CHAPTER 23
Politics in the Gilded Age, 1869-1896 IV. SINGLE-ANSWER MULTIPLE CHOICE. Mark the one best answer for each of the following questions. 1. At the conclusion of the Civil War, General Ulysses S. Grant a. refused gifts offered him by the American public. b. proved that he was a sound judge of human character. c. rejoined the Democratic party. d. accepted gifts of houses and money from citizens. e. ruled out running for office. 2. In the presidential election of 1868, Ulysses S. Grant a. transformed his personal popularity into a large majority in the popular vote. b. owed his victory to the votes of former slaves. c. gained his victory by winning the votes of the majority of whites. d. demonstrated his political skill. e. all of the above. 3. As a result of the Civil War, a. the population of the United States declined. b. political dishonesty grew while honesty in business rose. c. the North developed a strong sense of moral superiority. d. the great majority of political and business leaders became corrupt. e. waste, extravagance, speculation, and graft reduced the moral stature of the Republic. 4. In the late nineteenth century, those political candidates who campaigned by “waving the bloody shirt” were reminding voters a. of the “treason” of the Confederate Democrats during the Civil War. b. that the Civil War had been caused by the election of a Republican president. c. of the graft-filled “radical” regimes in the Reconstruction South. d. that radical Republicans catered to freed slaves during Reconstruction. e. of Ku Klux Klan violence against blacks. 5. Which one of the following is least related to the other three? a. Jim Fisk b. “Black Friday” c. Jay Gould d. “Ohio Idea” e. Wall Street gold market 6. One weapon that was used to put Boss Tweed, leader of New York City’s infamous Tweed Ring, in jail was a. the cartoons of the political satirist Thomas Nast. b. federal income tax evasion charges. c. the RlCO racketeering act. d. New York City’s ethics laws. e. granting immunity to Tweed’s cronies in exchange for testimony. 7. The Credit Mobilier scandal involved a. public utility company bribes. b. Bureau of Indian Affairs payoffs.
c. railroad construction kickbacks. d. evasion of excise taxes on distilled liquor. e. manipulating the Wall Street stock market. 8. In an attempt to avoid prosecution for their corrupt dealings. the owners of Credit Mobilizer a. left the country. b. belatedly started to follow honest business practices. c. sold controlling interest in the company to others. d. tried to gain immunity by testifying before Congress. e. distributed shares of the company’s valuable stock to key congressmen. 9. President Ulysses S. Grant was reelected in 1872 because a. the Democrats and Liberal Republicans could not decide on a single candidate. b. he promised reforms in the political system. c. he pleaded for a clasping of hands across “the bloody chasm” between the North and South. d. his opponents chose a poor candidate for the presidency. e. federal troops still controlled the South. 10. Match each politician below with the Republican political faction with which he was associated. A. B. C. D.
Roscoe Conkling James Blaine Horace Greeley Ulysses Grant
a. b. c. d. e.
A-2, B-3, C-4, D-l A-3, B-1, C-2, D-4 A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4 A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3 A-4, B-3, C-1, D-2
1. 2. 3. 4.
“Half-Breeds” Stalwarts Regular Republicans Liberal Republicans
11. One cause of the panic that broke in 1873 was a. the reissuance of millions of dollars in greenbacks. b. the construction of more factories than existing markets would bear. c. an extremely high rate of inflation. d. the formation of the Greenback Labor party. e. excessive speculation in mining stocks. 12. As a solution to the panic or depression of 1873, debtors suggested a. a policy of deflation. b. a passage of the Resumption Act of 1875. c. stronger federal control of banking. d. restoring the government’s credit rating. e. inflationary policies.
13. One result of Republican “hard money” policies was a. a strong dollar against foreign currencies. b. damage to the country’s credit rating. c. the return to the “Dollar of Our Daddies,” silver dollars, as the dominant coin in circulation. d. the defeat of a Democratic House of Representatives in 1874. e. the formation of the Greenback Labor party.
