wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

NEW

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

STAAR US History Review Gilded Age - Great Depression

Total questions: 60

Worksheet time: 35mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

In the late 1800s, which factor directly contributed to the growth of the American steel industry?

a)

government regulation

b)

employee ownership

c)

new production techniques

d)

the formation of labor unions

2.

Which was an important benefit of the laissez-fair policies of the federal government in the late 19th century?

a)

American entrepreneurs were able to invest in their businesses with little government interference

b)

American businesses were able to avoid the ups and downs of the business cycle

c)

American workers found it easy to organize into labor unions

d)

American workers felt secure about the safety of conditions in factories

3.

Nativists in California int he 1880s would most likely have supported the:

a)

creation of settlement houses to aid new immigrants

b)

passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act

c)

continuation of the contract labor system

d)

assimilation of Native American Indians into mainstream culture

4.

The Homestead Act (1862) promoted the development of western lands by:

a)

creating a system of dams for crop irrigation

b)

providing free land to settlers

c)

removing all restrictions on immigration

d)

moving Native American Indians to reservations

5.

Progressive Era reformers sought to expand voter participation in government by adopting:

a)

the initiative and referendum

b)

additional poll taxes

c)

tougher literacy tests

d)

a civil service system

6.

As a result of the Spanish-American War, the US saw the need to build the Panama Canal because:

a)

new colonies had be acquired in Africa

b)

Spanish opposition to the canal had ended

c)

the US navy could move more quickly between oceans

d)

US railroads could not transport enough manufactured goods

7.

Which policy sought to further American interests in Latin America by using the financial power of American business?

a)

Policy of "Watchful Waiting"

b)

Big Stick Policy

c)

balance of power

d)

Dollar Diplomacy

8.

What was a major reason the US entered WWI?

a)

Japanese forces had occupied Manchuria

b)

German troops had landed on American soil

c)

The Austro-Hungarian Empire had invaded Belgium

d)

Germany had resumed unrestricted submarine warfare

9.

What was national attention drawn to William Jennings Bryan & Clarence Darrow in the Scopes Trial of 1925?

a)

The case represented a conflict between modern science and religion

b)

The case reversed a previous Supreme Court decision on free speech

c)

The case upheld the right of veterans to protest in Washington DC

d)

The case revealed the extend of prejudice against immigrants

10.

The "dust bowls" described by John Steinbeck in The Grapes of Wrath had the greatest impact on:

a)

residents of urban slums

b)

plantation owners in the rural south

c)

workers in factory sweatshops

d)

farmers on the Great Plains

11.

The successful launching of Sputnik by the Soviet Union in 1957 sparked

a)

the Cold War with the US

b)

Soviet aggression in Eastern Europe

c)

disarmament discussions between the Suprepowers

d)

American fears that the Soviets had achieved technological superiority

12.

These were journalists who wrote book and articles that exposed corruption in business and government:

a)

Progressives

b)

Muckrakers

c)

Sensationalists

d)

Investigative reporters

13.

This U.S. president made significant contributions to breaking up big business during the Progressive Era:

a)

Howard Taft

b)

Woodrow Wilson

c)

William McKinley

d)

Theodore Roosevelt

14.

What goal are you trying to achieve if you're looking to make urban reforms?

a)

getting rid of a capitalistic economy

b)

eliminating political machines/bosses

c)

conservation of natural resources

d)

ending racial discrimination

15.

People who were trying to get the 19th Amendment passed were supporting what?

a)

Right to vote for 18 year olds

b)

Right to vote for African Americans

c)

Right to vote for women

d)

Right to vote for those in prison

16.

Those who wanted to make economic reform may have been concerned about which issue?

a)

the influence of monopolies and trusts

b)

eliminating political machines/bosses

c)

conservation of natural resources

d)

ending racial discrimination

17.

Someone who uses their position as an elected official to engage in fraudulent activities could be accused of:

a)

being corrupt

b)

being ambitious

c)

being controlling

d)

being monopolistic

18.

People like W.E.B. du Bois participated in the movement against what?

a)

Racism

b)

Women's suffrage

c)

Child Labor

d)

Prohibition

19.

What does the power of referendum give voters the right to do?

a)

select a candidate to run in the general election

b)

to propose a law by getting signatures on a petition

c)

remove elected officials from public office

d)

to approve or reject a law (especially one that imposes taxes)

20.

