Ch. 13 & 14 PG. 1-6: US History

What was the primary goal of the Homestead Act of 1862?

• To provide free land for railroad construction

• To encourage settlement and cultivation of the western frontier

• To increase federal revenue from land sales

• To promote agricultural technology in the East

What was the primary effect of the Morrill Act of 1862 on American education?

• It expanded free public education to all states

• It led to the creation of colleges focused on agriculture and mechanical arts

• It required states to teach new farming methods to foreign immigrants

• It promoted higher education in law and government

What financial challenge does the diagram most likely illustrate for farmers in the late 19th century?

• The increasing cost of labor

• The high cost of farm machinery and tools

• The low cost of land in the West

• The lack of access to transportation

Which group was most likely demanding regulation of railroad rates?

• Bankers

• Grangers

• Merchants

• Industrialists

How did the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad help fulfill Manifest Destiny?

• It expanded the U.S. military presence in the West

• It helped to connect the East and West, facilitating settlement and trade

• It provided free land to settlers in the West

• It established new government-controlled territories in the West

How did the Supreme Court's decision in Munn v. Illinois (1877) impact farmers?

• It allowed farmers to set prices for their grain

• It gave states the power to regulate the storage rates of grain elevators

• It required federal intervention in grain storage

• It made it illegal to store grain in elevators

Which economic policy did the Populist Party support to address income inequality?

• A flat income tax for all citizens

• A graduated income tax where higher incomes are taxed at higher rates

• A sales tax on agricultural goods

• A tax exemption for the wealthy

Which of the following was a major cause of the Panic of 1893?

• Overproduction of silver

• A rapid increase in agricultural prices

• Railroad bankruptcies and a decline in the stock market

• The adoption of the silver coinage by the U.S. government

What was the main purpose of the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887?

• To regulate railroad rates and practices

• To nationalize the railroad industry

• To ensure private ownership of railroads

• To encourage competition among railroad companies

What political reforms were the Populists most likely advocating for, based on the cartoon?

• Lower taxes for corporations

• Government ownership of railroads and telegraph companies

• Increased tariffs on foreign goods

• Limitation on the rights of workers to unionize