Q&A Hero

Q: The Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty _____. A) secured Colombia's permission for the building of the Panama Canal B) gave the United States control of the canal zone in Panama C) transferred rights to the Panama Canal from France to the United States D) ended hostilities with Mexico in autumn, 1914 E) gave the United States control of the Philippines

Q: In terms of foreign policy, Theodore Roosevelt _____. A) did little to foster American aims B) reflected the influence of isolationism C) sought to prepare the country for its role as a world power D) worked to further isolate the United States from foreign affairs E) was supremely concerned with world peace

Q: The German sinking of the ________ in 1915 cost 128 American lives and enraged the American public. A) Sussex B) Arabic C) Nashville D) Lusitania E) Titanic

Q: Which of the following is the best characterization of the three presidents who held office in the early 1900s? A) Roosevelt was the most progressive of the three: conserving more land, instituting more social reforms, and busting more trusts. B) Wilson was the most progressive of the three: conserving more land, instituting more social reforms, and busting more trusts. C) Although Roosevelt and Wilson were more progressive, all three worked to regulate business, conserve land, and institute social reforms. D) Taft was the most progressive of the three: conserving more land, instituting more social reforms, and busting more trusts. E) They all worked on similar conservative programs: bank regulation, tariffs, and income taxes.

Q: What is ironic about Wilson's program in his second term in office? A) It directly contradicted all of his New Freedom programs. B) It was more about religion and morality than social change. C) It helped more people than Taft's and Roosevelt's programs combined. D) It was essentially made up of ideas first proposed by his rival, Theodore Roosevelt. E) It was widely supported by the masses, but in the end served to hurt their interests.

Q: Which of the following individuals assumed the least progressive position regarding race relations in the early 1900s? A) Theodore Roosevelt (second term) B) Woodrow Wilson (first term) C) William Taft D) Booker T. Washington E) W. E. B. Du Bois

Q: How did Theodore Roosevelt distinguish a "good" trust from a "bad" trust? A) A "good" trust stayed within reasonable bounds, whereas a "bad" trust hurt the general welfare of society. B) A "good" trust donated contributions to Roosevelt's reelection campaign, whereas a "bad" trust did not. C) A "good" trust was well-organized and efficient, whereas a "bad" trust was cumbersome and inefficient. D) A "good" trust employed the masses (immigrants, women, the poor, African Americans), while a "bad" trust employed only white male workers. E) A "good" trust developed products that contributed to society, while a "bad" trust was in the service industry.

Q: Which of these best describe Roosevelt's attitude towards African Americans? A) He acted both extremely progressively and in a reactionary fashion. B) He refused to commit himself on this issue. C) His actions were consistent in being lukewarm. D) His support for black civil rights grew during his second term in office. E) He continually courted the support of progressives in this area.

Q: The Socialist party of America was characterized by all of the following EXCEPT _____. A) a membership that included people from a variety of backgrounds B) a leader able to unite the party C) a cohesive platform and effective organization D) an influence in rural areas in the South and the West E) an impact on mayoral elections in more than thirty cities

Q: Which of these was NOT true of the Progressives? A) They sought to eliminate large corporations and businesses. B) They acted out of concern about the effects of industrialization. C) They believed in the possibilities for progress and were hopeful about human nature. D) They were confident that it was within their right to intervene in people's lives. E) They looked to government to implement the reforms they sought.

Q: Why was the passage of Federal Reserve Act during Woodrow Wilson's presidency considered to be crucial? A) It instituted the first income tax, which still exists today. B) It settled disputes among Democrats and Republicans. C) It imposed necessary controls on banks, and still exists today. D) It won him great public admiration, securing his second term. E) It made the United States the richest country in the world.

Q: Which of these describe Roosevelt's second term in office? A) He used his mandate to enact a progressive agenda. B) The closeness of the election weakened his presidency. C) Struggles with Taft made his presidency difficult. D) His second term in office was nearly identical to his first. E) He moved from activism to coalition-building.

