2.4 Gilded Age Innovation Reading Q

How did the invention of electric power contribute to urban growth during the Gilded Age?

• It made cities safer and more attractive by providing well-lit streets.

• It reduced the need for factories in cities.

• It caused people to move from cities to rural areas.

• It limited the hours factories could operate.

What was one major effect of the discovery of oil on the automotive industry?

• It led to the explosive growth of gasoline-powered vehicles.

• It made steam-powered vehicles more popular.

• It decreased the demand for transportation.

• It caused the decline of the steel industry.

What was a direct result of the increased demand for electric appliances during the Gilded Age?

• The creation of new industries and job opportunities

• A decrease in factory jobs

• A decline in urban populations

• A reduction in the use of electricity

Why was the Gilded Age considered a period of rapid economic change in America?

• New inventions and industries greatly changed how the economy worked.

• There were no significant technological advancements.

• The economy remained stagnant.

• Only agriculture grew during this period.

What was a major social effect of safer, well-lit streets in cities during the Gilded Age?

• Cities became more lively and attractive places to live, drawing people from rural areas.

• People moved away from cities to avoid electric lights.

• Crime rates increased due to more lighting.

• Factories closed earlier in the evening.

Which invention is most directly linked to the creation of new job opportunities in electric appliance industries?

• Electric power

• Telephone

• Steam engine

• Railroad

What strategic advantage did businesses gain from the telephone during the Gilded Age?

• They could make quicker decisions and coordinate better due to instant communication.

• They could avoid communicating with customers.

• They could only operate locally.

• They no longer needed to advertise their products.

How did the Gilded Age innovations collectively impact the United States economy?

• They led to increased industrialization, urban growth, and new job opportunities.

• They caused a decline in technological progress.

• They resulted in fewer industries and less economic activity.

• They made the economy more dependent on agriculture.

Which of the following best describes how steel enabled infrastructure advances?

• Steel was only used for making household items.

• Steel’s durability allowed for the construction of skyscrapers, bridges, and railroads.

• Steel replaced all forms of transportation.

• Steel was not used in urbanization.

Why was the transcontinental railroad considered monumental for the United States?

• It only benefited the East Coast.

• It promoted trade, migration, and settlement of the American West.

• It was never completed.

• It discouraged economic growth.