Mining, Railroads & Western Economy
What caused the mining boom in the West?
A. Homestead Act
B. Telegraph invention
C. Discovery of gold & silver
D. Railroad expansion
C. Discovery of gold & silver
Why did the U.S. confine tribes to reservations?
A. To preserve culture
B. To open land for settlers and railroads
C. To promote trade
D. To protect buffalo
B. To open land for settlers and railroads
What product did Standard Oil mainly refine?
A. Steel
B. Kerosene
C. Coal
D. Gasoline
B. Kerosene
Why did workers form labor unions?
A. High wages
B. Unsafe conditions, long hours, low pay
C. Health benefits
D. Paid vacations
B. Unsafe conditions, long hours, low pay
What invention ended the open range?
A. Steel plow
B. Windmills
C. Barbed wire
D. Telegraph
C. Barbed wire
What usually happened to boomtowns when mines shut down?
A. Became major cities
B. Turned into ghost towns
C. Converted to factories
D. Became military bases
B. Turned into ghost towns
What discovery caused settlers to violate the Nez Perce treaty?
A. Coal
B. Oil
C. Gold
D. Silver
C. Gold
A monopoly is—
A. Shared profits among companies
B. One company controlling an entire industry
C. Government-run business
D. A partnership
B. One company controlling an entire industry
What was a sweatshop?
A. A safe factory
B. A workplace with long hours & poor conditions
C. A union office
D. A government institute
B. A workplace with long hours & poor conditions
Why did farmers support “free silver”?
A. To decrease prices
B. To raise crop prices & increase money supply
C. To buy more cattle
D. To stop railroad expansion
B. To raise crop prices & increase money supply
Which group was most negatively affected by western mining expansion?
A. Railroad workers
B. Native Americans
C. Steel mill workers
D. Farmers
B. Native Americans
The Dawes Act aimed to—
A. Increase tribal land
B. Strengthen Native communities
C. Break up tribal land & force assimilation
D. End reservations
C. Break up tribal land & force assimilation
What business tactic helped Rockefeller undercut competitors?
A. Hiring more workers
B. Railroad rebates
C. Assembly lines
D. Government loans
B. Railroad rebates
Which tragic event exposed unsafe workplace conditions for women?
A. Haymarket Riot
B. Pullman Strike
C. Triangle Shirtwaist Fire
D. Homestead Strike
C. Triangle Shirtwaist Fire
Which group influenced American cowhands the most?
A. French traders
B. Mexican vaqueros
C. Canadian farmers
D. German settlers
B. Mexican vaqueros
Why was the standard gauge system important for railroads?
A. Allowed faster switching of cars
B. Allowed any train to run on any track
C. Allowed states to choose track size
D. Prevented train accidents
B. Allowed any train to run on any track
Why was the buffalo population nearly wiped out?
A. Disease
B. Lack of water
C. Commercial hunting + military strategy
D. Climate change
C. Commercial hunting + military strategy
What process made steel cheaper and faster to produce?
A. Telegraph system
B. Bessemer process
C. Horizontal drilling
D. Steam engine
B. Bessemer process
Which invention revolutionized communication?
A. Light bulb
B. Telephone
C. Airplane
D. Assembly line
B. Telephone
Why did many homesteaders build sod houses?
A. Government required them
B. Wood was scarce
C. Sod stayed warm
D. It was faster
B. Wood was scarce
Which act gave land and loans to railroad companies to build the transcontinental railroad?
A. Homestead Act
B. Interstate Commerce Act
C. Pacific Railway Act
D. Dawes Act
C. Pacific Railway Act
Which event marked the end of armed Native American resistance?
A. Sand Creek
B. Little Bighorn
C. Wounded Knee
D. Black Hills War
C. Wounded Knee
Why did some Americans call business leaders “robber barons”?
A. They donated too much
B. They used unfair practices to gain power
C. They avoided owning factories
D. They supported unions
B. They used unfair practices to gain power
Why did public opinion turn against unions after the Haymarket Riot?
A. Wages increased
B. A bomb killed police officers
C. Unions were too powerful
D. Workers refused to strike
B. A bomb killed police officers
What caused the decline of the Cattle Kingdom?
A. Overgrazing
B. Harsh winters
C. Barbed wire
D. All of the above
D. All of the above