Please note that during a particular semester I might choose to approach a topic somewhat differently than in the past. Also, I might to choose to emphasize different aspects of a term or subject than I have in the past. Therefore, some of the possible answers given to students in the past might not work in your class at all.
Multiple Choice Questions
During the Progressive Era, political reformers hoped to get people more directly involved in politics by…
a. Encouraging people to vote in more direct elections, including the primary process, which had often been non-public the past. Thanks to their efforts, the Sixteenth Amendment was passed, allowing for the direct election of senators.
b. Petitioning local, state, and federal governmental officials to finally end cronyism at all levels of government. The Seventeenth Amendment helped governments at all levels to do this through direct votes.
c. Using scientific management to place experts at all levels of government. Now individuals could petition specific departments to find relief for their problems relatively quickly and efficiently.
d. Promoting laws and amendments that allowed for more direct action through petitions and referenda. Unfortunately, this actually made government more complicated and people began to feel less involved and more disconnected.
Agrarian Revolt…
a. Generally worked since many farmers’ organizations were formed to help lobby the government when agriculturalists had grievances. This helped maintain a general balance at the governmental level between agriculture and industry.
b. Was a general failure, even though they formed a national political party. Even though they ran a very popular candidate, the American public didn’t feel strongly enough about agrarians’ interests to vote many of them into office.
c. Was a general failure since farmers were unable to make strong inroads into the government. They formed national organizations, but failed to form a national political party, which really hurt them at all levels of government.
d. Didn’t really accomplish much since, by the end of the Gilded Age, since a mild majority of people in the U.S. lived in urban areas and didn’t really care about farmers and their political needs.
The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act
a. Was enacted for places like New York City that had corrupt offices of government, specifically, their police force. The Act, written by Roosevelt, ensured that police officers were chosen on merit.
b. Was federal legislation passed that would ensure elections were fair and open to anyone. Accordingly, primaries were switched from being “closed” to “open,” which would allow any eligible citizen to determine who ran for office.
c. Was a piece of legislation enacted in New York City to help enable its citizens to end the reign of Tammany Hall politicians. Now, New York would use elections and merit to select and promote civil servants.
d. Was federal legislation that ensured civil service positions would be granted by some form of open-ended process. In particular, jobs should be awarded to people based on merit rather than on connections.
Interstate Commerce Act
a. Helped to regulate trusts because it specifically allowed the government to instruct railroads to affix reasonable and fair rates for shipping. This made it so that trusts couldn’t monopolize railroads, leaving others unable to ship.
b. Allowed the federal government to break up monopolistic trusts by regulating the types of goods that certain companies could ship over state boundaries. As such, there was no guarantee that a trust’s own railroad could ship their goods.
c. Authorized the government to go after trusts by allowing the senate to hold hearings. This was possible since the Constitution specifically allows the government to regulate businesses that ship products state to state.
d. Essentially taxed businesses that shipped goods from state to state. It was one of the earliest attempts (although not entirely successful) by the federal government to slow the progress of trusts by making them pay for their successes.
The Great Migration…
a. Was generally “successful” for whites, but not Native Americans since the latter “migrated” out of areas where the former lived. Native Americans were given reservations, but this land wasn’t as good as the land they were forced to leave.
b. Took many African Americans away from the highly-segregated South into the less segregated North. Although they didn’t achieve true integration, the obvious lack of Jim Crow laws at least laid the foundations for an integrated America.
c. Was somewhat successful in that many African Americans were able to find industrial jobs in the North. Also, African Americans were often able to afford their first homes in cities thanks to their industrial jobs.
d. Was generally unsuccessful since southern and eastern Europeans weren’t generally welcomed anywhere they went. Although they attempted to move inland, few businesses would hire them, leaving them rather optionless.
