Standards 11-15

How did the expansion of the railroad industry most directly impact the growth of other industries during the late 19th century?

• It decreased demand for natural resources such as coal and iron

• It led to strict government regulations on corporate profits

• It boosted the steel and oil industries by increasing the demand for construction materials and fuel

• It reduced the need for technological innovation in transportation

What was a major outcome of business practices used by John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie?

• A decrease in the demand for raw materials

• The rise of trusts and monopolies that limited market competition

• A shift to agricultural-based economies in urban areas

• The immediate collapse of the stock market

How did inventions like the telegraph, telephone, and electric light bulb influence American infrastructure and daily life?

• They slowed the pace of urbanization

• They led to a decline in factory production

• They improved communication, extended working hours, and transformed business operations

• They had no significant impact on business or society

Why were Ellis Island and Angel Island significant in the late 19th and early 20th centuries?

• They were major railroad construction sites

• They were key military bases during the Civil War

• They served as immigration stations where millions of new arrivals entered the United States

• They were financial centers for new industrial investments

What was one way the American Federation of Labor (AFL) differed from earlier labor movements?

• It focused on overthrowing capitalism

• It organized unskilled labor across all industries

• It concentrated on skilled workers and emphasized collective bargaining

• It refused to negotiate with employers

How did the construction of the transcontinental railroad contribute to the fulfillment of Manifest Destiny?

• It reduced trade with other countries and led to American isolation

• It enabled faster movement of troops to Eastern cities

• It connected the eastern and western parts of the U.S., encouraging settlement and economic growth across the continent

• It stopped expansion beyond the Mississippi River

What was one major consequence of increased farming and ranching in the Great Plains during the late 1800s?

• A. A sharp decline in U.S. agricultural output

• B. The revitalization of Plains Indian cultures

• C. The displacement and decline of Plains Indian societies due to land loss and buffalo destruction

• D. A peaceful coexistence between settlers and Native tribes

How did Plains Indians most commonly respond to the westward expansion of settlers and U.S. military forces?

• They immediately relocated to cities in the East

• They formed labor unions to negotiate with the government

• They resisted through armed conflict and cultural preservation efforts

• They willingly gave up their lands for compensation

Why was immigrant labor essential in the construction of the transcontinental railroad?

• Immigrants owned most of the railroad companies

• Native-born Americans refused to work on railroad crews

• Immigrants, especially Chinese and Irish laborers, made up the bulk of the workforce and completed dangerous, low-paid jobs

• The government required only immigrant workers be hired

How did muckrakers contribute to the goals of the Progressive Era?

• They prevented political candidates from voting on new laws

• They publicly exposed corruption, unsafe conditions, and social injustices through journalism

• They ran for office to create new political parties

• They argued against reforms and defended big business practices