14. Those who enjoyed a successful political career in the post-Civil War decades were usually a. reformers. b. incorruptible. c. party loyalists. d. political independents. e. wealthy and well educated. 15. During the Gilded Age, the Democrats and the Republicans a. had few significant economic differences. b. agreed on currency policy but not the tariff. c. were separated by substantial differences in economic policy. d. held similar views on all economic issues except for civil service reform. e. were divided over silver vs. gold currency. 16. The presidential elections of the 1870s and 1880s a. were all won by Republicans. b. involved charismatic personalities. c. were rarely close. d. usually involved sharp partisan differences over issues like currency policy and civil-service reform. e. aroused great interest among voters. 17. One reason for the extremely high voter turnouts and partisan fervor of the Gilded Age was a. the parties’ differences over economic issues. b. sharp ethnic and cultural differences in the membership of the two parties. c. battles between Catholics and Lutherans. d. differences over the issue of the civil service. e. sectional tensions between the Northeast and Midwest. 18. During the Gilded Age, the lifeblood of both the Democratic and the Republican parties was a. the Grand Army of the Republic. b. the Roman Catholic Church. c. ideological commitment. d. big-city political machines. e. political patronage. 19. “Spoilsmen” was the label attached to those who a. expected government jobs from their party’s elected officeholders. b. ravaged the pristine environment of the “golden West” for their own profit. c. manipulated railroad stocks to their own private advantage. d. supported civil-service reform. e. engaged in political corruption.
20. The major problem in the 1876 presidential election centered on a. who would be Speaker of the House. b. the two sets of election returns submitted by Florida, South Carolina, and Louisiana. c. Samuel Tilden’s association with corrupt politicians. d. President Grant’s campaign for a third term. e. failure to use the secret “Australian ballot” in some places. 21. The Compromise of 1877 resulted in
a. b. c. d. e.
a renewal of the Republican commitment to protect black civil rights in the South. the withdrawal of federal troops from the South. the election of a Democrat to the presidency. passage of the Bland-Allison Silver Purchase Act. a plan to build the first transcontinental railroad.
22. The sequence of presidential terms of the “forgettable presidents” of the Gilded Age (including Cleveland’s two non-consecutive terms) was a. Cleveland, Hayes, Harrison, Cleveland, Arthur, Garfield. b. Garfield, Hayes, Harrison, Cleveland, Arthur, Cleveland. c. Cleveland, Garfield, Arthur, Hayes, Harrison, Cleveland. d. Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, Cleveland, Harrison, Cleveland. e. Hayes, Garfield, Harrison, Cleveland, Arthur, Cleveland. 23. In the 1896 case of Plessy v. Ferguson, the Supreme Court ruled that a. African Americans could be denied the right to vote. b. segregation was unconstitutional. c. “separate but equal” facilities were constitutional. d. the Fourteenth Amendment did not apply to African Americans. e. literacy test. for voting were constitutional. 24. At the end of Reconstruction, Southern whites disenfranchised African Americans with a. literacy requirements. b. poll taxes. c. economic intimidation. d. grandfather clauses. e. all of the above. 25. The legal codes that established the system of segregation were a. found only in the North. b. called Jim Crow laws. c. overturned by Plessy v. Ferguson. d. undermined by the crop lien system. e. passed during Reconstruction. 26. The presidency of Rutherford B. Hayes opened with a. a peaceful labor scene. b. increased overseas expansion. c. scenes of class warfare. d. charges of corruption. e. improved race relations. 27. The railroad strike of 1877 started when a. President Hayes refused to use troops to keep the trains running. b. the four largest railroads cut salaries by ten percent. c. working hours were cut back by the railroad companies. d. the railroad workers refused to cross the picket lines of cargo loaders. e. the railroads tried to hire Chinese workers. 28. Labor unrest during the Hayes administration stemmed from a. agitation by Communist sympathizers. b. the establishment of the Socialist party. c. the collapse of the steel industry.