The Espionage Act of 1917…
a. Made it illegal to form a socialist- or communist-based union in any factory or workplace that produced or repaired goods necessary for wartime use. Because of this, socialist- and communist-based unions only made real inroads with African Americans factory workers.
b. Made it generally illegal during wartime to use disloyal language when speaking publicly about the government or military of the U.S. It also made it illegal to print falsehoods about the government or military or to incite a rebellion amongst troops stationed overseas.
c. Made it generally illegal during wartime to convey false information about the government, interfere with recruiting and enlistment, and to promote rebellion and insurrection. On top of that, it allows the postmaster to stop all mail that would come in violation of the Act.
d. Made it illegal for the U.S. to sign any type of peace treaty with Allied nations after the war unless they agreed to form the League of Nations, allow for free trade, and limit reparations against Axis nations. Since the Allies didn’t agree to any of these things, the U.S. had to sign separate treaties with Germany.
The Roosevelt Corollary…
a. Generally asked all modern military powers in China to respect each other’s “spheres of influence” so that peace could be maintained without military conflict. In general, the Corollary worked until the Second World War changed the landscape of diplomacy too much for it to continue.
b. Stated that the United States was going to act as a stabilizing force for both North and South America. As with the Monroe Doctrine, European powers couldn’t colonize the New World at all. Additionally, they could expect the U.S. to intervene if they wanted to affect major change in Latin America.
c. Extended the Monroe Doctrine to ensure that nations would stay out of the U.S.’s spheres of influence in the Pacific. If a nation had colonies in the Pacific, a nation could keep them, but if they lost them due to rebellion, they couldn’t get them back. In essence, the Pacific became an extension of the U.S.
d. Attempted to ensure that the Peace of Paris would help stabilize Europe by forming the League of Nations and ensuring free trade. In essence, the U.S. attempted to assert its power in Europe by threatening continued intervention if European nations didn’t abide by the Corollary.
The Boxer Rebellion…
a. Led indirectly to the Spanish-American War. The Boxers wanted to free Cuba from Spanish rule, as did many American businessmen with sugar and tobacco plantations on the island. The Boxers got their wish when the U.S.S. Maine exploded in Havana harbor, forcing the Americans to declare war.
b. Proved that cooperation between foreign powers in East Asia was possible under the Open Door Policy; however, the Russians kept territory in Manchuria after the end of the rebellion. Although Japan protested, the other Open Door nations weren’t too concerned since Japan wasn’t a Caucasian nation.
c. Proved that China was weak and could be taken over, even though it was a very large country. After the British mandated that all Chinese must purchase Indian (therefore British) opium, the Boxer Party burned British opium, which began the Opium Wars, which, in turn, led to the Open Door Policy.
d. Proved that the Open Door Policy was a general failure since many of the nations used the rebellion as justification for claiming more land on mainland China. Britain and Portugal used the rebellion as justification for claiming Hong Kong and Macau respectively.
Madison Grant…
a. Was an influential progressive who believed that races could be defined by their physical characteristics. In fact, Grant believed that the “Nordic” race was generally heartier and more evolved than other races since they were from harsh climates that tested their abilities to survive.
b. Wrote the Passing of the Great Race, which argued that “Nordics,” who generally colonized northern and western Europe, were more “eugenic” than other races that came from warmer climates. Because of this, their genes were more “racially pure” than races who evolved in warmer climates.
c. Was in influential anthropologist who believed that blacks were strictly inferior to whites since they were from warmer climates that didn’t challenge them physically. Thanks to his influence, the government crafted the National Origins Act in 1924, which (amongst other things) cut off immigration from Africa.
d. Wrote the Passing of the Great Race during the mid-1920s. Although it influenced the United States to come extent, its greatest influence happened to be in Europe during the 1930s, particularly in countries that espoused a type of racial fascism, such as Germany.
