Examkin

Question

Difficulty: HardWestward Expansion: Economic and Social Development

Source: Rossiter W. Raymond, U.S. Commissioner of Mining Statistics, *Statistics of Mines and Mining in the States and Territories West of the Rocky Mountains*, 1870:

"The era of placer-mining, which was the work of individuals requiring little capital, has virtually passed. It has been succeeded by deep quartz-mining and hydraulic operations, which demand the cooperation of capital and the employment of machinery. Mining is no longer a venture of adventurous fortune-seekers, but a settled branch of industry, conducted by large corporations."

Which of the following developments in the Western United States in the late nineteenth century was a direct consequence of the transition described in the excerpt?

  1. A
    The complete withdrawal of federal economic intervention in the West in favor of unregulated, free-market competition.
  2. B
    The redistribution of corporate mineral claims to Native American families under federal land allotment policies.
  3. The transformation of independent prospectors into wage laborers subject to corporate workplace discipline and hazardous conditions.Answer
  4. D
    The immediate passage of federal workplace safety regulations led by urban, middle-class Progressive reformers.

Answer

The transformation of independent prospectors into wage laborers subject to corporate workplace discipline and hazardous conditions.
The transition from individual placer mining to corporate-dominated deep quartz and hydraulic mining required significant capital, heavy machinery, and organized labor. Consequently, independent prospectors who could not afford such investments were increasingly forced to work as wage laborers for large mining corporations, experiencing strict workplace discipline, low wages, and extremely dangerous working conditions.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the source text to identify the main transition described.
The text describes a transition from individual placer-mining requiring little capital to capital-intensive deep quartz-mining and hydraulic operations run by large corporations.
Understanding the core shift from individual to corporate resource extraction is necessary to determine its consequences.
2
Evaluate the social and economic consequences of this transition on western workers.
Because individual prospectors lacked the capital for heavy machinery, they could no longer mine independently and were forced to become wage laborers for these corporations.
This links the consolidation of capital-intensive industries directly to changes in labor relations and social structures in the West.
3
Select the option that accurately reflects this shift in labor and corporate consolidation.
The option describing the transformation of prospectors into wage laborers under corporate discipline matches this historical reality.
This directly demonstrates mastery of the learning objective regarding economic and social developments of westward expansion.

Key Concept

The consolidation of Western extractive industries led to the rise of corporate capitalism and transformed independent prospectors into corporate wage laborers.
Estimated Time:2m 0s
Rate this question

Topics

Westward Expansion: Economic and Social Development

More questions from this topic