Question Dissection – Part X
US History/Napp Name: _________________
Introduction to Review:
Some things just go together. Like
Or
A multiple-choice question also has parts that naturally go together.
In this review, I will present multiple-choice questions and answers. I will explain what the question is asking and provide its answer. I will also reveal why these two parts of the question must go together.
Yes, some things just naturally go together.
The Question Dissection:
A. Most nativists of the late 1800s would most likely have supported the
(1) creation of settlement houses to aid new immigrants
(2) passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act
(3) continuation of the contract labor system
(4) assimilation of Native American Indians into mainstream culture
What the question is asking:
What did Nativists believe? What would Nativists agree with?
Answer:
Nativists were anti-immigration. Thus, nativists would have supported laws that limited or even prohibited immigration. The Chinese Exclusion Act severely restricted or greatly limited immigration from China.
Thus, the answer must be 2.
B. A major purpose of the Progressive movement (1900–1917) was to
(1) stimulate the economy
(2) support government control of factory production
(3) encourage immigration from southern and eastern Europe
(4) correct the economic and social abuses of industrial society
What the question is asking?
What did Progressives want? What was a goal of the Progressive Movement?
The Progressives of the early decades of the 20th century wanted to clean up and reform government and to use government to advance human welfare. They were opposed to the abuse of power by political machines and monopolies. They wanted to apply scientific management to government just as it was being applied to business and to use it to solve urban problems.
The Progressives wanted to improve American society for all Americans.
Thus, the answer must be 4.
C. Muckrakers Ida Tarbell and Upton Sinclair influenced the federal government to
(1) grant citizenship to people who had entered the country illegally
(2) pass legislation to correct harmful business practices
(3) force individual states to regulate monopolies
(4) end racial discrimination in the workplace
What is the question asking?
Who was a muckraker? How did Muckrakers change opinions?
Among the most influential Progressives were investigative reporters, writers, and social scientists that exposed government corruption and the abuses of industry. These writers became known as muckrakers. They examined the rise of industry and the abuses that often led to the accumulation of large fortunes. They also examined business practices affecting consumers and the lives of the poor. The muckrakers provided detailed, accurate journalistic accounts of the political and economic corruption and social hardships caused by the power of big business in a rapidly industrializing United States.
Thus, the answer is 2.
D. During the early 1900s, the term muckrakers was used to describe
(1) pacifists who demonstrated against war
(2) writers who exposed the evils in American society
(3) newspaper columnists who reported on celebrities
(4) politicians who criticized Progressive Era presidents
What is the question asking?
Who was a muckraker?
A muckraker was a writer that exposed government corruption and the abuses of government.
Thus, the answer is 2.
E. A goal set at the Seneca Falls Convention (1848) was achieved during the Progressive Era by the
(1) formation of the federal Food and Drug Administration
(2) creation of the League of Nations
(3) adoption of a national income tax
(4) ratification of the woman’s suffrage amendment
What is the question asking?
What happened at the Seneca Falls Convention? What goal of the Seneca Falls Convention was finally realized during the Progressive Era?
An important meeting at Seneca Falls, New York in 1848 issued a proclamation modeled on the Declaration of Independence listing women’s grievances and calling for action. The Seneca Falls Convention was led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, who became the leaders of the movement for women’s rights. One goal of the Convention was women’s suffrage or the right of women to vote. The Nineteenth Amendment was ratified in 1920 and women were finally given the right to vote.
Thus, the answer is 4.
F. Which type of federal tax was authorized by the 16th amendment in 1913?
(1) excise (3) income
(2) import (4) estate
What is the question asking?
What is the Sixteenth Amendment?
The 16th amendment established Congress’s right to impose a Federal income tax.
Thus, the answer is 3.
G. In the late 1800s, the Homestead steel strike and the Pullman railcar strike were unsuccessful because
(1) the government supported business owners
(2) most workers refused to take part in the strike
(3) the Supreme Court ruled both strikes were illegal
(4) factory owners hired children to replace the striker
What is the question asking?
Why did the Homestead Strike and the Pullman Strike fail?
