Regents Prep: U.S. History & Government
Multiple-Choice Questions
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The Roaring 20's: Question 1 of 56
After World War I, why did American farmers fail to share in the general economic growth of the United States?
  1. Many immigrants were settling in the west and competing with the farmers.
  2. The Federal Government reduced the number of acres on which farmers could grow subsidized crops.
  3. Farmers could not produce enough to keep up with demand.
  4. Overproduction and competition caused falling prices.

Correct Answer Number: 4

Explanation: During World War I the US greatly increased its production capacity. After the war, those factories and industry were turned to making consumer good for the spend happy population of the 1920’s. Eventually consumers could not afford any more new goods or were unable to pay of the items they had bought on credit. The resulting overproduction caused a steep drop in prices, caused business to close, increased unemployment and was direct cause of the oncoming great depression.


The Roaring 20's: Question 2 of 56
The Harlem Renaissance of the 1920’s was a period when African Americans
  1. left the United States in large numbers to settle in Nigeria
  2. created noteworthy works of art and literature
  3. migrated to the West in search of land and jobs
  4. used civil disobedience to fight segregation in the Armed Forces

Correct Answer Number: 2

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 3 of 56
Public disregard for Prohibition and for laws prohibiting gambling indicates that
  1. the American film industry has great influence on public opinion
  2. the system of checks and balances does not work
  3. attempts to legislate public morality may be met with strong resistance
  4. American citizens have little, if any, respect for laws

Correct Answer Number: 3

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 4 of 56
United States participation in the Washington Conference (1921), in the Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928), and in the SALT talks of the 1970’s is evidence that the United States
  1. has followed a free trade policy for most of the 20th century
  2. relies on military alliances for defense against aggression
  3. has been willing to cooperate with other nations to reduce world tensions
  4. believes that cultural exchange programs are a way to promote international understanding

Correct Answer Number: 3

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 5 of 56
The 1920’s are sometimes called the "Roaring Twenties" because
  1. foreign trade prospered after World War I
  2. the United States assumed a leadership role in world affairs
  3. political reforms made government more democratic
  4. widespread social and economic change occurred

Correct Answer Number: 4

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 6 of 56
Which condition increased the negative effects of the Great Depression?
  1. Factories had to decrease production because of low demand.
  2. Low levels of unemployment created labor shortages.
  3. The demand for imported products increased.
  4. The Federal Government raised taxes repeatedly.

Correct Answer Number: 1

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 7 of 56
The Washington Naval Conference of 1921-22 and the SALT talks of the 1970’s between the United States and the Soviet Union both reflect the belief that
  1. civil wars within nations can create international hostilities
  2. escalating military buildups are one of the causes of war
  3. cultural exchange programs can reduce world tensions
  4. rivalry between nations over the control of natural resources is the major cause of conflict

Correct Answer Number: 2

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 8 of 56
Which generalization most accurately describes the literary works of Langston Hughes, Sinclair Lewis, and John Steinbeck?
  1. Politics and art seldom mix well.
  2. The best literature concerns the lives of the wealthy.
  3. Literature often reflects the times in which it is created.
  4. Traditional American themes are the most popular.

Correct Answer Number: 3

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 9 of 56
What was one similarity between the Red Scare following World War I and the Cold War following World War II?
  1. Fear of communism led to the suppression of the civil liberties of some Americans.
  2. Large numbers of Russian revolutionaries set-tled in the United States.
  3. Congressional investigations proved that the Federal Government was heavily infiltrated by Communist spies.
  4. Renewed fighting between wartime enemies was a constant threat.

Correct Answer Number: 1

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 10 of 56
Which events best support the image of the 1920’s as a decade of nativist sentiment?
  1. the passage of the National Origins Act and the rise of the Ku Klux Klan
  2. the Scopes trial and the passage of women’s suffrage
  3. the Washington Naval Conference and the Kellogg-Briand Pact
  4. the growth of the auto industry and the Teapot Dome Affair

Correct Answer Number: 1

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 11 of 56
In the United States, the decade of the 1920’s was characterized by
  1. a willingness to encourage immigration to the United States
  2. increased consumer borrowing and spending
  3. the active involvement of the United States in European affairs
  4. major reforms in national labor legislation

Correct Answer Number: 2

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 12 of 56
In the 1920’s, the depressed situation of United States agriculture was chiefly caused by
  1. overregulation by government
  2. mechanization and overproduction
  3. inefficient production techniques
  4. stock-market speculation

