2. Why did some people call the business leaders “robber barons”?

1. Because they secretly stole money from banks at night.
2. Because critics believed they crushed smaller companies and treated workers unfairly to gain wealth.
3. Because they refused to build any new railroads or factories.
4. Because they wore special uniforms during the workday.

3. Which pair correctly matches a business leader with the industry they were known for?

1. John D. Rockefeller – railroads
2. Cornelius Vanderbilt – banking
3. Andrew Carnegie – farming
4. Andrew Carnegie – steel

4. What is one problem workers faced in the big companies described in the passage?

1. Long hours, unsafe conditions, and very low pay
2. Too many paid vacation days and overtime pay
3. No access at all to factory jobs
4. The government forced workers to own the factories

5. How did supporters of these business leaders defend them?

1. They said the leaders avoided taking risks and stayed out of the economy.
2. They argued that the leaders only cared about building mansions and hosting parties.
3. They believed the leaders used smart ideas to build companies that created jobs and products.
4. They claimed the leaders were chosen by the king of England.

6. Why did the government begin to pass new laws during and after this period?

1. To stop workers from forming any groups or unions
2. To respond to public anger about monopolies and unfair business practices
3. To require every company to be small and family-owned
4. To close all factories in large cities

7. What does the passage suggest about big business in the Gilded Age?

1. It was entirely harmful and brought no benefits.
2. It only helped farmers and had no effect on cities.
3. It improved workers’ lives in every way without problems.
4. It brought growth and lower prices, but also conflict and unfair treatment that required new rules.

2. What is one reason critics labeled these figures “robber barons,” according to the passage?

1. They refused to invest in any new technology or equipment.
2. They formed trusts, squeezed wages, and used their influence to block rules that might limit their power.
3. They supported shorter workdays and safer workplaces from the beginning.
4. They owned only small, local shops that struggled to survive.

3. Which detail from the passage best supports the idea that these leaders helped knit the country together?

1. They built nationwide railroad networks and modern steel plants that connected regions and markets.
2. They avoided building any new transportation or communication systems.
3. They focused only on local streetcar lines in small towns.
4. They chose to invest only in European factories.

4. The passage mentions the Homestead strike mainly to show that…

1. steel workers always agreed with their employers.
2. labor disputes during the Gilded Age were rare and peaceful.
3. strikes were only about raising prices on steel.
4. anger over working conditions and power imbalances sometimes exploded into violent conflict.

5. Which development best illustrates how the government began responding to big business power?

1. Wealthy families became responsible for writing all workplace rules.
2. All banks and railroads were immediately shut down.
3. The Sherman Antitrust Act gave officials tools to challenge monopolies and trusts.
4. The Supreme Court banned all large companies, no matter how they behaved.

6. How does the passage present the later philanthropy of Carnegie and Rockefeller?

1. As proof that earlier criticism of their business practices was completely wrong
2. As an additional layer to their legacy that does not erase the conflicts of the Gilded Age
3. As the main reason the Gilded Age is remembered as peaceful
4. As evidence that they never supported education or science

7. Which sentence from the passage best shows that historians still disagree about how to judge these business leaders?

1. “Their enterprises created jobs, lowered the cost of steel and kerosene, and helped the United States compete with European powers.”
2. “Strikes…sometimes turned violent, revealing how deep the anger ran.”
3. “Today, historians still debate how to judge these figures.”
4. “Some former ‘robber barons’ became major philanthropists.”