Q: In what way was Taft more of a conservationist than Roosevelt? A) He opposed Pinchot's sale of millions of acres of public land. B) He opposed Ballinger's sale of Alaskan land to coal companies. C) He instituted the nation's first recycling program. D) He was a vegetarian and opposed to hunting animals. E) He conserved more public land than his predecessor.

Q: Why did disputes erupt among the Republican Party when Taft took office? A) Taft began to side with progressive Republicans, emphasizing the differences between them and the Democrats. B) Roosevelt's forceful personality had concealed or managed the conflicts, but when he left office the conflicts reemerged. C) Just before leaving office, Roosevelt had sown seeds of discontent with his conservation, labor, and education reforms. D) Taft was an unlikable man who quickly created resentment from voters, even those who were his supporters. E) Taft was so strong-willed and opinionated that he alienated even members of his own political party.

Q: Which of these best describe the relationship between Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft? A) Roosevelt and Taft worked closely together. B) Roosevelt supported Taft's nomination, but the two differed in both method and ideology. C) Roosevelt did all he could to defeat the nomination of Taft. D) Taft followed Roosevelt's ideology, but not his methods. E) Taft's presidency represented a continuation of Roosevelt's.

Q: In what way can Theodore Roosevelt be considered one of the country's first conservationist presidents? A) He created 150 million acres in new forest preserves. B) He loved animals and set aside many wilderness areas. C) He believed in sequestering public land, so it would not be used. D) He opposed the use of coal because it damaged the environment. E) He was an avid hunter, but confined his big game pursuits to Africa.

Q: How did consumers respond to Upton Sinclair's novel The Jungle? A) They avoided buying drugs from pharmacies. B) They stayed away from certain fruits and vegetables. C) They quickly cut back on meat. D) They began to purchase more dairy products. E) They learned how to read product labels.

Q: In his negotiations to pass the Hepburn Act of 1906, what did Roosevelt reveal about his political strategy? A) He capitalized on his popularity with the masses to coerce Congress to pass bills. B) He used his military past to command awe and obedience to his will as President. C) He employed yellow journalists and muckrakers to attack his opponents. D) As a young and new president, he relied too heavily on experienced advisors. E) He was skillful at political negotiations to achieve reform measures.

Q: In what way did Theodore Roosevelt embody the concept of pragmatism? A) In breaking the trusts and large corporations, he demonstrated that he believed in natural laws instead of actions. B) In deciding to run for a third term, he demonstrated a belief in the absolute truth of his right to the presidency. C) He approached problems not by applying an ideology, but in an ad hoc manner. D) In his conservation of wilderness in America, he demonstrated his belief in divine laws, meaning that God had given America the land to take care of. E) In his unequal treatment of African Americans, he demonstrated the pragmatic ability to be "tough-minded" in a world with no easy answers.

Q: Why did Theodore Roosevelt call Robert La Follette's Wisconsin "the laboratory of democracy"? A) Wisconsin focused on improving voter education and participation. B) Wisconsin citizens voted to approve or reject all of La Follette's ideas. C) Wisconsin used research methods to implement progressive ideas. D) Wisconsin removed nearly all corrupt officials at local and state level. E) Wisconsin's new voting practices became the model for all other states.

Q: How did city governments become more like businesses during the early 1900s? A) They became more corrupt, working for the wealthy and crushing the masses with unfair housing, tax, and employment laws. B) They became more supportive of the masses, creating health, housing, and employment programs to help the poor. C) They became balanced by competitive political parties and special interest groups, just as big businesses were balanced by unions versus management. D) They created systems of managers supported by experts, stressing continuity, efficiency, and results. E) They became embroiled in bureaucracy and regulations and could not function properly as a result.

Q: Why did voting decline during the progressive era? A) Pessimism marked the progressive era, and people did not bother voting as a result. B) Women made up most of the population and their disfranchisement affected turnout. C) Voters focused on social reforms rather than on politics in the progressive era. D) Most of the population was concerned with moral reform rather than political reform. E) People relied on interest groups to bring about change, and did not feel a need to vote.