Correct Answer Number: 2

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 13 of 56
In the 1920’s, the Immigration Act of 1924 and the Sacco-Vanzetti trial were typical of the
  1. rejection of traditional customs and beliefs
  2. acceptance of cultural differences
  3. increase in nativism and intolerance
  4. support of humanitarian causes

Correct Answer Number: 3

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 14 of 56
The economic boom and the financial speculation of the 1920’s were caused in part by
  1. installment buying and an unregulated stock market
  2. the expansion of civil rights to women and minorities
  3. the mobilization of the economy for war
  4. increased government restrictions on big business

Correct Answer Number: 1

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 15 of 56
Speaker A:"To preserve our American culture, people whose national origins do not match the origins of our nation’s founders must be refused admission."
Speaker B:". . . let us admit only the best educated from every racial and ethnic group . . ."
Speaker C:". . . there is an appalling danger to the American wage earner from the flood of low, unskilled, ignorant, foreign workers who have poured into the country . . ."
Speaker D:"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free . . ."

In the early 20th century, most labor unions supported the view of
  1. Speaker A
  2. Speaker B
  3. Speaker C
  4. Speaker D

Correct Answer Number: 3

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 16 of 56
After World War I, which factor was the major cause of the migration of many African Americans to the North?
  1. the start of the Harlem Renaissance
  2. increased job opportunities in Northern cities
  3. laws passed in Northern States to end racial discrimination
  4. Federal Government job-training programs

Correct Answer Number: 2

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 17 of 56
Which feature of the immigration laws of the 1920’s was different from prior laws?
  1. Quotas were set to limit immigration from many countries
  2. Preference was granted to Chinese immigrants
  3. Refugees from war-torn Europe were encour-aged to enter the United States.
  4. Efforts were made to stop illegal immigration from Latin America.

Correct Answer Number: 1

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 18 of 56
Which combination of factors contributed most to the start of the Great Depression of the 1930’s?
  1. immigration restrictions and a lack of skilled workers
  2. high taxes and overspending on social welfare programs
  3. United States war debts and the declining value of the dollar
  4. overproduction and the excessive use of credit

Correct Answer Number: 4

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 19 of 56
Which conclusion can be drawn from the occurrence of the Red Scare and the decision of the Supreme Court in Schenck v. United States?
  1. Immigrants to the United States are consistently denied equal protection under the law.
  2. A person’s best protection from persecution rests with the Supreme Court.
  3. Civil rights are sometimes compromised by the public’s fear of radical political groups
  4. Violent protests in the United States are usually met with a violent response from the government.

Correct Answer Number: 3

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 20 of 56
How the Other Half Lives, Jacob Riis (1890) The Jungle, Upton Sinclair (1906) The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck (1939) Unsafe at Any Speed, Ralph Nader (1965)

What has been the impact of these authors and their books on American society?
  1. Most Americans have developed a preference for escapist and romantic literature.
  2. Most American authors have adopted a conservative viewpoint
  3. American business has corrected poor conditions quickly.
  4. These works have had significant influence on social, political, and economic reforms.

Correct Answer Number: 4

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 21 of 56
A result of the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s was the
  1. restoration of buildings and the infrastructure in New York City
  2. increased recognition of African-American writers and musicians
  3. end of racial segregation laws in New York State
  4. appointment of several African Americans as presidential advisors

Correct Answer Number: 2

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 22 of 56
The 1925 trial of John Scopes reflects the conflict between
  1. science and religion
  2. isolation and international involvement
  3. traditional roles and new roles for women
  4. Prohibition and organized crime

Correct Answer Number: 1

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 23 of 56
“The business of America is business.” — President Calvin Coolidge. By making this statement, President Coolidge was expressing his support for
  1. higher taxes on corporations
  2. banking regulations
  3. democratic socialism
  4. the free-enterprise system

Correct Answer Number: 4

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 24 of 56
Which action is an example of nativism in the 1920s?
  1. widespread violation of Prohibition laws
  2. efforts to improve living conditions for Native American Indians
  3. passage of laws restricting immigration
  4. provision of credit to farmers

Correct Answer Number: 3

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 25 of 56
Which economic practice became significantly more widespread during the 1920s?
  1. governmental regulation of business
  2. stock market speculation
  3. dependence on government welfare programs
  4. reduction of tariff rates

Correct Answer Number: 2

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 26 of 56

“I, Too, Sing America”
I, too, sing America.
I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.
Tomorrow,
I’ll sit at the table
When company comes.
Nobody’ll dare
Say to me,
“Eat in the kitchen,”
Then.
Besides,
They’ll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed—
I, too, am America.
 

