24. One of the ways politics in the Gilded Age was different than today was that
a. the activities of “special interest” groups did not play much of a role in politics.
b. the national political parties were much more powerful forces than they are today.
c. people did not display much party loyalty, with it rarely extending over generations.
d. voter turnout was much lower then than it is today.
e. both Republicans and Democrats sought controversial issues and bold initiatives.
25. Which of the following statements accurately describes the Democratic Party in the late
nineteenth century?
a. It was mostly rural and proved the strongest advocate for the temperance movement.
b. It was a diverse, often unruly coalition of southern whites, northern immigrants, Roman
Catholics, Jews, and free-thinkers.
c. It sought an expansion of the federal government and greater rights for African
Americans.
d. It was considered a largely Protestant “party of morality” that typically organized in
saloons.
e. It often “waved the bloody shirt,” accusing the Republican Party of having seceded from
the Union during the Civil War.
26. Republican Protestants during the Gilded Age had a tendency to consider __________ the
central social evil in the United States.
a. Democrats
b. saloons
c. immigrants
d. theaters
e. brothels
27. The section of the Republican party during the Gilded Age that was concerned with the
excesses of the time were known as the
a. Whigs.
b. Tories.
c. Stalwarts.
d. Know-Nothings.
e. Half-Breeds.
28. During his administration, this president tried to control both sides of his fractured party
while pursing reform during the Gilded Age.
a. Hayes
b. Harrison
c. Grant
d. Cleveland
e. Roosevelt
29. Perhaps one of the greatest catalysts to reform during the Gilded Age was the assassination
of
a. J. P. Morgan.
b. President Grant.
c. J. D. Salinger.
d. President Garfield.
e. President Roosevelt.
30. What did President Garfield believe was the most important political change since the
adoption of the Constitution in 1787?
a. Civil service reform
b. Changing over to a single monetary system of gold
c. The way the President chooses his Vice President running mate
d. The elevation of blacks from slavery to full rights of citizenship
e. Reconstruction efforts in the south
31. Which of the following replaced the spoils system for federal jobs with job placement on
the basis of competitive testing?
a. Sherman Anti-Trust Act
b. Barnes-Hailey Act
c. Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act
d. Garfield Memorial Reform Act
e. Civil Service Commission Testing and Placement Act
32. What occurred because of President Chester A. Arthur’s reform programs?
a. He was elected to another term.
b. He lost his attempt to win a third term.
c. He was not chosen by the Republicans as their candidate for a second term.
d. He was not chosen by the Democrats as their candidate for a second term.
e. He sought to become more closely aligned with the Stalwarts.
33. Which of the following did the Republican Mugwumps favor?
a. Tariffs on imports
b. Strong trade restrictions
c. The Republican James G. Blaine’s candidacy for president
d. The Democrat Grover Cleveland’s candidacy for president
e. Partisan federal jobs
34. The presidential election of 1884 could be described as
a. style over substance.
b. scandals over political issues.
c. party issues over candidates.
d. domestic issues over foreign issues.
e. monetary issues over trade issues.
35. At Cleveland’s urging, one of the first major areas of reform during the Gilded Age was
toward the
a. railroads.
b. political rings.
c. steel manufacturers.
d. oil refiners.
e. textile industry.
36. The first federal agency designed to regulate business activities was
a. the Pacific Railroad Company.
b. Civil Service Commission.
c. Granger movement.
d. Farmers’ Alliances.
e. Interstate Commerce Commission.
37. Though rarely enforced at the time, which of the following acts was the first effort in the
world to limit the size of businesses by prohibiting companies from “conspiring” to
establish monopolies?
a. The Sherman Silver Purchase Act
b. The McKinley Tariff Act
c. The Dependent Pension Act
d. The Sherman Anti-Trust Act
e. The Interstate Commerce Act
38. Which of the following were most likely to favor the policy of sound money?
a. Farmers
b. Shippers
c. Land developers
d. Bankers
e. Ranchers
39. Why did many people want a monetary supply not tied to gold or silver?
a. It would make it harder to get loans.
b. It would support a “sound money” policy.
c. It would decrease the amount of money in circulation.
d. It would make prices higher on goods.
e. It would make it harder to repay debts.
40. Which political party during the Gilded Age promoted the plight of miners and farmers?
a. Progressives
b. Mugwumps
c. Democrats
d. Republicans
e. Populists
41. Which of the following did farmers blame for the terrible economic conditions in the South
during the late nineteenth century?
a. Low tariffs
b. The increased prices of their crops
c. Underproduction in the South
d. International competition
e. The lack of labor
42. The decision to only allow gold to be coined for money was derisively called the
a. Corrupt Bargain.
b. New Deal.
c. Crime of ’73.
d. Panic of 1893.
e. New Prosperity.