Q: How did progressive attitudes affect the size of government? A) Progressives believed that local government was ineffective in enacting social reforms, so municipal government decreased during the progressive era. B) Progressives believed that the federal government could best conduct social reforms, so government grew during the progressive era. C) Progressives believed that charities could best conduct social reforms, so government shrank during the progressive era. D) Progressives believed that most voters were too uneducated to understand national issues, so they supported small state and local government only. E) Progressives believed in the wisdom of the general masses, so state and local governments shrank while agencies run by non-politicians grew.

Q: How did the National American Woman Suffrage Association differ from prior organizations? A) It unified two important suffrage associations. B) It was marred by disunity and disorganization. C) It had fewer members than earlier associations. D) It was led by the militant activist Carrie Chapman Catt. E) It focused on bringing about legislative change.

Q: What did some people in the business community find attractive about progressivism? A) Nothing. The business community opposed all forms of progressivism. B) Progressives and business owners wanted to clean up city governments and political contests. C) Progressives believed in progress and efficiency, two industrial business values. D) Progressives wanted to control corporate abuses, reform child labor laws, and ensure factory safety; these were industrial business values, too. E) Progressives fought for women's and African Americans' rights, two things that would benefit industrial leaders.

Q: How did social reform during the early 1900s differ from reforms of previous eras? A) In previous eras, social reform was supported exclusively by the government; in the early 1900s, social reform was controlled by private charities. B) In previous eras, social reform was supported exclusively by private charities; in the early 1900s, social reform was controlled by the government. C) In previous eras, social reform was mixed with morality; in the early 1900s, it was free from moral overtones. D) During previous eras, social reform had been more complex and interrelated; during the early 1900s, reformers saw problems as individualized and simplistic. E) During previous eras, social reform had been more simplistic and directed at one particular problem; during the early 1900s, reformers saw problems as complex and interrelated.

Q: How did the growing trend of national associations impact professionals in the early years of the 1900s? A) Higher standards enforced by associations ensured that professionals met the minimum standards in their fields. B) It became easier to become a professional; all one had to do was buy into an association. C) Associations ensured that only aristocrats had access to proper education and training in many fields. D) Associations helped restrict the lower classes from joining the burgeoning middle class in urban America. E) Associations made it more difficult for professionals to devote their lives to helping people who were less fortunate.

Q: Why were many professionals attracted to the progressive movement? A) They wanted to bar the lower classes from joining their professions. B) They hoped to discourage women from entering the workforce. C) They wanted to set educational requirements for their professions. D) They were interested in asserting influence in the southern United States. E) Many professionals were NOT attracted to the progressive movement.

Q: The "bully pulpit" reflected what use of presidential power? A) Taft's strong-arm tactics in fighting unions. B) Wilson's attacks on big business. C) Taft's use of the presidency to lead by moral example. D) Roosevelt's active use of presidential power to lead change. E) Wilson's disdain for the expansion of presidential power.

Q: In the final analysis, Wilson's domestic programs indicated _____. A) his exclusive belief in New Freedom ideas B) his outright opposition to Roosevelt's New Nationalism C) a blending of the two competing doctrines of progressivism D) his failure as a progressive reformer E) his determination to please as many voters as possible

Q: Woodrow Wilson's record on race relations _____. A) elicited the support of African Americans B) disappointed many progressives C) won him support in the North D) demonstrated opposition to discrimination E) flew in the face of Roosevelt's policies

Q: The most important domestic law passed during Wilson's administration was the _____. A) Underwood Tariff B) Dingley Tariff C) Federal Reserve Act D) Pure Food and Drug Act E) Clayton Antitrust Act

Q: Woodrow Wilson won the election of 1912 as a _____. A) Republican B) Democrat C) Progressive D) Socialist E) Populist

Q: In 1912, Roosevelt's New Nationalism _____. A) demanded a stronger role for the executive office B) called for tighter immigration laws C) represented a repudiation of progressivism D) suggested that federal government could not be trusted E) was resolutely opposed to big business

