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Difficulty: MediumLabor Movements and Gilded Age Conflict

"A strike is the reservation of the right of the individual to say whether he will work or not... But when the federal government, with its judicial injunctions and military forces, sides with the corporate employers, the strike is no longer a contest between labor and capital. It becomes a contest between the citizen and the state itself."

— Adapted from Eugene V. Debs, testimony before the United States Strike Commission, 1894

Which of the following Gilded Age developments most directly contributed to the situation described in the excerpt?

  1. A
    The strict adherence of the federal government to a laissez-faire policy that prevented any regulation or involvement in private economic conflicts
  2. The willingness of the federal government to intervene in labor disputes to protect corporate interests and ensure the flow of commerceAnswer
  3. C
    The success of the urban Progressive movement in passing federal laws that prohibited strikes in key industries
  4. D
    The decline of factory production as industrial workers returned to family-based agricultural labor

Answer

The willingness of the federal government to intervene in labor disputes to protect corporate interests and ensure the flow of commerce
The correct answer is correct because the Pullman Strike of 1894 demonstrated that the federal government was willing to use court injunctions (the judicial branch) and federal troops (the executive branch) to break strikes, siding with corporations to keep railroads running under the guise of protecting interstate commerce and mail delivery.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus passage.
The passage by Eugene V. Debs describes how the federal government used injunctions and troops to side with corporate employers during a strike, turning it into a conflict between citizens and the state.
Understanding the source's perspective is necessary to identify the core historical conflict being discussed.
2
Identify the historical context of the quote.
The quote from 1894 refers to the Pullman Strike, during which the federal government intervened using troops and court injunctions (under the Sherman Antitrust Act) to break the strike.
Placing the quote in its correct Gilded Age context helps connect it to broader historical patterns.
3
Evaluate the choices based on Gilded Age labor patterns.
The federal government frequently intervened in major Gilded Age strikes (like the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 and the Pullman Strike of 1894) on the side of employers to maintain order and protect business interests, rendering the choice regarding federal intervention the correct description.
Connecting the specific event (Pullman Strike) to the general historical trend leads to the correct answer.

Key Concept

Federal intervention in Gilded Age labor disputes
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Labor Movements and Gilded Age Conflict

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