Student Name:
2021-2022
U.S. History:1877 to Present
(Traditional)
Benchmark 1
Jefferson County School District
Mississippi
Fall 2021
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CASE U.S. History: 1877 to Present
Do Not Reproduce
Directions: Read each question, and choose the correct answer.
Then mark the space on your answer sheet for the
answer you have chosen.
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CASE U.S. History: 1877 to Present
1.
2.
Do Not Reproduce
How did the increase in settlers coming to the West to farm impact the cattle
industry?
A
It reduced competition for water access as farms used their own irrigation systems.
B
It disrupted the iconic cattle drives and caused tensions with farmers.
C
It prompted cooperative efforts to share farmland for cattle grazing in the off-season.
D
It lowered shipping rates as farmers and ranchers negotiated collectively with the railroads.
This is an excerpt from a speech given by President Woodrow Wilson in 1913.
The employer is now generally a corporation or a huge company of some kind; the
employee is one of hundreds or of thousands…They generally use dangerous and
powerful machinery, over whose repair and renewal they have no control. New rules
must be devised with regard to their obligations and their rights…. Rules must be
devised for their protection, for their compensation when injured, for their support
when disabled.
Based on this excerpt, Wilson would have supported which action?
A
forming labor unions
B
adopting laissez-faire policies
C
ending imperialistic policies
D
supporting conservation of resources
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CASE U.S. History: 1877 to Present
3.
Do Not Reproduce
This quote from a South Carolina farmer appeared in The Rural Carolinian in
November 1874.
Here in the South we formerly had a class of highly educated planters…of which
could and did wield the brainpower…and made themselves power, for good ends, in
public affairs…. What we want now is a general diffusion of education—a cultivation
and development of the brain in the whole farming class. With that will come
independence, mental and [economic] self-reliance, and public influence.
What original purpose of Grange membership did this farmer capture?
4.
A
to lobby state governments
B
to manufacture farm machinery
C
to replace the gold standard
D
to share agricultural practices
Which Populist Party demands were enacted by the federal government?
Select two that apply.
A
free coinage of silver
B
direct election of senators
C
public ownership of railroads
D
federal income tax
E
postal savings banks
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CASE U.S. History: 1877 to Present
5.
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This is an excerpt from an article that appeared in The New York Times in 1869.
When we contemplate this achievement we can hardly realize its magnitude. Three
thousand two hundred and eighty-five miles of continuous railway within four
degrees of latitude and fifty degrees of longitude in the temperate zone. When the
route was discovered around the Cape of Good Hope, it was properly regarded as a
blessing of mankind—hence the designation by which it is known; but the
completion of this mighty work, which connects the two oceans, is a still greater
blessing…. It will populate the vast territory and be the great highway of the
nations;…it will preserve the Union of these great states.… This railway counteracts
natural tendency to disunion, has prevented a separation, and binds the states of
the Atlantic and Pacific into one nation.
What benefit of the completion of the transcontinental railroad is referenced in this
excerpt?
A
It created better ways to use technology and promoted exploration.
B
It improved the United States’ relationships with foreign trade partners.
C
It brought the nation together and helped heal the divisions caused by the Civil War.
D
It was used by people of many nations and created opportunities for cooperation.
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CASE U.S. History: 1877 to Present
6.
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This is an excerpt from Homesteading: Two Prairie Seasons published in 1918.
One would meet [women] trudging alone over the prairie, hunting among the bluffs
for stray cattle, or see them helping their husbands to dig out stones, or mounted
on a plough or driving a team of bulls, or hear tales of how they had helped their
husbands to dig wells or build the little shack. In some cases, they would hold down
the homestead with two or three young children while the husband was earning
money, or even go out themselves to do the same as cooks while their husbands
performed the homestead duties. So, as a rule, whether gentle or simple, from
educated, refined homes or more humble surroundings, for the most part they
played their part bravely and cheerfully in the new life.
Based on this excerpt, what conclusion can be drawn about the roles of men and
women in the West?
A
Gender roles were blurred as both men and women performed duties that were necessary for
survival.
B
Gender roles followed traditional norms as men did most of the physical work while women
performed domestic duties.
C
Gender roles were reversed as women tended to be the primary breadwinners so that men
could stay close to home to manage farms.
D
Gender roles for men and women varied based on the socioeconomic status of each family.
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CASE U.S. History: 1877 to Present
7.
Do Not Reproduce
These two photographs were taken in two different cities.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 1939
Durham, North Carolina, 1940
These photographs are evidence of which action taken by the federal government
during the late 1800s?