Q: Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom called for _____. A) the expansion of government B) less government regulation C) business competition and small government D) government restraint of competition E) overseas expansion

Q: President Taft alienated progressive Republicans by _____. A) curbing the power of Speaker of the House, Joseph Cannon B) vetoing a tariff increase C) dismissing Richard Ballinger D) campaigning against them in the 1910 midterm elections E) working directly against them in elections

Q: Dividing the Republican party early in William Howard Taft's administration was _____. A) the debate regarding the role of government in foreign policy B) the problem of banking regulation C) a decision concerning the need to lower tariffs D) the question of campaign strategy E) the split loyalty between Taft and Roosevelt supporters

Q: The Sixteenth Amendment _____. A) established civil rights guidelines B) authorized the direct election of senators C) gave women the right to vote D) authorized an income tax E) enfranchised eighteen-year-olds

Q: Before becoming president, William Howard Taft's greatest strength was _____. A) as an administrator B) as a coalition-builder C) as an economic strategist D) as a political organizer E) as an orator

Q: Compared to Roosevelt, William Howard Taft _____. A) was a reformer B) was pro-business C) was pro-union D) was a hard worker E) was a dynamic politician

Q: Upton Sinclair's novel, The Jungle, led to passage of the _____. A) Hepburn Act B) Mann-Elkins Act C) Meat Inspection Act D) Elkins Act E) Clayton Antitrust Act

Q: During the great coal strike of 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt _____. A) played no role at all in settling the dispute B) sympathized completely with the company owners C) turned his attention to the Pure Food and Drug Act instead D) brought the two sides to the White House to come to an agreement E) shut down the coal mines for two months

Q: The Supreme Court's decision in the Northern Securities case _____. A) paved the way for several other antitrust actions B) had little effect on the problem of trusts overall C) was opposed by Roosevelt himself D) affected only the smaller American trusts E) was a unanimous decision

Q: Theodore Roosevelt angered southerners by _____. A) dining with Booker T. Washington at the White House B) stationing federal troops in southern states to supervise elections C) selecting African Americans for cabinet positions D) ordering the federal bureaucracy to be fully integrated E) making sure that black athletes were included in the 1908 U.S. Olympic team

Q: The most famous reform governor of the Progressive Era was _____. A) Robert M. La Follette B) "Golden Rule" Jones C) Hiram Johnson D) Lincoln Steffens E) Richard Ely

Q: To progressives, the commissions they championed offered a way to _____. A) increase their political power B) reduce the power of reformers C) end the corrupt alliance between business and politics D) provide employment for their supporters E) elect regular citizens into political offices

Q: Progressive reformers of the cities believed that ________ were needed to solve problems and enact real change. A) experts B) bankers C) politicians D) scientists E) mayors

Q: The most prominent American socialist during the Progressive Era was _____. A) "Big Bill" Haywood B) Gifford Pinchot C) Eugene V. Debs D) Upton Sinclair E) Daniel DeLeon

Q: The most influential educator of the Progressive Era was _____. A) Horace Mann B) Eugene V. Debs C) Robert M. La Follette D) John Dewey E) William James

Q: The Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution provided for _____. A) women's suffrage B) prohibition C) a federal income tax D) direct election of senators E) extending the franchise to eighteen-year-olds

Q: What was one problem that the woman suffrage movement continued to face after 1890? A) uncertainty among leaders about pursuing reform B) disunity and disloyalty C) a lack of organization at the national level D) opposition from the progressive movement E) resistance from the Catholic Church

Q: The Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution provided for _____. A) women's suffrage B) prohibition C) a federal income tax D) direct election of senators E) extending the franchise to eighteen-year-olds

Q: Who helped form the Progressive, or Bull Moose, Party? A) William Howard Taft B) Theodore Roosevelt C) Woodrow Wilson D) Herbert Hoover E) William Jennings Bryan

Q: How did Mexican immigration in the early 1900s contribute to the change in the Southwest? A) These immigrants were the first to put the Mexican imprint on Southwestern culture. B) Many of these immigrants became the unskilled workers who built the Southwest's irrigation, transportation and urban projects. C) This new wave of Mexican immigrants displaced Native Americans from their lands. D) Many of these immigrants were hired as skilled and professional workers in the Southwest's new cities and factories. E) The Mexican immigrants did not stay nor did they have a lasting contribution on the Southwest or its culture.

