HIS 2 Milestone 1

Because of the economic downturn in the 1890s, many Americans organized in order to
seek relief from corporations and elected officials.
Choose the statement that reflects an action undertaken in the 1890s to improve conditions
for workers.


"We hired Pinkerton private security officers to protect laborers at our company."

“We marched on Washington, D.C. to advocate for public works jobs for the
unemployed.”

"We joined with farmers in a national political coalition to gain a more powerful voice in
the federal government.”

"American farmers and urban workers united in powerful unions to sway national
policy."
CONCEPT
Economic Depression and Labor Unrest in the 1890s
2

Choose the most accurate statement about the nature of politics in the Gilded Age.


Candidates for local office promised reform and an end to corruption.

The Republican Party began to dominate national politics.

Politics at the national level was polarized over issues primarily related to race and
income inequality.

Corruption and inefficiency were hallmarks of politics in this time period.
CONCEPT
Gilded Age Politics
3
 Consider this political cartoon from 1891 that depicts Uncle Sam in front of a crowd of
immigrants.

A judge tells Uncle Sam, "If Immigration was properly Restricted you would no longer be
troubled with Anarchy, Socialism, the Mafia and such kindred evils!" Some of the labels on the
immigrants include: “German socialist,” “Polish vagabond,” and “English convict.”

Choose the statement that best reflects how new immigrants to America were viewed by
citizens as illustrated in the cartoon.


"All these new immigrants are troublemakers that will harm our country."

"These new immigrants bring fresh ideas that will reinvigorate our ailing democracy."

"So many immigrants will strain the available land resources in America."

"Lots of immigrants arriving so quickly encourages current citizens to turn to crime
rather than compete for jobs."
CONCEPT
Late 19th Century Immigrant Experience
4

Choose the true statement about the Knights of Labor.


It rejected women and minorities from its union.

It was a combination of about 20 different craft unions.

It was led by Samuel Gompers.

At its height, its membership was more than 700,000 workers.
CONCEPT
Working Class Life and Labor Unions in the Gilded Age
5
 Which statement about populism most closely aligns with historian Michael Kazin’s
interpretation of the term?


It is a political style that uses a certain type of language and rhetoric to advance the
agenda of a political coalition. 

It represents a distinct political movement that offers a democratic alternative to the
corporate state.

It is a political stance that supports every individual’s right to maximum liberty and
freedom.

It offers a democratic alternative to compulsory government that is harmful or corrupted.
CONCEPT
How Historians View Populism
6

Rosemary is curious about the history of the Amish in America and begins her research at the
library. As a historian, she is aware of possible influences on her interpretation of events. 
Which factor should be allowed to influence her interpretation?


The language she uses

What her conclusion will be

The historical question she wants to ask

Her personal bias toward the Amish
CONCEPT
The Historian's Practice
7

In the summer of 1893, a young historian, Frederick Jackson Turner, presented a paper that
explained his views on the significance of the frontier in American history.
Choose the statement that best reflects Turner’s views on the significance of the Western
frontier.

Turner regretted the need for the subjugation of Native Americans.

Turner examined the ways in which settlers interacted with each other to form unique
societies on the frontier.

Turner included women in his argument, suggesting that the West was for all people
and not just rugged, masculine individuals.

Turner stated that Western expansion repeated American history by demonstrating and
reinforcing the exceptionalism and progress of the American people.
CONCEPT
The Frontier in American History
8

Hannah runs a hospitality business with Ray and Susan, backed by a group of investors who
provide the funding but rely on Hannah and company to operate the business. 
What term best describes this type of business arrangement?


A monopoly

A trust

A trade

A holding company
CONCEPT
Corporations and Industry in the Late 19th Century
9

Choose the true statement about the nature of the rural economy in the late 19th century.


Lenders and farmers used the crop-lien system to subsidize the cost of running a farm.

Industrialization led to the development of steel plows and other tools that increased
both the supply of wheat and its market price.

Many Southern landowners sold their lands to poor white and black farmers at reduced
prices so they could establish their own livelihoods.

Strong farmers unions won court cases to regulate interstate commerce to farmers'
benefit.
CONCEPT
Rural America in the Late 19th Century
10

Choose the statement that best reflects an argument used by Chief Joseph to oppose federal
assimilation.


“We want to live as other men live; we want to travel, work, worship and live where we
choose.”

"We must be allowed to live independently of the white man's society."

“Indians must conform to American society in order to grow and advance as a people.”

"We tried assimilation in the past and it was a failure."
CONCEPT
Western Conquest and Indian Assimilation
11

Which statement best reflects the significance of the election of 1896?


The Populist Party ceased to exist as an independent political entity following the
election.

Ties between the Republican Party and big businesses weakened due to populist
pressure.

Bryan won the popular vote, but McKinley won the electoral college by a slim margin.

The election led to the resumption of minting silver.
 CONCEPT
The Election of 1896
12

Which of the following men was associated with the growth of the Populist Party in the late
19th century?


Garret Hobart

William McKinley

Ignatius Donnelly

David Bennett Hill
CONCEPT
Rural America in the Late 19th Century
13

"In the 1930s Dust Bowl, soil across large swathes of the American midwest dried out and was
carried into the air creating massive dust storms like this one."

A historian would most likely make this statement if they were analyzing this image
through what historical lens?