Homer A. Plessy…
a. Was found guilty of violating the Interstate Commerce Act since the rail car he rode on was bound for a destination outside the state of Louisiana. Eventually, he appealed and lost in a majority Supreme Court vote that argued “separate but equal” was fine so as long as accommodations were truly equal.
b. Ruled against John Ferguson, stating that Louisiana’s actions were not in violation of federal law since the railcar in which Ferguson sat was “equal” to the car that whites occupied. As such, it doesn’t violate the Fourteenth Amendment’s equal protection clause.
c. Helped establish the “separate but equal” stance of the U.S. federal government when he lost Plessy vs. Ferguson. Ferguson, the Supreme Court Chief Justice ruled that the Separate Car Act didn’t violate the Fourteenth Amendment since it provided for “equal” accommodations for both whites and non-whites.
d. Challenged the Separate Car Act by riding on a railcar reserved for whites in 1892. He had to be arrested by a white, private detective since the rail company didn’t want to enforce the Act since it didn’t want the extra expense of maintaining and hauling around separate cars for whites a non-whites.
McLaurin v. Oklahoma State Regents was one of the original cases that…
a. ...demonstrated that equality could be achieved fairly quickly if groups like the NAACP took quick legal action against laws that it found violated the “equal protection” clause of the Thirteenth Amendment.
b. …began to dismantle Plessy v. Ferguson since it turned the idea of “separate but equal” on its head. Indeed, the Supreme Court ruled that its predecessors were wrong and that separate but equal was, instead, “inherently unequal.”
c. …quickly helped the Supreme Court identify ways in which it could help promote the cause of equality through the Fourteenth Amendment. It brought this case to bear as part of its incremental judicial review to overturn “separate but equal.”
d. …began to dismantle Plessy v. Ferguson since it turned the idea of “separate but equal” on its head. Indeed, the Supreme Court ruled that its predecessors were wrong and that separate but equal was, instead, “detrimental.”
Associationism…
a. …was generally a failure since it relies on individual components—the public, corporations, and the government—to work quickly, understand each other, and make useful changes. On top of that, a consumer-style economy was rather new, so there were few lessons that could be learned from the past.
b. …was generally considered a failure since, during the Great Depression, the government simply didn’t have enough power to regulate the power, steel, and railroad industries quickly and efficiently enough to ensure that trusts couldn’t monopolize pricing conditions. This made the Great Depression worse.
c. …was a general success since it meant that the NAACP’s attempt to incrementally overturn discrimination could happened so as long as they continued to associate each discriminatory law as a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment’s “equal protection” clause.
d. …helped speed the Great Stock Market Crash of 1929 by continually allowing people to buy stocks on “association” (aka, loans). As stock dropped in price, brokers began to call in these “associations,” which, in turn made people sell their stock, which drove the price of the stock down farther.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964, among other things…
a. …made sure that the federal government would protect both citizens and non-citizens, alike, from being arrested and imprisoned without knowing what they were charged with, who their accuser was, and when the might expect a trial.
b. …ensured that organizations such as the Boy Scouts, private golf clubs, etc., could not discriminate against or disallow membership based on a person’s race, religion, or political affiliation. Eventually the act was upheld by Sweatt v. Painter several years later.
c. …gave low-interest loans and grants to African American legal agencies that were fighting discrimination and voter fraud. It was hoped that the Act could at least put Blacks back on an even footing with whites when voting in local, state, and national elections.
d. …ensured that the United States attorney general could charge individuals, organizations, and even government entities that violated the provisions of the law, which was designed to protect individuals against discrimination based on race, religion, and political affiliation.
The Civilian Conservation Corps…
a. …usually employed young, single males during the Great Depression to help bring electricity to the Tennessee River Valley. These men worked to build locks, dams, and hydroelectric plants. They made around $25-30 a month.
b. …usually employed young- to middle-aged females in order to wrap bandages, make field dressings, and bone splints during World War I. These women were used to working in “cottage industries” from home, so they didn’t have to change their routines.
c. …worked during the Second World War to ensure that roads, bridges, etc. would deteriorate because too many men were devoted to overseas duty. The CCC employed mostly young men who were too young to fight in combat.
d. …usually employed young, single males during the Great Depression to improve nature areas. The males would build roads, trails, erosion runoffs, etc. They would make around $25-30 a month, most of which would be sent home.