— Langston Hughes, 1926

 

This poem was a literary contribution from the


  1. abolitionist movement
  2. Progressive Era
  3. Prohibition movement
  4. Harlem Renaissance

Correct Answer Number: 4

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 27 of 56

“I, Too, Sing America”
I, too, sing America.
I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.
Tomorrow,
I’ll sit at the table
When company comes.
Nobody’ll dare
Say to me,
“Eat in the kitchen,”
Then.
Besides,
They’ll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed—
I, too, am America.
 

— Langston Hughes, 1926

 

The main purpose of this poem was to


  1. end the institution of slavery
  2. demonstrate self-respect by African Americans
  3. maintain separation of the races
  4. promote the back-to-Africa movement

Correct Answer Number: 3

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 28 of 56
The Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s can best be described as
  1. an organization created to help promote African-American businesses
  2. a movement that sought to draw people back to the inner cities
  3. a relief program to provide jobs for minority workers
  4. a period of great achievement by African- American writers, artists, and performers

Correct Answer Number: 4

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 29 of 56
What was a major reason American farmers failed to obtain a fair share of the economic prosperity of the 1920s?
  1. Crops failed due to poor weather conditions
  2. The government controlled food prices
  3. Farm crops were overproduced
  4. Banks refused to lend money to farmers

Correct Answer Number: 3

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 30 of 56

One Way Ticket
I am fed up
With Jim Crow laws,
People who are cruel
And afraid,
Who lynch and run,
Who are scared of me
And me of them.
I pick up my life
And take it away
On a one-way ticket
Gone Up North
Gone Out West
Gone!
 

— Langston Hughes, 1926

 

The author states that he has “Gone” because


  1. jobs were available in northern industries
  2. there was no racial prejudice in the West
  3. farmland was more available in the North
  4. racial discrimination drove him away

Correct Answer Number: 4

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 31 of 56
The treaties signed at the Washington Conference (1921–1922) and the Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928) were efforts to
  1. limit the spread of military dictatorships
  2. maintain peace through international agreements
  3. form new military alliances after World War I
  4. bring democratic government to eastern Europe

Correct Answer Number: 2

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 32 of 56
Which event represents an expression of nativism during the 1920s?
  1. trial of John Scopes for teaching evolution
  2. adoption of a quota system to limit immigration
  3. Charles Lindbergh’s solo transatlantic flight
  4. rise in popularity of spectator sports

Correct Answer Number: 2

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 33 of 56
Which statement most accurately describes conditions of American farmers during the economic boom of the mid-1920s?
  1. Shortages of fertile land and farm equipment lowered farm income
  2. Overproduction helped keep farmers from participating in the prosperity of the times
  3. Subsidies and other government programs dramatically increased farmers’ incomes
  4. Higher prices for farm products resulted in a higher standard of living for farmers

Correct Answer Number: 2

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 34 of 56
Which economic trend of the 1920s helped cause the Great Depression?
  1. rising cost of mass-produced goods
  2. increasing income tax rates
  3. falling tariff rates
  4. widening income gap between the rich and the poor

Correct Answer Number: 4

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 35 of 56
The works of Duke Ellington and Langston Hughes reflected the
  1. expanding role of women in the 1920s
  2. achievements of the Harlem Renaissance
  3. architectural innovations of the 1930s
  4. influence of southern European immigrant groups

Correct Answer Number: 2

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 36 of 56
What was a major result of Prohibition in the United States during the 1920s?
  1. restriction of immigration
  2. growth of communism
  3. destruction of family values
  4. increase in organized crime

Correct Answer Number: 4

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 37 of 56
The economic boom of the 1920s was primarily caused by the
  1. new economic policies of the League of Nations
  2. development of new consumer goods industries
  3. advent of advertising on radio
  4. elimination of barriers to international trade

Correct Answer Number: 2

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 38 of 56
During most of the 1920s, which group experienced the most severe economic problems?
  1. owners of small family farms
  2. workers in the automobile industry
  3. bankers in urban centers
  4. entertainers in the field of radio

Correct Answer Number: 1

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 39 of 56
During the 1920s, controversies concerning the Scopes trial, national Prohibition, and the behavior of “flappers” were all signs of disagreement over
  1. the return to normalcy
  2. traditional values and changing lifestyles
  3. causes of the Great Depression
  4. the benefits of new technology

Correct Answer Number: 2

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 40 of 56
A major goal of the immigration acts of the 1920s was to
  1. allow unlimited immigration from Southeast Asia
  2. assure equal numbers of immigrants from all nations
  3. favor wealthy and well-educated immigrants
  4. use quotas to limit immigration from southern and eastern Europe