Q: How did mass production change life for Americans? A) It created a split society of rich workers with skills and poor ones without skills. B) It provided low wage jobs, so few Americans could buy the mass produced goods. C) Unions had to control the conditions in all places where products were mass produced. D) The government created regulations for every part of daily life and employment. E) It provided jobs, income and mass-produced products that workers could afford.

Q: The muckrakers and progressives disagreed on what to reform first and how to do it, but not on _______. A) the need for reform B) the need for unions C) the rights of big business D) the role of immigrants in America E) the need for racial equality

Q: In what sense did the Ashcan School reflect the work of muckrakers? A) in the media they used B) in their methods C) in their subjects D) in their interest in the West E) in being predominantly women

Q: How were the works of dancers, musicians, artists, and poets related in the early 1900s? A) Many were experimenting with forms of ultra-realism. B) Many broke sharply with convention. C) Many were returning to classic forms from ancient Greece and Rome. D) Many were trying to create an international arts movement. E) Many were experimenting with technology to enhance their art form.

Q: In what way were the methods of Henry Ford and Edward L. Stratemeyer similar? A) Both applied the assembly line to auto manufacturing. B) Both turned out high-quality goods at high prices. C) Neither would give in to labor demands. D) Both used mass-production techniques. E) Both transformed public transportation.

Q: Which of these was true for life expectancy in the U.S. in the period from 1900 to 1920? A) Life expectancy rose for some groups, but fell for others. B) Life expectancy rose for men, but not women. C) Life expectancy fell across the board. D) Life expectancy for the population as a whole remained static. E) Across the board, life expectancy rose.

Q: "Off-the-rack" clothes replaced what kind of clothing? A) home-made clothes B) designer clothing C) working uniforms D) "ready-to-wear" clothes E) mail-order catalog clothes

Q: In the early 1900s, why did the middle class have a powerful effect on production? A) Most immigrants were working in factories and made many consumer goods. B) The growing middle-class had influence as consumers of mass-produced goods. C) The working class and reformers were pushing for better conditions in factories. D) The poor and rich classes were increasing their demand for mass produced goods. E) The growing middle class needed jobs, so production increased to end unemployment.

Q: What methods were often used by unions to achieve their goals? A) lockouts and government troops to protect workers B) firing managers and using industrial psychology C) strikes, leading to negotiations D) buying out factory owners and boycotting products E) hiring other workers to take their place and striking

Q: A major difference between the goals of the American Federation of Labor and the Industrial Workers of the World was ________. A) whether to get better pay for their members B) a concentration on working conditions C) whether business owners should be allowed into the union D) whether to represent skilled workers or all workers E) working collaboratively with corporate leaders

Q: Between 1915 and 1918, labor productivity dropped in the United States because ________. A) the United States was involved in World War I B) markets in Europe were not buying products, so production was reduced C) unemployment caused demand and then production to decrease D) violent race riots stopped production E) horrible working conditions led to strikes and absenteeism

Q: The founding of the NAACP grew out of ________. A) race riots and lynchings B) strikes at major industrial plants C) differences between white and black reformers D) political fighting over a civil rights amendment E) northern reaction to southern politics

Q: Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Dubois did not agree on ________. A) whether or not an industrial society was good for African Americans B) whether or not changes in rights should occur immediately or gradually C) using unions to promote racial equality D) supporting woman's right to vote E) whether or not progressivism should include a racial agenda

Q: Why did more black women work than white women in the early 1900s? A) Black women had traditionally worked for white women. B) Many companies hired black women over white women. C) Black families often needed two incomes to survive. D) Reformers hired black workers when they were available. E) Black women had more education than white women.