A
Congress passed civil rights legislation that prohibited segregation in public schools,
restaurants, and restrooms.
B
The Supreme Court ruled that separate facilities were constitutional as long as they were
equal.
C
Congress passed civil rights legislation that guaranteed everyone was entitled to the same
treatment in public accommodations.
D
The Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in public places, including restrooms, was
unconstitutional.
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CASE U.S. History: 1877 to Present
8.
Do Not Reproduce
This cartoon created by Thomas Nast was published in Harper’s Weekly on March 8,
1884.
Nast was trying to convince the public to continue supporting which initiative?
A
providing federal pensions to war veterans
B
the creation of national forests and animal sanctuaries
C
replacing the spoils system with the merit system
D
the prohibition of any business combination that restricted trade
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CASE U.S. History: 1877 to Present
9.
Do Not Reproduce
This is an excerpt from an article published in The New York Times in 1881.
The Democratic Party of [North Carolina] is trying to have the [state] Constitution
amended so as to require the exhibition of a receipt for the payment of a poll tax as
a prerequisite to voting…. It is thought by leading Democrats that they can bulldoze
the people at the polls and have this amendment ratified if they can get it before the
people. In this way, they expect to disfranchise 40,000 Republican voters and make
North Carolina a Democratic state for many years. The Republican Party will eagerly
accept the issue made by this bill, if the amendment is submitted to the people, and
they confidently expect to defeat and destroy the Democratic Party upon this
question.
Based on this excerpt, what was one motivation for the implementation of poll taxes?
A
to ensure voters had a say in issues directly relevant to them
B
to decrease the power and influence of one political party
C
to increase the number of eligible voters in the state
D
to dissolve the two-party political system at the state level
10. This chart lists several technological innovations and their impacts on the city of
Boston in the early 20th century.
Technological Innovation
Impact on Boston
steam engine
factories no longer tied to rivers
smaller factories
more factories in less space
streetcars
faster transportation
installation of an aqueduct
cleaner water supply
These changes most likely contributed to which situations in Boston and other
northern cities with similar innovations?
Select two that apply.
A
an increase in air pollution
B
reduced profits for factories
C
an increase in population
D
less crowding in tenements
E
lower poverty rates
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CASE U.S. History: 1877 to Present
Do Not Reproduce
11. This political cartoon of Andrew Carnegie was published on July 25, 1903.
Which fact affirms the artist’s opinion of Carnegie?
A
The average steelworker employed by Carnegie made $1.81 an hour and worked an average
of 10.67 hours a day.
B
Carnegie gave away $60 million to create over 2,500 libraries across the English-speaking
world.
C
Steelworkers employed by Carnegie worked 364 days a year without breaks during the
workday.
D
Carnegie required his workers to take 25% wage cuts in order to protect his profits and
annual earnings.
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CASE U.S. History: 1877 to Present
Do Not Reproduce
Use the information given to answer questions 12 and 13.
This is an excerpt from The History of the Standard Oil Company written by Ida M. Tarbell
in 1904.
In the fall of 1871…certain Pennsylvania refiners brought to [Rockefeller and his
partners] a remarkable scheme, the gist of which was to bring together secretly a
large enough body of refiners and shippers to persuade all the railroads handling oil
to give to the company formed special rebates on its oil…. If they could get such
rates, it was evident that [other companies] could not compete with them long and
that they would become eventually the only refiners. They could then limit their
output to actual demand, and so keep up prices…. In order that their great scheme
might not be injured by premature public discussion they asked of each [potential
partner] whom they approached a pledge of secrecy.
12. Based on this excerpt, what was the purpose of Tarbell’s writing?
A
to celebrate the rise of corporate trusts
B
to expose unfair business practices
C
to convince the public that monopolies are not corrupt
D
to persuade the government to embrace laissez-faire policies
13. During the Progressive Era, which legislation did Congress pass to end practices such
as those described in this excerpt?
A
Hepburn Act
B
Interstate Commerce Act
C
Pendleton Civil Service Act
D
Clayton Antitrust Act
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CASE U.S. History: 1877 to Present
Do Not Reproduce
14. During the Industrial Age, what impact did the creation of monopolies have on
consumers?
A
Consumers had more options for buying goods.
B
Consumers paid lower taxes on goods.
C
Consumers were forced to pay higher prices for goods.
D
Consumers had access to higher quality goods.
15. This chart shows details about the Angel Island and Ellis Island immigration stations.
Location
Immigrants Processed
Number Rejected
Percentage Rejected
Average Length of Stay
Angel Island
Ellis Island
San Francisco Bay
150,000
50,000
33%
2-3 weeks
New York Harbor
19 million
1.2 million
6%
1 day
Based on this chart, what conclusion can be drawn about immigration?
