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Question

Difficulty: EasyImmigration, Urbanization, and Social Culture

The excerpt below is from a federal statute passed in the late nineteenth century.

"Whereas, in the opinion of the Government of the United States the coming of Chinese laborers to this country endangers the good order of certain localities... the coming of Chinese laborers to the United States be, and the same is hereby, suspended."
— Chinese Exclusion Act, 1882

The passage of the law excerpted above was primarily a response to which Gilded Age development?

  1. A
    The shift from household-based artisanal manufacturing to the early factory system
  2. Hostility and economic competition from domestic workers toward foreign-born laborersAnswer
  3. C
    The federal government's commitment to laissez-faire economic principles by refusing to regulate the labor supply
  4. D
    Attempts by the federal government to assimilate Native Americans into American society

Answer

Hostility and economic competition from domestic workers toward foreign-born laborers
The correct answer is correct because the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was heavily driven by nativist movements and economic grievances. American workers, particularly on the West Coast, argued that Chinese laborers depressed wages and took employment opportunities, leading to federal legislation that banned their entry.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the core subject of the stimulus.
The excerpt is from the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which suspended the immigration of Chinese laborers.
Understanding the specific act and its target population is necessary to trace its historical causes.
2
Analyze the historical motivations behind the restriction of Chinese immigration during the Gilded Age.
The primary drivers were nativism and the belief among domestic workers (especially on the West Coast) that Chinese immigrants created unfair job competition and lowered wages.
This connects the document to the correct socio-economic Gilded Age trend.
3
Evaluate the options to identify which represents this Gilded Age cause.
The option referencing hostility and economic competition matches the historical consensus on the act's passage.
Aligning the analysis with the correct option confirms the final answer.

Key Concept

Nativism and immigration restriction in the Gilded Age
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Topics

Immigration, Urbanization, and Social Culture

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