, and relocating tribes to reservations, facilitating westward expansion and settlement.

In 1862 the U.S. government passed the Homestead Act, which resulted in the migration of American settlers to the Great Plains in the late 19th century. The U.S. government responded to this population changes in the West by —

• building schools on reservations

• regulating the cost of railroad tickets

• posting military regiments in the region

• granting citizenship to the American Indians

Answer explanation

The U.S. government responded to the migration by granting citizenship to American Indians, recognizing their rights amid the influx of settlers, which was a significant step towards integrating Native populations into American society.

Why did the U.S. military and settlers begin hunting buffalo and killing them by the millions?

• In order to weaken the American Indian tribes

• Americans had a strong tradition of being sportsman hunters

• American Indians had shown Americans the value of buffalo meat

• The U.S. government did not want the buffalo to attack settlers cattle

Answer explanation

The U.S. military and settlers hunted buffalo to weaken American Indian tribes, as the buffalo was a vital resource for their sustenance and culture. By decimating the buffalo population, they aimed to disrupt the tribes' way of life.

Industrialization created low-wage, low-skill jobs with workers that could be replaced easily. This led to the creation of groups such as...

• The Klu Klux Klan

• The Comanche

• The Grange

• The American Federation of Labor

Answer explanation

The American Federation of Labor was formed to advocate for workers' rights in response to the low-wage, low-skill jobs created by industrialization, aiming to improve working conditions and wages.

Agriculture during the Gilded Age was characterized by...

• A majority of farmers being replaced by new machines

• An attempt to deal with the loss of slave labor

• Struggles due to high railroad fees and overproduction of crops

• A steady move toward growing more cotton due to the extreme profits

Answer explanation

During the Gilded Age, farmers faced significant challenges, including high railroad fees that increased costs and overproduction that led to falling prices, making it difficult for them to sustain their livelihoods.

What caused a boom in the steel industry during the Gilded Age?

• The dropping prices of steel

• The Bessemer Steel Process making production easier

• Europeans needed steel to build new cities after major wars

• The invention of the telephone meant that phone lines needed steel beams

Answer explanation

The Bessemer Steel Process revolutionized steel production by making it faster and cheaper, leading to a significant boom in the steel industry during the Gilded Age.

How did companies use capitalism to create an anti-capitalist business environment?

• By forming trusts and monopolies

• By breaking strikes using the federal government

• By supporting socialist political candidates

• By making massive profits

Answer explanation

By forming trusts and monopolies, companies concentrated power and reduced competition, undermining the principles of capitalism. This created an environment where a few entities controlled markets, leading to anti-capitalist sentiments.