A
The length of time immigrants were detained shows that security measures took precedence
over safety at both stations.
B
Racial discrimination played a role in how immigrants were treated at Angel Island.
C
Immigrants were treated more fairly at Angel Island because they were thought to be the
best suited for citizenship.
D
Both stations made it a priority to process all immigrants efficiently and expediently.
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CASE U.S. History: 1877 to Present
Do Not Reproduce
16. This political cartoon drawn by Bernard Gilliam appeared in Judge magazine on
June 6, 1891.
A Party of Patches
Which group of people would have most likely agreed with the message in this
cartoon?
A
members of the Republican Party
B
farmers in the Midwest
C
members of the Populist Party
D
factory workers in the North
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CASE U.S. History: 1877 to Present
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17. This is a map of the United States.
Which numbered location is a city where rural populations migrated to work in the
steel and iron industries during the Industrial Age?
A
1
B
2
C
3
D
4
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CASE U.S. History: 1877 to Present
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18. This is an excerpt from an 1892 essay by Jane Addams entitled “The Subjective
Necessity for Social Settlements.”
We have in America a fast-growing number of cultivated young people who have no
recognized outlet for their active faculties. They bear constantly of the great social
maladjustment, but no way is provided for them to change it, and their uselessness
bangs about them heavily…. We are fast feeling the pressure of the need and
meeting the necessity for settlements in America. Our young people feel nervously
the need of putting theory into action, and respond quickly to the settlement form of
activity…. The settlement then, is an experimental effort to aid in the solution of the
social and industrial problems which are engendered by the modern conditions of
life in a great city.
Based on this excerpt, what was one purpose of the settlement house movement
beyond helping urban immigrants?
A
It was an experiment to see if young people from privileged backgrounds could integrate into
urban cities.
B
It was a means of preventing idleness and immoral behavior of young people who lived in
cities.
C
It was an outlet for young people from privileged backgrounds to put their reform ideas and
motivations into action.
D
It was a way to ensure that traditional gender roles and social norms were adopted by young
people.
19. Which belief does the passage of the Dawes Act reflect?
A
The federal government was responsible for protecting tribal lands.
B
Private ownership of property was the best way to assimilate Native Americans.
C
Dividing land into parcels enabled Native Americans to use land as they saw fit to use it.
D
Tribes received the best land as compensation for the sacrifices they made in the past.
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CASE U.S. History: 1877 to Present
Do Not Reproduce
20. How were the domestic policies of Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard
Taft, and Woodrow Wilson similar?
A
They shared a belief that the federal government should improve the lives of Americans.
B
They agreed that it was dangerous to empower the American people because empowerment
leads to mob rule.
C
They focused on protecting the rights of consumers without harming corporations.
D
They embraced the idea that the government should not interfere in the workings of the free
market.
21. This is a diagram of a business practice used in the late 1800s.
=factory
Which business practice does the diagram represent?
A
Bessemer process
B
horizontal integration
C
trust creation
D
vertical integration
22. During the Industrial Age, what did “old immigrants” and “new immigrants” have in
common?
A
They easily assimilated into local communities.
B
They came from Northern and Western Europe.
C
They were in search of economic opportunities.
D
They were poor, unskilled, and illiterate.
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CASE U.S. History: 1877 to Present
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23. Which muckraker exposed the unsanitary practices and health violations in the
American meatpacking industry?
A
Robert M. LaFollette, Sr.
B
Upton Sinclair
C
Lincoln Steffens
D
Ida Tarbell
24. This excerpt is from an account of the Haymarket Square Riot published in
The Inter Ocean, a Chicago newspaper, in 1886.
The anarchists of Chicago inaugurated in earnest last night the reign of lawlessness
which they have threatened and endeavored to incite for years. They threw a bomb
into the midst of a line of 200 police officers, and it exploded with fearful effect,
mowing down men like cattle. Almost before the missile of death had exploded, the
anarchists directed a murderous fire from revolvers upon the police as if their action
was prearranged, and as the latter were hemmed in on every side…the effect of the
fire upon the ranks of the officers was fearful. When the police had recovered from
the first shock of the attack, they gallantly charged upon their would-be murderers,
shooting at every step and mowing them down as their fellow officers had been by
the bomb…. The cowardly [anarchists] finding that their attack did not completely
annihilate the officers…fled in all directions….
Who would have most likely disagreed with this account?
