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Difficulty: MediumLabor Movements and Gilded Age Conflict

Read the following excerpt from the Report of the Chicago Strike Commission (1894):

"The force of the injunction was at once felt. It placed the federal courts in the position of active participants in the controversy, enforcing their decrees with the aid of the United States military. To the minds of many workingmen, this intervention by the federal government to protect the property and operations of the railroad companies... demonstrated that the power of the state was being wielded exclusively in the interest of capital."

Which Gilded Age concept is most directly challenged by the federal actions described in the excerpt?

  1. A
    The belief that urban labor unions and rural Populists were united under a single, cohesive political platform.
  2. B
    The view that federal policies in the late nineteenth century were designed to preserve communal land ownership.
  3. The concept that the federal government consistently adhered to laissez-faire economic principles.Answer
  4. D
    The claim that the federal government only intervened in the economy to enforce safety regulations and protect workers' rights.

Answer

The concept that the federal government consistently adhered to laissez-faire economic principles.
The correct answer is correct because federal actions during Gilded Age conflicts—such as deploying federal troops and utilizing court injunctions to break the Pullman Strike of 1894—demonstrated that the federal government was willing to actively intervene in the economy to protect corporate interests. This directly contradicts the Gilded Age concept of laissez-faire, which advocated for a strictly hands-off approach by the government in economic matters.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus context and the specific events referenced.
The excerpt discusses the federal government's intervention during the 1894 Pullman Strike, using court injunctions and the military to protect railroad companies against striking workers.
This establishes the historical reality of active federal involvement in economic and labor disputes during the Gilded Age.
2
Evaluate what the federal government's action reveals about its economic policy.
By using the power of the state to break the strike, the government actively supported the interests of corporations over labor, demonstrating that Gilded Age capitalism was not strictly laissez-faire.
This allows us to identify which Gilded Age economic concept is directly challenged by these actions.
3
Compare the findings with the provided options to select the best answer.
The option describing the belief that the government strictly adhered to laissez-faire is correct, as the federal intervention directly contradicts a hands-off policy.
This confirms the correct option based on the analysis of the stimulus and historical context.

Key Concept

Government 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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