Correct Answer Number: 4

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 41 of 56
Which event of the 1920s symbolized a conflict over cultural values?
  1. election of Herbert Hoover
  2. transatlantic flight of Charles Lindbergh
  3. Scopes trial
  4. stock market crash

Correct Answer Number: 3

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 42 of 56
The data in the chart support the idea that the immigration laws of 1921 and 1924 were primarily designed to
 

  1. stop illegal entry into the country
  2. admit skilled workers
  3. encourage immigration from southern Europe
  4. reduce immigration from specific regions

Correct Answer Number: 4

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 43 of 56
The United States adopted the immigration policies shown in the chart mainly because of
 

  1. pressures from nativists and labor unions
  2. hardships caused by the Great Depression
  3. prejudices generated during World War II
  4. threats from other nations to stop migration to the United States

Correct Answer Number: 1

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 44 of 56
Which group of Americans generally failed to experience the economic prosperity of the 1920s?
  1. farmers
  2. retailers
  3. consumers
  4. manufacturers

Correct Answer Number: 1

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 45 of 56
Which pair of events illustrates an accurate cause-and-effect relationship?
  1. Sacco and Vanzetti trial ---> ratification of the woman suffrage amendment
  2. rebirth of the KKK ---> formation of the Populist Party
  3. Red Scare ---> demand for limits on immigration
  4. high food prices ---> start of the Great Depression

Correct Answer Number: 3

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 46 of 56
Which situation helped cause the stock market crash of 1929?
  1. excessive speculation and buying on margin
  2. unwillingness of people to invest in new industries
  3. increased government spending
  4. too much government regulation of business

Correct Answer Number: 1

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 47 of 56
Which pair of circumstances represents an accurate cause-and-effect relationship?
  1. more jobs in factories ---> migration of African Americans from the South to northern cities
  2. establishment of Jim Crow laws ---> beginning of Reconstruction
  3. Dred Scott decision ---> passage of the Fugitive Slave Law
  4. closing of the frontier ---> completion of the transcontinental railroad

Correct Answer Number: 1

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 48 of 56
Much of the economic growth of the 1920s was based on
  1. increased trade with other nations
  2. the production of new consumer goods
  3. rising prices of agricultural products
  4. the rapid development of the West

Correct Answer Number: 2

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 49 of 56
Langston Hughes and Duke Ellington are noted for their contributions to the cultural movement of the 1920s known as the
  1. Gospel of Wealth
  2. Lost Generation
  3. Harlem Renaissance
  4. Gilded Age

Correct Answer Number: 3

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 50 of 56
The failure of national Prohibition led to a public awareness that
  1. crime rates decline when the sale of alcoholic beverages is banned
  2. economic prosperity encourages social conformity
  3. unpopular laws are difficult to enforce
  4. geographic conditions affect law enforcement

Correct Answer Number: 3

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 51 of 56

“Public Ignores Prohibition Restrictions”
 “Evolution and Creation Debated in Scopes Trial”
“Women Bring Change to the Industrial Workforce”


What do headlines such as these from the 1920s illustrate?


  1. conflict between traditional and modern values
  2. trend toward mass consumption of consumer goods
  3. hostility of certain groups toward ethnic minorities
  4. debate over the role of government in the economy

Correct Answer Number: 1

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 52 of 56
What common problem did farmers of the 1890s and farmers of the 1920s face?
  1. government overregulation of farming
  2. overproduction compared to consumer demand
  3. failure to plant enough crops to meet local needs
  4. low tariffs on crops

Correct Answer Number: 2

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 53 of 56
• Teapot Dome Scandal • Harlem Renaissance • Scopes trial During which decade did these events occur?
  1. 1920s
  2. 1930s
  3. 1940s
  4. 1950s

Correct Answer Number: 1

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 54 of 56
National Prohibition, as authorized by the 18th amendment, stated that
  1. Americans must be 18 years old to purchase alcoholic beverages
  2. only imported alcoholic beverages would be sold
  3. alcoholic beverages could be sold only in government-run stores
  4. the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages was banned

Correct Answer Number: 4

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 55 of 56
During the 1920s, Congress passed a series of immigration laws that were primarily designed to
  1. increase immigration from Asia
  2. expand the workforce for the growing economy
  3. limit immigration from southern and eastern Europe
  4. prohibit immigration from Latin America

Correct Answer Number: 3

Explanation:


The Roaring 20's: Question 56 of 56
During the second half of the 1920s, which economic trend was a major cause of the Great Depression?
  1. deficits in the federal budget
  2. reductions in tariff rates
  3. creation of national and state sales taxes
  4. overproduction and under consumption

Correct Answer Number: 4

Explanation:



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