The Marshall Plan…
a. …generally announced to the rest of the world that the United States government would not allow “non-free” forms of government to gain any new territory. Although Communism wasn’t specifically named, it’s clear from the wording of the speech that it was the “non-free” form over government targeted.
b. …was put in place by the Allies to ensure that the Korean peninsula would eventually elect a democratic government. Unfortunately, no one asked Koreans what they wanted and the North specifically rebelled against the Marshall Plan when they attacked the South.
c. …gave low-interest loans and grants to Europe (and then, later, Asia) in order to help those countries rebuild from the war. The hope was that these nations wouldn’t fall back into a depression, which would, in turn, cause them to look for radical solutions (such as war) to rebuild their economies.
d. …was put in place by Franklin Delano Roosevelt to ensure that banks could find short-term relief so that they wouldn’t close. If a bank closed, people with money deposited in that bank couldn’t get out their money out, which would lead them further into debt and so-on.
a. Encouraging people to vote in more direct elections, including the primary process, which had often been non-public the past. Thanks to their efforts, the Sixteenth Amendment was passed, allowing for the direct election of senators.
b. Petitioning local, state, and federal governmental officials to finally end cronyism at all levels of government. The Seventeenth Amendment helped governments at all levels to do this through direct votes.
c. Using scientific management to place experts at all levels of government. Now individuals could petition specific departments to find relief for their problems relatively quickly and efficiently.
d. Promoting laws and amendments that allowed for more direct action through petitions and referenda. Unfortunately, this actually made government more complicated and people began to feel less involved and more disconnected.
Agrarian Revolt…
a. Generally worked since many farmers’ organizations were formed to help lobby the government when agriculturalists had grievances. This helped maintain a general balance at the governmental level between agriculture and industry.
b. Was a general failure, even though they formed a national political party. Even though they ran a very popular candidate, the American public didn’t feel strongly enough about agrarians’ interests to vote many of them into office.
c. Was a general failure since farmers were unable to make strong inroads into the government. They formed national organizations, but failed to form a national political party, which really hurt them at all levels of government.
d. Didn’t really accomplish much since, by the end of the Gilded Age, since a mild majority of people in the U.S. lived in urban areas and didn’t really care about farmers and their political needs.
The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act
a. Was enacted for places like New York City that had corrupt offices of government, specifically, their police force. The Act, written by Roosevelt, ensured that police officers were chosen on merit.
b. Was federal legislation passed that would ensure elections were fair and open to anyone. Accordingly, primaries were switched from being “closed” to “open,” which would allow any eligible citizen to determine who ran for office.
c. Was a piece of legislation enacted in New York City to help enable its citizens to end the reign of Tammany Hall politicians. Now, New York would use elections and merit to select and promote civil servants.
d. Was federal legislation that ensured civil service positions would be granted by some form of open-ended process. In particular, jobs should be awarded to people based on merit rather than on connections.
Interstate Commerce Act
a. Helped to regulate trusts because it specifically allowed the government to instruct railroads to affix reasonable and fair rates for shipping. This made it so that trusts couldn’t monopolize railroads, leaving others unable to ship.
b. Allowed the federal government to break up monopolistic trusts by regulating the types of goods that certain companies could ship over state boundaries. As such, there was no guarantee that a trust’s own railroad could ship their goods.
c. Authorized the government to go after trusts by allowing the senate to hold hearings. This was possible since the Constitution specifically allows the government to regulate businesses that ship products state to state.
d. Essentially taxed businesses that shipped goods from state to state. It was one of the earliest attempts (although not entirely successful) by the federal government to slow the progress of trusts by making them pay for their successes.
The Great Migration…
a. Was generally “successful” for whites, but not Native Americans since the latter “migrated” out of areas where the former lived. Native Americans were given reservations, but this land wasn’t as good as the land they were forced to leave.
b. Took many African Americans away from the highly-segregated South into the less segregated North. Although they didn’t achieve true integration, the obvious lack of Jim Crow laws at least laid the foundations for an integrated America.
c. Was somewhat successful in that many African Americans were able to find industrial jobs in the North. Also, African Americans were often able to afford their first homes in cities thanks to their industrial jobs.
d. Was generally unsuccessful since southern and eastern Europeans weren’t generally welcomed anywhere they went. Although they attempted to move inland, few businesses would hire them, leaving them rather optionless.