A strike occurs when workers refuse to work in protest of low wages or unsafe working conditions. In the early days of unionism, the government supported the bosses or business owners. Soldiers were called in to support the owners.
Thus, the answer is 1.
H. Passage of the Dawes Act of 1887 affected Native American Indians by
(1) supporting their cultural traditions
(2) attempting to assimilate them into mainstream American culture
(3) forcing their removal from areas east of the Mississippi River
(4) starting a series of Indian wars on the Great Plain
What is the question asking?
What was the Dawes Act?
Many reformers urged that Native American Indian tribes adopt the culture of most Americans. The Dawes Act (1887) sought to hasten their Americanization. The act officially abolished Native American Indian tribes. Each family was given 160 acres of reservation land as its own private property.
Thus, the correct answer is 2.
I. In the late 1800s, which group most often supported the views of the Populist Party?
(1) factory owners (3) farmers
(2) nativists (4) labor unions
What is the question asking?
What were the goals of the Populist Party? Which group would be attracted to the goals of the Populist Party?
In 1892, farmers gave their support to the new Populist Party, which represented laborers, farmers and industrial workers in their battle against banking and railroad interests. Populists believed rich industrialists and bankers had a stranglehold on government. In 1892, the Populists held a national convention to choose a Presidential candidate. Their party platform had several innovative proposals: unlimited coinage of silver to raise farm prices and make loan repayments easier; direct election of Senators instead of by state legislatures; term limits for President permitting only a single term in office; a graduated income tax or taxing wealthy individuals at a higher rate; immigration quotas to restrict the influx of newcomers; and a shorter work day of eight hours.
Thus, the answer is 3.
J. In 1906, the publication of The Jungle, written by Upton Sinclair, led Congress to
(1) enact stronger prohibition laws
(2) support the national conservation movement
(3) establish a system for meat inspection
(4) legalize strikes and boycotts by labor unions
What is the question asking?
What did Upton Sinclair write about in The Jungle that led to new laws?
Upton Sinclair’s novel The Jungle (1906) described the unsanitary practices of the meat-packing industry. Rats were often scurrying over the meat in the factory. It was downright disgusting.
Thus, the answer is 3.
K. The explosion of the USS Maine and the practice of yellow journalism played a significant role in the
(1) public’s support for the Spanish-American War
(2) creation of the Open Door policy
(3) acquisition of Florida
(4) purchase of Alaska
What is the question asking?
What happened to the USS Maine and what was yellow journalism? What did yellow journalism regarding the explosion of the USS Maine encourage the public to support?
The USS Maine was an American ship that exploded in Havana harbor. Spain was immediately planned for the explosion but today historians doubt that the explosion was Spain’s fault. Nonetheless, the United States press whipped up sentiment against Spain, especially after the sinking of the battleship Maine in the harbor of Havana in February 1898. Yellow journalism is the use of sensationalized news in newspaper publishing to attract readers and increase circulation. The Spanish-American War is often referred to as the first “media war.” During the 1890s, journalism that sensationalized – and sometimes even manufactured – dramatic events was a powerful force that helped propel the United States into war with Spain.
Thus, the answer is 1.
L. Yellow journalism contributed to the start of the Spanish-American War (1898) by
(1) portraying William McKinley as a pro-war president
(2) inciting public outrage over conditions in Cuba
(3) showing the need to acquire colonies in the Pacific
(4) demanding the repeal of the Gentlemen’s Agreement
What is the question asking?
Why were labor union leaders often anti-immigrant in the late 19th century?
Yellow journalism is the use of sensationalized news in newspaper publishing to attract readers and increase circulation. The Spanish-American War is often referred to as the first “media war.” During the 1890s, journalism that sensationalized – and sometimes even manufactured – dramatic events was a powerful force that helped propel the United States into war with Spain.
Thus, the answer is 2.
J
M. The United States tried to avoid involvement in World War I by following a policy of
(1) neutrality
(2) collective security
(3) economic boycotts
(4) military preparedness
What is the question asking?
How did the United States try to avoid involvement in World War I?
The United States government had pursued a policy of neutrality since the days of George Washington’s Farewell Address. When World War I began in Europe, the United States tried to stay neutral. However, after a number of incidents, the United States was unable to maintain this policy of neutrality.