This act prohibited railroads from charging more for short hauls than for long hauls over the same route.

a)

Interstate Highway Act

b)

Interstate Commerce Act

c)

Homestead Act

d)

Sherman Anti Trust Act

21.

The period between 1900 and the start of World War I is known as the

a)

Gilded Age

b)

Roaring 20s

c)

Progressive Era

d)

Imperialism

22.

creator of settlement houses to assist immigrants moving to the United States

a)

W.E.B. Dubios

b)

Elizabeth Canton

c)

Jane Addams

d)

Ida B. Wells

23.

Considered a Progressive President who initiated the 'Square Deal'

a)

Theodore Roosevelt

b)

Franklin D. Roosevelt

c)

Harry Truman

d)

William Jennings Bryan

24.

fought for women's suffrage along side Elizabeth Cady Santon, creating the National American Woman Suffrage Association.

a)

Jane Addams

b)

Ida B. Wells

c)

W.E.B. Dubios

d)

Susan B, Anthony

25.

Which idea summarizes the Gilded Age?

a)

Many Americans moved west to farm

b)

Native Americans were placed on Reservations

c)

The discovery of Gold increased western migration

d)

Industrialists used their wealth to influence politics

26.

What was an important effect of the invention of the light bulb?

a)

Machines were able to be more efficient

b)

Products were created on the assembly line

c)

Factories could extend working hours

d)

Businesses hired more skilled workers

27.

What is the main idea of the cartoon?

a)

Political Corruption

b)

Laissez Faire

c)

Monopoly

d)

Social Darwinism

28.

What factor most led to the growth of the steel industry?

a)

Laissez faire economics

b)

New production techniques

c)

Labor unions

d)

The need for a new building material

29.

Imperialism is...

a)

the practice of training other countries' military for future invasions.

b)

the practice of growing military power by spending money.

c)

the practice of extending power and influence through various means.

d)

the practice of seizing property and money through various means.

30.

Rebel leader who overthrew Queen Liliuokalani and became president of Republic of Hawaii...

a)

Grover A Cleveland

b)

Sullivan R. Dobbs

c)

Steven F. Austin

d)
Sanford B. Dole
31.

A geographic area where an outside nation exerts special economic or political control...

a)

Special territory

b)

Sphere of influence

c)

Shared republic

d)

State of emergency

32.

What is "yellow journalism?"

a)
Factual and accurate news coverage
b)

Profit-driven reporting

c)

Sensationalism in news reporting

d)
Objective and unbiased reporting
33.

Group of volunteers organized by Theodore Roosevelt who joined the war effort in Cuba:

a)

Patriotic Riders

b)

Freedom Fighters

c)

Ranch Wrestlers

d)
Rough Riders
34.

What was NOT a reason President McKinley wanted to annex the Philippines?

a)

To educate them

b)

To Christianize them

c)

To civilize them

d)

To free them

35.

What was a primary reason for the establishment of the Open Door Policy?

a)

to protect the US trade in China

b)

to gain control of the Panama Canal Zone

c)

to encourage Chinese immigration to the US

d)

to improve relations with China

36.

Why did the US decide to enter WWI?

a)

The US had suffered economically from European sanctions

b)

A European nation had taken aggressive actions against the US

c)

The US president was obligated to fulfill election campaign promises

d)

Communist activities among US immigrants were threatening the country

37.

How did the Zimmermann telegram influence US entry into WWI?

a)

It announced the czar's overthrow in Russia

b)

It revealed a proposed military alliance between Mexico & Germany

c)

It contained orders for German U-boats to destroy British passenger ships

d)

It described Romania's plan to abandon neutrality

38.

General John J. Pershing made a major contribution to the Allied victory in WWI by:

a)

transforming inexperienced troops into an effective military force

b)

developing advanced technologies for battlefield use

c)

requesting humanitarian aid from Congress for war-torn countries

d)

negotiating the terms of the Treaty of Versailles

39.

During World War I, tanks were used on the western front primarily to:

a)

lead infantry advances across no-man's-land and into enemy territory

b)

destroy railroads and bridges used by enemy troops

c)

release chemical weapons in advance attacks on enemy positions

d)

launch long-range rockets at enemy aircraft

40.