Q: How did irrigation create a rural class system in the West? A) Native Americans owned water rights, so they became a wealthy, powerful class divided from white farmers. B) Rich Europeans invested in companies that sold diverted water and owned land, while westerners became poor tenant farmers. C) Irrigation created fertile land, which was sold to immigrants from southern and eastern Europe for small farms. D) Irrigation made once undesirable Indian reservations desirable, so Native Americans were displaced and made to live as nomads. E) Only the wealthy could afford to irrigate, creating a divide between landowners and workers.

Q: Which of these arrived in the 1910s, helping to end the isolation felt by farmers? A) electrification of most rural areas B) rural free delivery and mail order businesses C) telephones in most areas of rural America D) radio programs E) commuter trains

Q: American businesses began paying attention to size, speed, organization and marketing because ________. A) new laws required reforms to ensure worker safety and a safe work environment B) strikes were putting many companies out of business C) profitable companies needed to mass produce goods quickly using unskilled labor D) old factories had to be rebuilt to produce the goods demanded by consumers E) unskilled workers demanded a good working environment and higher pay

Q: How did management methods by Frederick W. Taylor's affect workers? A) Management kept workers happy by improving their working conditions, wages, and hours. B) A new comfortable working environment increased worker satisfaction, loyalty, and production. C) Workers were given the power to influence how production was carried out, which increased their willingness to work. D) Workers had to meet specific work standards, which often led to higher pay for doing monotonous and dangerous jobs. E) Workers were allowed to develop the best solutions to problems.

Q: Because of new methods of production in the first years of the twentieth century, workers ________. A) felt almost part of the machinery, endangered and bored B) were more satisfied, which led to better safety and higher wages C) were made to work long hours for better pay and benefits D) were fired because automation eliminated low-skilled jobs E) felt their unique products were worth more than they were selling for

Q: The difference between a monopoly and an oligopoly includes ________. A) whether or not a financier has a stake in a company B) how the factory purchases its raw materials C) how many companies control the market of a product D) how many products a company produces for sale E) whether the company has one or multiple factories

Q: How did Ford's Model T lead to better roads? A) Ford built roads in every state so people could use his new cars. B) Because urban centers were so crowded, many cities limited the number of cars that could travel through them. C) When cars became popular, cities began building roads far outside their city limits. D) In response to more cars on the road, the federal government required states to establish highway departments. E) Automobile owners had to pay high taxes, which then went to build and improve the federal highway system.

Q: Henry Ford is often described as the inventor of the assembly line. In what way is this an inaccurate description? A) Ford didn"t invent the assembly line himself; his managers and workers did. B) Ford only improved upon the meatpacking industry's use of the assembly line. C) Because human workers worked on the line, it wasn"t really an assembly line. D) Because machines were involved, it wasn"t really an assembly line. E) The assembly line wasn"t used in the company until after Henry Ford's death.

Q: How did industrialism change as it moved into the twentieth century? A) Technology replaced workers, making both skilled craftsmanship and unskilled laborers obsolete. B) Mass production meant wealth and prosperity for most Americans, which affected the global economy. C) Factories became cleaner, safer, and more effective, which increased production. D) The invention of plastic revolutionized the production industry, making household and industrial products affordable. E) Businesses grew larger and more automated, which affected both workers and production.

Q: Magazines became popular and successful in the early 1900s partly because of which of these factors? A) appealing pictures, new fiction, and muckraking journalism B) support for management's rights, sensationalism, and new poetry C) new printing techniques using huge new printing presses D) yellow journalism and the appeal of local coverage E) a new national postal system that delivered the mail

Q: The Ashcan School of artists ________. A) turned against realistic portrayals of life B) tried to reflect the reality of urban life C) were abstract artists D) were influenced by European artists E) believed that "less is more"

Q: During the Progressive Era, the African-American experience heavily influenced _________. A) popular music B) impressionist painting C) classical college curriculum D) where factories were built E) urban architecture