d. competition among rival unions. e. long years of depression and deflation. 29. Labor unrest in the 1870s and 1880s resulted in a. Congress’s passing legislation supporting the formation of unions. b. a ban on Irish immigration. c. the use of federal troops during strikes. d. congressional acts to ban strikes. e. growing middle class support for labor. 30. In the wake of anti-Chinese violence in California, the United States Congress a. negotiated a restricted-immigration agreement with China. b. did nothing, as it was California’s problem. c. banned the Keameyites in San Francisco. d. sent many Chinese back to their homeland. e. passed a law prohibiting the immigration of Chinese laborers to America. 31. Which of the following internal developments in China resulted in Chinese immigration to the United States? a. the disintegration of the Chinese Empire b. the seizure of farmland by landlords c. the intrusion of European powers d. internal political turmoil e. all of the above 32. One of the main reasons that the Chinese came to the United States was to a. dig for gold. b. work on the East Coast. c. replace the newly freed slaves in the South. d. buy their own farms. e. all of the above. 33. The Chinese word tong means a. criminal organization. b. meeting hall. c. labor union. d. family. e. cooking utensil. 34. Abraham Lincoln was the first president to be assassinated while in office; the second was a. Rutherford Hayes. b. William McKinley. c. Chester Arthur. d. Benjamin Harrison. e. James Garfield. 35. President James A. Garfield was assassinated a. as a result of his service in the Civil War. b. because he was a Stalwart Republican. c. because he opposed civil-service reform. d. by a deranged, disappointed office seeker. e. by a political anarchist.
36. The Pendleton Act required appointees to public office to a. take a competitive examination. b. present a written recommendation from a congressman or senator. c. agree to make financial contributions to their political party. d. pledge independence from either major political party. e. have a college degree. 37. With the passage of the Pendleton Act, politicians now sought money from a. new immigrants. b. civil-service workers. c. the small army of factory workers whom they now had to mobilize. d. foreign contributors. e. big corporations. 38. The 1884 election contest between James G. Blaine and Grover Cleveland was noted for a. its emphasis on issues. b. low voter turnout. c. its personal attacks on the two candidates. d. a landslide victory for the reform-minded Republicans. e. its virtual tie in the electoral college. 39. Which one of the following Gilded Age presidents had a different party affiliation from the other four? a. Ulysses S. Grant b. Rutherford Hayes c. Grover Cleveland d. Benjamin Harrison e. Chester Arthur 40. When he was president, Grover Cleveland’s hands-off approach to government gained the support of a. Civil War prisoners. b. the Great Army of the Republic. c. farmers. d. workers. e. businesspeople.
4l. On the issue of the tariff, President Grover Cleveland a. supported high rates. b. advocated a lower rate. c. had no opinion. d. followed the advice of his party. e. favored tariffs on agricultural products. 42. The major campaign issue of the 1888 presidential election was a. civil-service reform. b. the big trust question. c. the currency question. d. foreign policy. e. tariff policy. 43. In the latter decades of the nineteenth century, it was generally true that the locus of political power was a. Congress.
b. c. d. e.
the president. the federal courts. the federal bureaucracy. the states.
44. The “Billion-Dollar Congress” quickly disposed of rising government surpluses by a. providing subsidies to wheat, corn, and cotton farmers. b. building an expensive new steel navy. c. expanding pensions for Civil War veterans. d. cutting tariffs and other taxes. e. increasing spending on railroads and other transportation projects. 45. Which of the following was not among the platform planks adopted by the Populist Party in their convention of 1892? a. government ownership of the railroads, telephone, and telegraph b. free and unlimited coinage of silver in the ratio of 16 to 1 c. a one-tern limit on the presidency d. government guarantees of “parity prices” for farmers e. immigration restrictions 46. The four states completely carried by the Populists in the election of 1892 were a. Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota. b. Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois. c. Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Kansas. d. Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont. e. Kansas, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada. 47. The early Populist campaign to create a coalition of white and black farmers ended in a. a racist backlash that eliminated black voting in the South. b. the transformation of Tom Watson into a fervent civil rights leader. c. an alignment of wealthy “Bourbon” whites with moderate blacks. d. the breakdown of segregation in areas outside southern cities. e. the emergence of Republican political power in the South. 48. The political developments of the 1890s were largely shaped by a. the widespread prosperity and federal budget surpluses. b. America’s growing involvement in overseas conflicts. c. the most severe and extended economic depression up to that time. d. the growing black rebellion against segregation and racial oppression. e. the deadlock among Republicans, Democrats, and Populists in Congress. 49. Economic unrest and the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act led to the rise of the pro-silver leader a. Tom Watson. b. William Jennings Bryan. c. William McKinley. d. J. Pierpont Morgan. e. Adlai E. Stevenson. 50. President Grover Cleveland aroused widespread public anger by his action of a. vetoing the Wilson-Gorman Tariff Act. b. using federal troops to suppress Populist demonstrations. c. taking the United States off the gold standard.
d. borrowing $65 million in gold from J.P. Morgan’s banking syndicate. e. wasting the federal surplus on pork-barrel spending.