A
a member of the general public
B
a police officer
C
a wealthy business owner
D
a member of a labor union
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CASE U.S. History: 1877 to Present
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25. This is an excerpt from a book written by John Mitchell, a coal mine worker, in 1903.
The condition of workmen in the textile and other factories was incredibly bad. The
day’s work was constantly lengthened, in some cases to fourteen, sixteen, and more
hours, and while not difficult, the labor was confining and nerve-wearing. There was
little provision for the safety of the workmen, and terrible accidents were a matter of
daily occurrence in the crowded mills and factories. Periods of feverish activity,
during which men were worked beyond the limit of human endurance, were
succeeded by still more harassing periods of depression, when thousands of men
were thrown into the street.
In this excerpt, Mitchell is discussing the reasoning behind which action?
A
adoption of laissez-faire policies
B
increasing taxes paid by big businesses
C
formation of labor unions
D
strengthening anti-immigration laws
26. These quotes are from two urban political leaders.
The way to have power is to take it.
-
William “Boss” Tweed, Political Leader in New York
City, 1868-1873
In the old days, strength and physical prowess were the chief attributes of the
successful leader or boss; today the ability to control men is the most essential
quality.
- George “Boss” Cox, Political Leader in Cincinnati,
1879-1905
Based on these quotes, what conclusion can be drawn about the leadership styles of
these two leaders?
A
They felt that the best way to deal with urbanization was to encourage political parties to
work together.
B
They believed the best way to influence big city politics was to establish power using any
means necessary.
C
They opposed corruption and worked with reformers to return cities back to the people.
D
They understood the importance of educating citizens and worked with muckrakers to do so.
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CASE U.S. History: 1877 to Present
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27. This is an excerpt from a speech given by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1905.
The preservation of the forests is vital to the welfare of every country. China and the
Mediterranean countries offer examples of the terrible effect of deforestation upon
the physical geography, and therefore ultimately upon the national well-being, of
the nations…. If we permit the natural resources of this land to be destroyed so that
we hand over to our children a heritage diminished in value, we thereby prove our
unfitness to stand in the forefront of civilized peoples.
This excerpt is evidence of what viewpoint held by Roosevelt about conservation?
A
The United States could not expand economically without adopting better conservation
practices.
B
Conservation efforts around the world were preventing global economic growth.
C
Conservation was necessary to preserve land and resources for future generations.
D
The United States needed to adopt conservation policies similar to China and Mediterranean
countries.
28. This is an excerpt from a newspaper article entitled “The Red Man’s Chance to Be a
Man” published in 1916.
I have watched [North American Indian] sons come from the tepee to the
government school…. It may be true that some of these sons of the Plains who have
returned from the schools have gone back…but others have returned to aid their
fellows to fight their way to their feet in Christian faith. They have returned to their
tribes by scores and, as educated men, lead their tribes in farming as well as trade,
and model a Christian lifestyle.
Based on this excerpt, the author supported which policy of the federal government?
A
assimilation
B
internment
C
isolationism
D
relocation
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CASE U.S. History: 1877 to Present
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29. These excerpts show the viewpoints of two civil rights leaders.
The Negro race, like all races, is going to be saved by its exceptional men. The
problem of education then, among Negroes, must first of all deal with the “Talented
Tenth.” It is the problem of developing the best of this race that they may guide the
mass away from the contamination and death of the worst.
-
W.E.B. Du Bois, “The Talented Tenth,” from The
Negro Problem: A Series of Articles by Representative
Negroes of Today (1903)
Our greatest danger is that in the great leap from slavery to freedom we may
overlook the fact that the masses of us are to live by the productions of our hands,
and fail to keep in mind that we shall prosper in proportion as we learn to dignify
and glorify common labor, and put brains and skill into the common occupations of
life; shall prosper in proportion as we learn to draw the line between the superficial
and the substantial, the ornamental [things] of life and the useful. No race can
prosper till it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a
poem. It is at the bottom of life we must begin, and not at the top. Nor should we
permit our grievances to overshadow our opportunities.
-
Booker T. Washington, Atlanta Exposition Speech
(1895)
These excerpts are representative of what relationship between the two leaders?
A
They grew up in similar situations and had the same viewpoint on the role of education.
B
They advocated for opposing educational strategies to achieve equality.
C
They believed it was necessary for all individuals to participate in the fight for equality.
D
They developed a unified strategy to improve the lives of minority groups.
30. The Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914 was passed to address which goal of progressive
reformers?
A
reducing the power and influence of large corporations
B
expanding the right to vote to women
C
improving living conditions in tenements
D
preventing children from working in dangerous conditions
END OF U.S. HISTORY TEST
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