The Espionage Act of 1917…
a. Made it illegal to form a socialist- or communist-based union in any factory or workplace that produced or repaired goods necessary for wartime use. Because of this, socialist- and communist-based unions only made real inroads with African Americans factory workers.
b. Made it generally illegal during wartime to use disloyal language when speaking publicly about the government or military of the U.S. It also made it illegal to print falsehoods about the government or military or to incite a rebellion amongst troops stationed overseas.
c. Made it generally illegal during wartime to convey false information about the government, interfere with recruiting and enlistment, and to promote rebellion and insurrection. On top of that, it allows the postmaster to stop all mail that would come in violation of the Act.
d. Made it illegal for the U.S. to sign any type of peace treaty with Allied nations after the war unless they agreed to form the League of Nations, allow for free trade, and limit reparations against Axis nations. Since the Allies didn’t agree to any of these things, the U.S. had to sign separate treaties with Germany.
The Roosevelt Corollary…
a. Generally asked all modern military powers in China to respect each other’s “spheres of influence” so that peace could be maintained without military conflict. In general, the Corollary worked until the Second World War changed the landscape of diplomacy too much for it to continue.
b. Stated that the United States was going to act as a stabilizing force for both North and South America. As with the Monroe Doctrine, European powers couldn’t colonize the New World at all. Additionally, they could expect the U.S. to intervene if they wanted to affect major change in Latin America.
c. Extended the Monroe Doctrine to ensure that nations would stay out of the U.S.’s spheres of influence in the Pacific. If a nation had colonies in the Pacific, a nation could keep them, but if they lost them due to rebellion, they couldn’t get them back. In essence, the Pacific became an extension of the U.S.
d. Attempted to ensure that the Peace of Paris would help stabilize Europe by forming the League of Nations and ensuring free trade. In essence, the U.S. attempted to assert its power in Europe by threatening continued intervention if European nations didn’t abide by the Corollary.
The Boxer Rebellion…
a. Led indirectly to the Spanish-American War. The Boxers wanted to free Cuba from Spanish rule, as did many American businessmen with sugar and tobacco plantations on the island. The Boxers got their wish when the U.S.S. Maine exploded in Havana harbor, forcing the Americans to declare war.
b. Proved that cooperation between foreign powers in East Asia was possible under the Open Door Policy; however, the Russians kept territory in Manchuria after the end of the rebellion. Although Japan protested, the other Open Door nations weren’t too concerned since Japan wasn’t a Caucasian nation.
c. Proved that China was weak and could be taken over, even though it was a very large country. After the British mandated that all Chinese must purchase Indian (therefore British) opium, the Boxer Party burned British opium, which began the Opium Wars, which, in turn, led to the Open Door Policy.
d. Proved that the Open Door Policy was a general failure since many of the nations used the rebellion as justification for claiming more land on mainland China. Britain and Portugal used the rebellion as justification for claiming Hong Kong and Macau respectively.
Madison Grant…
a. Was an influential progressive who believed that races could be defined by their physical characteristics. In fact, Grant believed that the “Nordic” race was generally heartier and more evolved than other races since they were from harsh climates that tested their abilities to survive.
b. Wrote the Passing of the Great Race, which argued that “Nordics,” who generally colonized northern and western Europe, were more “eugenic” than other races that came from warmer climates. Because of this, their genes were more “racially pure” than races who evolved in warmer climates.
c. Was in influential anthropologist who believed that blacks were strictly inferior to whites since they were from warmer climates that didn’t challenge them physically. Thanks to his influence, the government crafted the National Origins Act in 1924, which (amongst other things) cut off immigration from Africa.
d. Wrote the Passing of the Great Race during the mid-1920s. Although it influenced the United States to come extent, its greatest influence happened to be in Europe during the 1930s, particularly in countries that espoused a type of racial fascism, such as Germany.