52. From the end of Reconstruction until the late 1890’s , a high percentage of Americans participated in politics because (a) dynamic candidates stirred political passions (b) the parties adopted distinct positions on important issues (c) political organizations served important social and cultural functions (d) the country faced crucial economic and political problems 53. Which of the following Americans would likely have voted Republican in the latter nineteenth century? (a) white southern farmer (b) Northern Protestant industrialist (c) Catholic immigrant merchant (d) poor, urban factory worker 54. Which of the following factors was probably least significant in determine a voters party loyalty in the latter nineteenth century? (a) economic interests (b) regional identification (c) religious affiliation
(d) ethnic heritage 55. The Grand Old Party (GOP) refers to the (a) Republican Party (b) Democratic Party (c) Populist Party (d) Whig Party 56. Following the Civil War , the leaders of both political parties seemed most concerned with (a) promoting international trade by lower tariffs (b) providing inflation of the money supply (c) curbing the growing power of the big business (d) winning elections and controlling patronage 57. The split in the Republican Party between the Stalwart and half-Breed factions concerned the (a) leadership of Hayes as president (b) distribution of government jobs (c) temperance movement (d) disputed election of 1876 58. Prompted by the assassination of President Garfield, the Pendleton Act of 1883 provided for the (a) government purchase of silver in limited amounts (b) government regulation of railroad rates (c) beginning of a civil service system (d) deportation of immigrant anarchists 59. As President , Grover Cleveland (a) evoked both public and private affection (b) expanded the role of the federal government in the regulation of business (c) sought reduction of tariff rates (d) seldom exercised his power of veto 60. The Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 was (a) narrowly passed by a divided Congress (b) immediately successful in halting the trend toward business monopolization (c) intended by Congress to restructure the economy (d) virtually emasculated by hostile court decision 61. The provision creating an income tax in the Wilson-Gorman Tariff of 1894 (a) allowed significant reductions in the tariff rates (b) received the enthusiastic endorsement of President Grover Cleveland (c) was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court (d) allowed removal of special protections to the trusts 62. In Munn v. Illinois (1877) , the Supreme Court (a) declared the income tax unconstitutional (b) approved state regulation of railroads (c) exempted the sugar trust from prosecution (d) extended the right of due process to corporations 63. The Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 included all of the following provisions except a(n) (a) prohibition of rebates and drawbacks (b) required publication of railroad rates
(c) end to discriminatory rate schedules (d) determination of railroad rates by the Interstate Commerce Commission 64. Perhaps the major effect of the Interstate Commerce Act was to (a) satisfy the popular clamor for reform (b) provide widespread reduction of railroad rates (c) eliminate discriminatory railroad practices (d) prevent the formation of railroad monopolies 65. The so-called Granger Laws were designed to regulate (a) child labor (b) the export of farm crops (c) railroad rates (d) minimum wage and maximum hours 66. Helping William Jennings Bryan win the 1896 Democratic nomination for president was his (a) long record of distinguished Congressional service (b) connections with the urban political machines (c) loyal defense of the Cleveland administrations (d) delivery of the dramatic “Cross of Gold “speech 67. Unlike most of the campaigns of the era, the election of 1896 (a) produced a significant turnout of eligible voters (b) witnessed mudslinging tactics by both parties (c) offered voters a choice on a clear-cut issue (d) failed to generate drama and excitement 68. William Jennings Bryan, in the election of 1896, was the first presidential candidate to (a) systematically “stump” every section of the nation (b) rely upon a “front porch” strategy in meeting the voters (c) turn over management of his campaign to a political boss (d) raise over $5 million worth of campaign contributions 69. The most important issue of the election of 1896 was the (a) proper level for tariff rates (b) threat of war with Spain (c) corruption in the federal government (d) question of money inflation or stability 70. William Jennings Bryan lost the election of 1896 primarily because (a) Republican employers used economic intimidation to influence the votes of their workers (b) he failed to raise sufficient money to match Republican funds (c) his evangelical style alienated Catholic voters (d) the Democratic program was too narrow to win a national election 71. By 1898 prosperity returned to the United States primarily because (a) McKinley’s election reassured business investors (b) passage of the Gold Standard Act guaranteed the dollar’s value (c) the Dingley Act increased tariff rates (d) new supplies of gold inflated the money supply