Thus, the answer is 1.
N. A primary reason for the establishment of the Open Door policy (1899) was to
(1) protect United States trade in the Far East
(2) gain control of the Panama Canal Zone
(3) encourage Chinese immigration to the United States
(4) improve relations with Russia
What is the question asking?
What was the Open Door Policy?
The Open Door Policy was a statement of principles initiated by the United States (1899, 1900) for the protection of equal privileges among countries trading with China. While many Western European nations had gained spheres of influence in China, the United States wanted to make certain that it could trade with China. The principle stated that all nations should have equal access to any of the ports open to trade in China.
Thus, the answer is 1.
O. The main reason for increased migration of African Americans out of the rural South during and following World War I was the
(1) availability of farmland in the West
(2) opportunity for factory jobs in the North
(3) chance to escape racial segregation by joining the military
(4) elimination of the Ku Klux Klan in the northern States
What is the question asking?
Why did African Americans leave the South?
With its Jim Crow segregation, sharecropping system, and discrimination, African Americans hoped for more just treatment and better economic opportunities in the North.
Thus, the correct answer is 2.
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Here are some more questions to practice.
With each passing day, our skills increase. Thus, we are better prepared to answer more questions without too much assistance.
Of course, you may benefit from my Two Hundred and Fifty Facts to Pass the US History and Government Regents.
This packet is the first link on my U.S. History – Consent of the Governed page on my webpage. Here is a link to my U.S. page:
http://www.whiteplainspublicschools.org//site/Default.aspx?PageID=12862
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P. To improve distribution of money and guarantee an adequate money supply, President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to
(1) eliminate the gold standard
(2) limit foreign investment
(3) provide insurance for bank deposits
(4) establish the Federal Reserve System
Clue: This is the nation’s central bank.
Q. The clear-and-present danger doctrine established in Schenck v. United States (1919) permits the government to
(1) declare war on any nation that attacks the United States
(2) limit speech that threatens the security of the nation
(3) break up monopolies that limit business competition
(4) outlaw organizations that threaten the civil rights of others
Clue: This was a case of a man who wanted to encourage Americans to not submit to the Draft, to not become soldiers.
R. Which movement’s primary goal was the ratification of a constitutional amendment authorizing Prohibition?
(1) Abolitionist (3) temperance
(2) Populist (4) settlement house
Clue: Temperance means abstinence from alcoholic drink.
S. Henry Ford’s use of the assembly line in the production of automobiles led directly to
(1) A decrease in the number of automobiles available
(2) A decrease in the cost of automobiles
(3) An increase in the unemployment rate
(4) An increase in the time needed to produce a single automobile
Clue: In 1913, Henry Ford installed the first moving assembly line for the mass production of an entire automobile. His innovation reduced the time it took to build a car from more than 12 hours to two hours and 30 minutes.
T. In the late 1800s, the term robber baron was used to describe some owners of big businesses primarily because they
(1) favored free trade
(2) eliminated competition using ruthless methods
(3) opposed the formation of corporations
(4) provided workers with high wages
Clue: An American capitalist of the latter part of the 19th century who became wealthy through exploitation (as of natural resources, governmental influence, or low wage scales)
U. The Senate’s opposition to United States membership in the League of Nations was based mainly on the
(1) cost of membership dues
(2) failure to give the United States veto power
(3) fear of being drawn into future wars
(4) concern that United States businesses would be damaged
Clue: The League of Nations was an organization for international cooperation established at the initiative of the victorious Allied Powers at the end of World War I. Why would the United States be opposed to this?
V. One reason the American Federation of Labor (AFL) was successful was that this organization
(1) focused on the needs of skilled workers
(2) rejected the use of strikes and boycotts
(3) ended the use of blacklists by employers
(4) called for government ownership of industry
Clue: The American Federation of Labor (AFL) was formed in 1881 by Samuel Gompers. Gompers hoped to create a powerful union by uniting workers with similar economic interests. Unlike the Knights of Labor, the AFL consisted of separate unions of skilled workers joined together into a federation. Gompers limited his goals to winning improved wages and working conditions for workers, higher pay, and an 8-hour work day.