Homer A. Plessy…
a. Was found guilty of violating the Interstate Commerce Act since the rail car he rode on was bound for a destination outside the state of Louisiana. Eventually, he appealed and lost in a majority Supreme Court vote that argued “separate but equal” was fine so as long as accommodations were truly equal.
b. Ruled against John Ferguson, stating that Louisiana’s actions were not in violation of federal law since the railcar in which Ferguson sat was “equal” to the car that whites occupied. As such, it doesn’t violate the Fourteenth Amendment’s equal protection clause.
c. Helped establish the “separate but equal” stance of the U.S. federal government when he lost Plessy vs. Ferguson. Ferguson, the Supreme Court Chief Justice ruled that the Separate Car Act didn’t violate the Fourteenth Amendment since it provided for “equal” accommodations for both whites and non-whites.
d. Challenged the Separate Car Act by riding on a railcar reserved for whites in 1892. He had to be arrested by a white, private detective since the rail company didn’t want to enforce the Act since it didn’t want the extra expense of maintaining and hauling around separate cars for whites a non-whites.
McLaurin v. Oklahoma State Regents was one of the original cases that…
a. ...demonstrated that equality could be achieved fairly quickly if groups like the NAACP took quick legal action against laws that it found violated the “equal protection” clause of the Thirteenth Amendment.
b. …began to dismantle Plessy v. Ferguson since it turned the idea of “separate but equal” on its head. Indeed, the Supreme Court ruled that its predecessors were wrong and that separate but equal was, instead, “inherently unequal.”
c. …quickly helped the Supreme Court identify ways in which it could help promote the cause of equality through the Fourteenth Amendment. It brought this case to bear as part of its incremental judicial review to overturn “separate but equal.”
d. …began to dismantle Plessy v. Ferguson since it turned the idea of “separate but equal” on its head. Indeed, the Supreme Court ruled that its predecessors were wrong and that separate but equal was, instead, “detrimental.”
Associationism…
a. …was generally a failure since it relies on individual components—the public, corporations, and the government—to work quickly, understand each other, and make useful changes. On top of that, a consumer-style economy was rather new, so there were few lessons that could be learned from the past.
b. …was generally considered a failure since, during the Great Depression, the government simply didn’t have enough power to regulate the power, steel, and railroad industries quickly and efficiently enough to ensure that trusts couldn’t monopolize pricing conditions. This made the Great Depression worse.
c. …was a general success since it meant that the NAACP’s attempt to incrementally overturn discrimination could happened so as long as they continued to associate each discriminatory law as a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment’s “equal protection” clause.
d. …helped speed the Great Stock Market Crash of 1929 by continually allowing people to buy stocks on “association” (aka, loans). As stock dropped in price, brokers began to call in these “associations,” which, in turn made people sell their stock, which drove the price of the stock down farther.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964, among other things…
a. …made sure that the federal government would protect both citizens and non-citizens, alike, from being arrested and imprisoned without knowing what they were charged with, who their accuser was, and when the might expect a trial.
b. …ensured that organizations such as the Boy Scouts, private golf clubs, etc., could not discriminate against or disallow membership based on a person’s race, religion, or political affiliation. Eventually the act was upheld by Sweatt v. Painter several years later.
c. …gave low-interest loans and grants to African American legal agencies that were fighting discrimination and voter fraud. It was hoped that the Act could at least put Blacks back on an even footing with whites when voting in local, state, and national elections.
d. …ensured that the United States attorney general could charge individuals, organizations, and even government entities that violated the provisions of the law, which was designed to protect individuals against discrimination based on race, religion, and political affiliation.
The Civilian Conservation Corps…
a. …usually employed young, single males during the Great Depression to help bring electricity to the Tennessee River Valley. These men worked to build locks, dams, and hydroelectric plants. They made around $25-30 a month.
b. …usually employed young- to middle-aged females in order to wrap bandages, make field dressings, and bone splints during World War I. These women were used to working in “cottage industries” from home, so they didn’t have to change their routines.
c. …worked during the Second World War to ensure that roads, bridges, etc. would deteriorate because too many men were devoted to overseas duty. The CCC employed mostly young men who were too young to fight in combat.
d. …usually employed young, single males during the Great Depression to improve nature areas. The males would build roads, trails, erosion runoffs, etc. They would make around $25-30 a month, most of which would be sent home.
