Chapter 18
The Emergence of America’s Labor Consciousness
General Questions
- Between 1800 and 1940, the U.S. birthrate fell steadily. Factors contributing to this downward trend include
- urbanization.
- rising female employment.
- compulsory schooling.
- declining infant mortality.
- all of the above.
- ______is the key factor in explaining the decline in death rates in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th century.
- Improved sanitation
- Improved medical treatments
- Urbanization
- A more varied and nutritious diet
3.Which of the following statements is least accurate with regard to immigration after the Civil War?
a.The number of immigrants fluctuated dramatically until World War I.
b.The proportion of immigrants from Northern and Western Europe fell dramatically.
c.The cost of crossing the Atlantic was much lower than it was in earlier decades.
d.A growing network of relatives in the United States could help immigrants find jobs and places to live.
e.The majority of immigrants moved to the Midwest to take advantage of the excellent farming opportunities.
4.After 1896 the majority of immigrants to the United States were from
a.Great Britain and Ireland.
b.Scandinavia.
c.Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe.
d.Germany.
5.In the late 19th and early 20th century, the relative earnings of foreign workers were ______the earnings of native workers after adjusting for differences in schooling, skills, and other factors.
a.approximately equal to
b.much less than
c.slightly greater than
d.much greater than
6.All of the following groups benefited from immigration to the United States in the late 19th and early 20th century except
- manufacturing and mining companies.
- retailers.
- railroad companies.
- unskilled native workers.
7.The Contract Labor Law, which was passed in 1864 and repealed in 1868,
a.authorized labor contracts made abroad between American companies and foreign workers.
b.resulted in a large increase in European immigration to the United States.
c.was supported by American wage earners.
d.authorized workers to strike and engage in collective bargaining.
8.In 1917, Congress imposed a serious restriction on immigration when it passed a ______over President Wilson’s veto.
a.quota system
b.minimum wealth standard
c.literacy test
d.ban on Chinese immigration
9.Which of the following is most accurate about the period between the Civil War and World War I?
a.An increasing share of the U.S. population lived in rural areas.
b.Unions pursued strategies of peaceful negotiation with employers.
c.The average number of hours of work increased significantly during the period.
d.The difference between male and female wages decreased.
10.In 1910 ______of children between the ages of 10 and 15 had jobs, but by 1920, this percentage had fallen to ______.
a.50 percent; 25 percent
b.30 percent; 20 percent
c.20 percent; less than 10 percent
d.10 percent; less than 1 percent
11.Statutes prescribing maximum hours and minimum wages for women were common by 1920. The effects of these laws included all of the following except
a.complementary limits on the hours of male workers.
b.a negligible impact on female employment.
c.reduced competition for jobs between male and female workers.
d.increased employment of women in managerial positions.
12.Samuel Gompers is most recognized for
a.the invention of air brakes for trains.
b.his role as an early union leader.
c.invention of a steel manufacturing process.
d.the development of refrigerated train cars.
13.Which of the following was never a labor union?
a.American Federation of Labor
b.Labor Relations Board
c.Congress for Industrial Organization
d.Knights of Labor
14.During what period did the greatest violence between organized labor and companies occur?
a.1800-1820.
b.1860-1870.
c.1875-1895.
d.1910-1930.
- The American Federation of Labor
- was an amalgamation of two labor organizations.
- had over 1 million members by 1905.
- sought to control job opportunities and conditions within each craft.
- allied with the National Civic Federation in an attempt to create a more favorable public image.
- all of the above.
- Violent labor-management conflicts of the late 1800s included all of the following except
- the Haymarket Square riot.
- the Carnegie Homestead Works incident.
- the Pullman strike.
- the Credit Mobilier scandal.
- American union membership as a percentage of the total labor force reached its peak in
- 1900.
- 1910.
- 1920.
- 1930.
- In Coppage v. Kansas (1912), the Supreme Court held that
a.all employers were required to offer employees the option of joining a union.
b.an employer’s right to require that employees sign “yellow-dog contracts” was protected by the 14th Amendment.
c.“yellow-dog” contracts were illegal for any business engaged in interstate commerce.
d.Using federal troops to break strikes was a legitimate use of police power.
e.all of the above
Economic Insights
- Assuming that (1) labor supply is perfectly inelastic (vertical), and (2) immigrants and skilled labor are complements, an increase in unskilled immigrant labor ______the real wages of unskilled labor and ______the real wages of skilled labor.
- increases; increases
- increases; decreases
- decreases; increases
- decreases; decreases
2.What is the most accurate description of skilled and unskilled workers if labor supply curves are not perfectly inelastic (perfectly vertical)?
a.If the two types are complements, then the increases in immigration during the late 1800s would have increased the quantity and wages of skilled workers and decreased the wages of unskilled workers.
b.If the two types are substitutes, then the increases in immigration during the late 1800s would have increased the quantity and wages of skilled workers and decreased the wages of unskilled workers.
c.If the two types are complements, then the increases in immigration during the late 1800s would have increased wages of skilled workers, decreased the number of skilled workers, and decreased the wages of unskilled workers.
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