AP Success - AP US History: Social Darwinism in the Gilded Age
Hofstadter, Richard. The American Political Tradition: And the Men Who Made it. Vintage, 1989."The ideas of the age were tailored to fit the rich barons. Economists, journalists, educators, and writers who rushed to do them honor found a strikingly plausible rationale in Darwinian biology…From Darwin and his popularizers they learned that life is a fierce and constant struggle which only the fittest survive. Confusing evolution with progress, as was natural to optimistic spokesmen of a rising class and a rising nation, they concluded that the bitter strife of competitive industry, which seemed to mirror so perfectly Darwin’s natural world, was producing a slow but inevitable upward movement of civilization. Those who emerged at the top were manifestly the fittest to survive and carry on."
Question 1
According to Hofstadter, how did proponents of Social Darwinism in the Gilded Age interpret the relationship between Darwin's theory of evolution and economic competition?
They rejected Darwin's theory of evolution, favoring a creationist view that justified the social hierarchy.
They interpreted Darwin's theory as supporting the need for government intervention to protect the weak in society.
They saw Darwin's theory as a warning against the excesses of industrial competition and advocated for social reforms.
They believed that the competition in industry mirrored the natural selection in Darwin's theory, indicating progress and survival of the fittest.
Question 2
The passage suggests that the 'rich barons' of the Gilded Age were supported by which of the following groups?
Economists, journalists, educators, and writers who provided justifications for their status.
Religious leaders who promoted the social gospel to improve living conditions for the poor.
Populist politicians who sought to regulate big business and support small farmers.
Labor unions and working-class organizations that fought for workers' rights.
Question 3
The 'upward movement of civilization' mentioned in the passage most directly reflects which of the following historical concepts?
The push for social and political reforms during the Progressive Era.
The focus on agrarian virtues and the Jeffersonian ideal of the yeoman farmer.
The commitment to preserving traditional social orders and hierarchies.
The belief in progress that characterized much of American thought during the late 19th century.
Question 4
The ideas described in the passage most directly contributed to which of the following trends in the late 19th century United States?
The justification of laissez-faire capitalism and the minimal regulation of business.
The expansion of social welfare programs and the establishment of a social safety net.
The rise of the Populist movement and the demand for government ownership of railroads.
The growth of the labor movement and the widespread adoption of collective bargaining.
Question 5
Which of the following groups would have been most likely to oppose the ideas presented in the passage during the Gilded Age?
Immigrant entrepreneurs who relied on the free market to establish successful businesses.
Politicians who supported the gold standard to ensure economic stability.
Labor activists who challenged the inequalities produced by industrial capitalism.
Industrialists like Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller who benefited from the era's economic policies.
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