Term
Which of these was not a successful invention
of the era?
A. high-powered sewing machines
B. movies with sound
C. frozen foods
D. typewriters |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
What was the major advantage of
Westinghouse’s “alternating current” power
invention?
A. It was less prone to fire.
B. It cost less to produce.
C. It allowed machines to be farther from the power source.
D. It was not under Edison’s control. |
|
Definition
| C. It allowed machines to be farther from the power source. |
|
|
Term
How did the burst of new inventions during
this era fuel the process of urbanization? |
|
Definition
| New inventions increased industrial production and created more factory jobs in cities. Improvements in electricity, steel production, transportation, and communications encouraged businesses to concentrate in urban areas, attracting workers from farms and immigrants from abroad. |
|
|
Term
Which of the following “robber barons” was
notable for the exploitative way he made his fortune in railroads
A. Jay Gould
B. Cornelius Vanderbilt
C. Andrew Carnegie
D. J. Pierpont Morgan |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which of the following does not represent one of the management strategies that John D. Rockefeller used in building his empire?
A. horizontal integration
B. vertical integration
C. social Darwinism
D. the holding company model |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Why was Rockefeller’s use of horizontal
integration such an effective business tool at this time? Were his choices legal? Why or why not? |
|
Definition
| Horizontal integration allowed Rockefeller to buy or merge with competing oil refineries, reducing competition and increasing his control of the industry. At the time, many of these practices were legal because antitrust regulations were weak or nonexistent. However, as Standard Oil grew into a monopoly, courts and lawmakers increasingly challenged its practices, leading to antitrust actions. |
|
|
Term
What differentiated a “robber baron” from
other “captains of industry” in late nineteenth century America? |
|
Definition
| A "robber baron" was viewed as someone who accumulated wealth through exploitative, unethical, or monopolistic business practices. A "captain of industry" was seen as a business leader whose innovations and investments benefited society by creating jobs, improving efficiency, and promoting economic growth. Many industrialists, such as Carnegie and Rockefeller, were labeled both depending on the observer's perspective. |
|
|
Term
What was one of the key goals for which
striking workers fought in the late nineteenth century?
A. health insurance
B. disability pay
C. an eight-hour workday
D. women’s right to hold factory jobs |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
Which of the following was not a key goal of
the Knights of Labor?
A. an end to convict labor
B. a graduated income tax on personal wealth
C. equal pay regardless of gender
D. the creation of cooperative business
enterprises |
|
Definition
| B. a graduated income tax on personal wealth |
|
|
Term
What were the core differences in the
methods and agendas of the Knights of Labor and the American Federation of Labor? |
|
Definition
Knights of Labor (KOL):
Opened membership to most workers regardless of skill, race, or gender.
Sought broad social and economic reforms.
Favored cooperative ownership and larger social change.
American Federation of Labor (AFL):
Focused mainly on skilled workers.
Concentrated on practical workplace improvements such as wages, hours, and working conditions.
Avoided broader political and social issues whenever possible. |
|
|
Term
Which of the following did not contribute to
the growth of a consumer culture in the United
States at the close of the nineteenth century?
A. personal credit
B. advertising
C. greater disposable income
D. mail-order catalogs |
|
Definition
| C. greater disposable income |
|
|
Term
Briefly explain Roland Marchand’s argument
in the Parable of the Democracy of Goods. |
|
Definition
| Marchand argued that Americans increasingly believed they could improve their lives and social status through the purchase of consumer goods. Ownership of desirable products became a way for people to express success and participate in American society, regardless of their actual economic class. |
|
|