Race

Environment

Economics

Class
CONCEPT
The Lenses of History
14
 Which list of activities best represents the basic practices of historians?


o Applying historical lenses,
o asking questions about the nature of history,
o compiling facts about past events and
o interpreting evidence from the past

o Maintaining consistency in historical narratives over time,
o asking questions about the nature of history,
o insisting on a single narrative for the past and
o referencing strongly biased secondary sources

o Applying historical lenses,
o asking questions about the future,
o compiling facts about past events and
o stating personal opinions about the past

o Asking questions about the future,
o insisting on a single narrative for the past,
o referencing strongly biased secondary sources and
o stating personal opinions about the past
CONCEPT
The Historian's Practice
15

Consider the excerpt from a speech given by the former slave and abolitionist Frederick
Douglass to the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society:
"I have had but one idea for the last three years to present to the American people, and the
phraseology in which I clothe it is the old abolition phraseology. I am for the 'immediate,
unconditional, and universal' enfranchisement of the black man, in every State in the Union.
[Loud applause.] Without this, his liberty is a mockery; without this, you might as well almost
retain the old name of slavery for his condition; for in fact, if he is not the slave of the individual
master, he is the slave of society, and holds his liberty as a privilege, not as a right. He is at the
mercy of the mob, and has no means of protecting himself."
Which question would be most relevant for analyzing this historical speech?


 How many people were in the audience?

Where was the speech presented?

Where were most African Americans living at this time in history?

How old was Douglass when he delivered the speech?
CONCEPT
Analyzing Primary Sources
16

Choose the factor that was most likely an effect of rapid industrialization in the United
States during the late 19th century.


Improvements in communication such as the telephone

Local safety regulations on tenement housing

Increased reliance on local shops and markets

Rapid growth of the interstate highway system
CONCEPT
Growth of the City
17

Which of these is an example of a primary source for historical research on America's

westward expansion?


A recorded interview with an American Indian

A new documentary about Native American experiences in the 1890s

A journal article about population changes in the U.S.

A history book about U.S. westward expansion
 CONCEPT
Analyzing Primary Sources
18

Choose the statement that applies equally to the "Old South" and the "New South."


Expanded railroad lines facilitated the easy movement of goods.

Sharecropping was a dominant feature of the economy.

Cotton cultivation relied heavily on African American slave labor.

African Americans endured intimidation, violence and political disfranchisement.
CONCEPT
Race in the New South
19

What was one reason numerous social reform movements emerged in the late 1800s?


Urban areas had too many people without the infrastructure to protect or support them. 

The steep rise of labor unions largely ignored the needs of the urban poor.

An influx of unskilled immigrants to rural areas overwhelmed the job and housing
markets.

The Catholic Church emphasized the need to save the souls of the poor and
uneducated.
CONCEPT
Growth of the City
20

White Democrats, or "redeemers," were central to the development of the Jim Crow system in
the South during the late 19th century. 
Which statement most represents their efforts?


 They held rallies to highlight challenges facing small business owners.

They passed laws that required potential voters to read and interpret the Constitution to
the satisfaction of white voting registrars.

They supported efforts to improve the condition of poor white citizens as well as poor
black citizens.

They worked to dismantle unions that had farmers and common laborers as members.
CONCEPT
Race in the New South
21

In the late 19th century, the consolidation of manufacturing in large cities, along with an ever-
growing railroad system, changed the nature of consumerism in rural America.
Choose the most accurate statement about these changes in rural consumption practices.


“With access to credit, we can purchase items that were previously available only to the
wealthy.”

“The price for a mail-order tractor is much higher than what our local supplier charges.”

“I only have access to a few goods from a single local supplier.”

“We enjoy the personal interactions with the mail-order companies we purchase
products from.”
CONCEPT
Industrialization and Consumer Culture
22

Several ideologies—social Darwinism, the self-made man and the Gospel of Wealth—emerged
in the Gilded Age, each with its advocates.
Choose the statement most likely spoken by Henry George.


“Everyone has an opportunity to climb the economic ladder, and if one doesn’t, it is due
to laziness.”

“Inheriting wealth or a title must be accompanied by an ability to adapt in order to be
successful.”

“Business leaders must be philanthropists and support those less fortunate in order to
advance society.”

“People should own what they create, but land and natural resources should belong to
everyone equally.”
CONCEPT
The Gilded Age
23

Read the newspaper excerpt from the Austin Weekly Statesman about a railroad strike in Fort
Worth, Texas in 1886.

"Governor Ireland, who was present, said the quarrel between the Knights of Labor and the
railroads did not concern the state. The lawlessness existing here was the matter with which the
state had to deal. Every order had among its members a heap of bad men, and would not
undertake to become responsible for them. The Knights of Labor made a great mistake in
permitting a man in another state to order men in Texas to quit work, who struck without being
able to give any reason except that they had been ordered out. He did not believe the Knights of
Labor sanctioned lawlessness."

What group of people's perspective is being described in this excerpt?


Police officers

Labor organizers

Business leaders

Government officials
CONCEPT
Labor Conflict in the Gilded Age
24
 By the late 1800s, some settlers’ dreams of the West were not matched by the realities. 
Choose the statement that describes one of these “realities.”


“I will succeed as a hard-working individual because I will have the freedom to do as I
wish.”

“I will be self-sufficient because all I need is the land to profit from my own labor.”

“The establishment of bonanza farms offers opportunities to work the land for a wage.”

“It is my destiny as a white American to claim and tame this rugged landscape.”
CONCEPT
Homesteading