43. The National Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry promoted the use of ________ to help
farmers.
a. tenant farming
b. cooperatives
c. machinery
d. banks
e. savings and loans
44. Unlike the Grange, the __________ promoted political involvement among its members to
enact change for their members.
a. Farmers’ Alliances
b. Knights of Labor
c. Working Man’s party
d. American Federation of Labor
e. Congress of International Workers
45. Which of the following describes the movement of populism?
a. A cultural movement that sought to improve access to the arts
b. A movement that sought decreased government involvement in the economy
c. A narrowly focused reform movement orchestrated by various elites and favoring Big
Business
d. A third political party in a system dominated by two major political parties
e. A social movement started by manufacturers in the Northeast
46. Why was the Panic of 1893 significant?
a. It began because of fears that banks were about to collapse, but it was largely a false
alarm and created no lasting national economic effects.
b. It began when the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad declared bankruptcy and grew into
the worst depression the nation had experienced.
c. Cleveland responded by immediately putting more money into circulation, which soon
remedied the situation and provided a model for future panics.
d. It largely affected big business owners and had little impact on workers and farmers,
resulting in very few strikes for a time of economic unrest.
e. It occurred because of unfavorable legislation that passed after Populist James B.
Weaver won the presidency over Cleveland.
47. President Cleveland’s decision to support the gold standard
a. fractured the Democrat party into pro-gold and pro-silver wings.
b. won him a second term.
c. made the Democrats the dominant political party for the next twenty years.
d. destroyed his chances for a second term.
e. saved the United States from suffering through an economic depression.
48. What was one reason why the Democratic Convention in 1896 was a turning point in
American political history?
a. For the first time, currency was not a major issue during a presidential election.
b. Moneylenders overwhelmingly began to support keeping the value of money low
through inflation.
c. The candidates presented such similar views on the economy that the election would be
unpredictable.
d. The Populist Party abandoned its support of the Democratic Party.
e. Pro-silver, largely rural delegates captured the convention with the help of a stirring
speech.
49. After the Election of 1896, the
a. Populist party continued to increase its influence.
b. Democratic Party began to shift from pro-business to liberal reform.
c. Republicans would not be a dominant political party for another century.
d. economic depression continued for another ten years.
e. Populists joined the Republican Party.
ESSAY
1. How did immigration to America change in the latter half of the nineteenth century, and
what was the response to that change?
2. Compare social Darwinism and reform Darwinism. What were the basic assumptions of
each movement?
3. Describe the explosive growth of urbanization in the late nineteenth century. What factors
led to this growth, and where did the largest growth take place?
4. Discuss the impact that rapid growth had on the environment.
5. Trace the rise of popular culture in America. Focus on the new patterns of recreation and
leisure. Who led this movement, and what activities were available to Americans?
6. Describe how living in an urban environment affected women’s lives.
7. Discuss the most serious public health challenges the urban population faced, how those
challenges were addressed, and how effective the solutions were.
8. Evaluate the impact of new immigration on the American economy and society in the late
nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
9. Discuss the diversity of immigrant groups, their impact on different regions of the country,
their contributions to American culture, and the negative reactions to them.
10. Identify and explain what led to urbanization, including technological factors and reasons
immigrants most often located to urban areas.
MATCHING
Match each person with one of the following descriptions.
a. Was the chief spokesperson for reform
Darwinism
i. Was McKinley’s campaign manager
b. Wrote On the Origin of Species
j. Was the Democratic presidential
candidate in 1896
c. Was William C. Spencer’s chief academic
disciple
k. Was Garfield’s vice president
d. Vetoed the Bland-Allison Act before it was
overridden by Congress
l. Was the Republican leader of the “Half–
Breeds”
e. Was the Populist presidential candidate in
m. Social philosopher that coined the phrase
1892
“survival of the fittest”
f. Founded the Grange
n. Was nationally known for physically
attacking saloons as a social evil
g. Elected to two nonconsecutive terms as
president
o. Was shot and killed by a Stalwart
h. Was one of the charismatic leaders of the
farm protest movement
1. Chester A. Arthur
2. William Jennings Bryan
3. Grover Cleveland
4. Rutherford B. Hayes
5. Mark Hanna
6. James G. Blaine
7. Oliver H. Kelley
8. William Graham Sumner
9. Charles Darwin
10. Lester Frank Ward
11. Mary Elizabeth Lease
12. James B. Weaver
13. Herbert Spencer
14. Carrie Nation
15. James A. Garfield
