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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Due to a lack of a sanitation department in the late 1800s, many streets in the large American cities were lined with what?

2. In the late 19th century on the frontier, what was a child's formal education considered to be?

3. Why was there such massive overcrowding on Manhattan Island in the late 1800s?

4. According to Bettmann in "Air," one observer called the worst New York industrial area a:

5. What did overpopulation in the big cities mean for the tenants in the late 1800s?

Short Essay Questions

1. According to the chapter "Air," what were some of the problems with using a streetcar for transportation?

2. How did housing reveal the contrast between the rich and the poor in the late 1800s?

3. What was New York's shantytown, and who lived there in the late 19th century?

4. What caused the local wells on the frontier to become contaminated?

5. In the era after the Civil War, what was a major cause of the hideous traffic problems in the large American cities like New York?

6. In the late 1800s, were strikes an effective way to handle grievances by workers?

7. What was the area in New York that was the worst air pollution offender in the late 19th century?

8. How did landlords take unfair advantage of their tenants in the late 19th century?

9. How does author Otto Bettman attempt to shatter the misconception of this era, and what is the result?

10. How did the electric trolley car, which was built to improve the traffic situation, actually make the traffic problem worse?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain how the labor force was treated or thought of by the rich industrialists in the post Civil War era. Were they valued as people with needs, families, etc., or treated differently? Provide examples from the book.

Essay Topic 2

How did fear and the relative lawlessness of the open prairie play into the minds of homesteaders? What were some of the threats that homesteaders had to worry about?

Essay Topic 3

Looking back to the late 1800s, it's hard to believe how unsafe and unjust living in America could be. Yet we can also see that the American government, with its regulations and programs really brought America into a safer world with things like the FDA, housing regulations, etc. How would you argue these benefits with someone who think all forms of government infringement is bad or wrong? Provide examples of how the government has helped America to become a stronger and safer place.

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