The Marshall Plan…
a. …generally announced to the rest of the world that the United States government would not allow “non-free” forms of government to gain any new territory. Although Communism wasn’t specifically named, it’s clear from the wording of the speech that it was the “non-free” form over government targeted.
b. …was put in place by the Allies to ensure that the Korean peninsula would eventually elect a democratic government. Unfortunately, no one asked Koreans what they wanted and the North specifically rebelled against the Marshall Plan when they attacked the South.
c. …gave low-interest loans and grants to Europe (and then, later, Asia) in order to help those countries rebuild from the war. The hope was that these nations wouldn’t fall back into a depression, which would, in turn, cause them to look for radical solutions (such as war) to rebuild their economies.
d. …was put in place by Franklin Delano Roosevelt to ensure that banks could find short-term relief so that they wouldn’t close. If a bank closed, people with money deposited in that bank couldn’t get out their money out, which would lead them further into debt and so-on.
True / False
T or F Democrats were the primary proponents for food and drug regulation since consumers demanded change since food products were wholly unregulated and would, at times, cause major illnesses or addictions.
T or F Men like Rockefeller and Carnegie often used scientific principles to justify the growth of their companies, even at the expense of industrial diversification.
T or F A plutocracy is a form of government in which people generally considered “rich” (wealthy) are mainly in power. It doesn’t necessarily matter how many people are in charge, just so as long as the wealthy control.
T or F Many large cities in the U.S. (particularly where there were many immigrants) had excellent public transit systems (usually in the form of trams and trolleys) until the Ford Model T became so affordable that most gave up on public transportation.
T or F Thomas Nast was a muckraker who wanted to expose the political corruption in New York’s Tammany Hall. His long editorial columns detailing the corruption of Boss Tweed eventually led to Tweed’s downfall.
T or F Yellow Journalism usually concentrated on sensationalized stories of the possibility of Asian migrants becoming so numerous that they might eventually replace whites as the dominant culture in places such as Hawaii and on the west coast of the U.S.
T or F Americanization was a concept that generally allowed people of different ethnicities to maintain their cultural identities so as long as they also adopted American ones, as well.
T or F The Great Gatsby, as written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, generally criticized the Therapeutic Ethic that the U.S. began to embrace during the 1920s. Fitzgerald questioned the wealth, accumulation, and external desires exhibited by the middle class and generally believed they led to unfulfilled desire.
T or F The National Origins Act was particularly important for the United States since it ensured that the racial makeup of the nation was basically “traditional” (i.e. pre-1890s). Immigration to the U.S. mainland from eastern and southern Europe was limited, while nearly all immigration from the Middle East and Asia was completely cut off unless one was a businessman, student, or missionary.
T or F Marginal Differentiation made older products “obsolete” in just a few years by introducing new models of the same product that purposefully changed styles, features, etc. so that customers felt compelled to purchase the “updated” product.
T or F Rosa Parks was not the first woman chosen by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to break city ordinance by refusing to move. She was chosen by the SCLC because her appearance and family history were rather “unobjectionable.”
T or F The Reconstruction Finance Corporation was instituted by President Herbert Hoover in order to infuse money directly into the economy. In the end, the $2 billion dollars put into the economy simply wasn’t enough to halt the Great Depression.
T or F FDR’s New Deal didn’t really do much to alleviate the Great Depression, instead, its true legacy is that it changed the U.S. government into a “modern” incarnation that attempts to take an active role in managing the economy and averting serious financial disasters.
T or F During the Korean War, the North Koreans was clearly the belligerent since they attacked South Korea without provocation.
T or F The Anti-Cominturn Pact was signed by several countries in order to help stop the spread of Fascist governments. Eventually many of these nations became part of the Allies in World War II.