The Fourteen Points reflected President Woodrow Wilson's belief that:

a)

intervention in the affairs of other nations was never justifiable

b)

travel among nations should be regulated by an international organization

c)

no country should be allowed to spend more on defense than any other country

d)

cooperation among international leaders was essential to maintaining world peace

41.

What was one economic effect of the Spanish-American War?

a)

Shipbuilding industries in the US declined

b)

New free & fair trade treaties were established between the US and developing countries

c)

The US gained direct access to additional natural resources and overseas markets

d)

Demand for coal and petroleum was energy sources declined

42.

The Spanish-American War (1898) marked a turning point in American foreign policy because the US:

a)

developed a plan for peaceful coexistence

b)

emerged as a new world power

c)

pledged neutrality in future European conflicts

d)

refused to become a colonial power

43.

The movement of African Americans from the rural south to the industrialized cities to seek economic opportunities is called the -

a)

Great Migration

b)

Harlem Renaissance

c)

Civil Right Movement

d)

Gold Rush

44.

What was the name given to the women who challenged traditional attitudes and social norms during the 1920s?

a)

Mobsters

b)

Party Girls

c)

Flappers

d)

Temperance

45.

How did political scandals like the Teapot Dome scandal impact the United States?

a)

Distrust for the Government Grew

b)

People Trusted the Government more

c)

People protested the goverment

d)

The government became more trustful

46.

Henry Ford’s contribution to the industrialization of the United States included both –

a)

The assembly line and a “middle-class” wage for his workers.

b)

Electric-powered vehicles and the interstate highway system.

c)

The first monopoly and new process for making steel.

d)

The world’s first automobile and the technology for paved roads.

47.

The cartoon above reflects the American public’s opinion that –

a)

immigration quotas respected the country’s history while limiting the need for more labor.

b)

the government must protect Americans from dangerous immigrants.

c)

more workers were needed to produce consumer goods.

d)

U.S. economic prosperity was dependent on foreign labor

48.

This photograph shows an example of —

a)

U.S. citizens contributing to the war effort

b)

the effects of trade sanctions on enemy nations

c)

U.S. citizens attempting to follow new dietary guidelines

d)

the effects of allowing farmland to go unused while farmers were

at war

49.

Which action by the federal government was one cause of the Great Depression?

a)

Failing to decrease the reserve requirement

b)

Refusing to regulate the stock market

c)

Abolishing the use of the gold standard

d)

Eliminating tariffs on foreign trade

50.

Which event led to the action shown in this illustration?

a)

The revival of nativist policies

b)

The ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment

c)

The Supreme Court ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson

d)

The rise of Social Darwinism

51.

During the Stock Market crasch of 1929,

a)

investors quickly bought more stocks to ensure a profit.

b)

stock prices fell, causing billions of dollars to be lost.

c)

stores hired more employees to capitalize on consumer demand.

d)

banks loaned money to homeowners to cover their mortgages.

52.

Who was president when the stock market crashed?

a)

Theodore Roosevelt

b)

Woodrow Wilson

c)

Herbert Hoover

d)

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

53.
People who could no longer afford their homes were forced to live in cardboard shacks that they built in public parks. What were these shacks called?
a)
Shantyshacks
b)
Town Homes
c)
Tenement Housing
d)
Hoovervilles
54.
Which of the following is a term for buying something now and paying for it later?
a)
Credit 
b)
Debit
c)
Speculation 
d)
Investment 
55.

Period of time beginning in 1929 and lasting through the 1930s where people lost jobs and didn’t have enough food; the economy took a downfall

a)

The Great Depression

b)

The Great Recession

c)

The New Deal

56.

October 29, 1929 Stock Market crash

a)

Black Tuesday

b)

Black Friday

c)

Black Market

57.

Direct talks FDR held with the American people to let them know his plan

a)

Fireside Chats

b)

IG Chat

c)

Radio Talks

58.

Program that provided aid to people with disabilities and pensions for retired workers

a)

Social Security

b)

Civilian Conservation Corps

c)

Works Progress Administration

59.

What caused many farmers to foreclose on their farms in the 1930s?

a)

Growing too few crops

b)

Overproduction of crops and costs of machines

c)

Expensive land and not enough workers

d)

The Wall Street Crash

60.

What did RRR stand for in Roosevelt's New Deal?

a)

Revert, Reduce, Recover

b)

Restore, Recover, Readjust

c)

Relief, Recovery, Reform

d)

Reform, Restore, Reclaim