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AP®HistoryCollege BoardUS HistoryExam QuestionsPeriod 6: 1865-1898Labor in the Gilded Age

Labor in the Gilded Age (College Board AP® US History): Exam Questions

3 mins3 questions
11 mark

The Average Wages of Unskilled Labor in the United States, 1865-1880, The Journal of Political Economy v.13, 1905 

Year

Wages of unskilled factory operatives

Wages of unskilled Laborers (irregular data included)

Number

Average wage ($)

Number

Average Wage ($)

1865

113.5

1.29

1813.5

1.67

1866

124

1.34

1912

1.71

1867

120.5

1.34

1915

1.68

1868

131.5

1.31

1638

1.72

1869

132.5

1.33

2809

1.93

1870

160

1.33

2792

1.975

1871

173

1.35

2839

1.93

1872

172.5

1.36

2695

1.93

1873

175

1.36

2759

1.895

1874

167

1.29

2292

1.87

1875

167.5

1.22

2007.5

1.7

1876

169

1.18

1827.5

1.61

1877

163

1.15

1805.5

1.4

1878

165

1.16

1631.5

1.37

1879

158.5

1.13

1789

1.31

1880

147

1.17

1998.5

1.34

Which of the following developments most directly contributed to the decline in wages for unskilled laborers after 1873?

  •  The establishment of the American Federation of Labor (AFL)

  • The Panic of 1873

  • The Sherman Antitrust Act

  • Mass immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe

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21 mark

The Average Wages of Unskilled Labor in the United States, 1865-1880, The Journal of Political Economy v.13, 1905 

Year

Wages of unskilled factory operatives

Wages of unskilled Laborers (irregular data included)

Number

Average wage ($)

Number

Average Wage ($)

1865

113.5

1.29

1813.5

1.67

1866

124

1.34

1912

1.71

1867

120.5

1.34

1915

1.68

1868

131.5

1.31

1638

1.72

1869

132.5

1.33

2809

1.93

1870

160

1.33

2792

1.975

1871

173

1.35

2839

1.93

1872

172.5

1.36

2695

1.93

1873

175

1.36

2759

1.895

1874

167

1.29

2292

1.87

1875

167.5

1.22

2007.5

1.7

1876

169

1.18

1827.5

1.61

1877

163

1.15

1805.5

1.4

1878

165

1.16

1631.5

1.37

1879

158.5

1.13

1789

1.31

1880

147

1.17

1998.5

1.34

The average wages of unskilled labor in the United States, 1865-1880, The Journal of Political Economy v.13, 1905 

Which of the following labor responses was most directly influenced by the wage trends shown in the table?

  • The rise of the Knights of Labor, which sought better wages and working conditions

  • The formation of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) to advocate for skilled laborers

  • The spread of government-mandated eight-hour workdays

  • The Great Migration, as workers moved north in search of higher wages

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31 mark

The Average Wages of Unskilled Labor in the United States, 1865-1880, The Journal of Political Economy v.13, 1905 

Year

Wages of unskilled factory operatives

Wages of unskilled Laborers (irregular data included)

Number

Average wage ($)

Number

Average Wage ($)

1865

113.5

1.29

1813.5

1.67

1866

124

1.34

1912

1.71

1867

120.5

1.34

1915

1.68

1868

131.5

1.31

1638

1.72

1869

132.5

1.33

2809

1.93

1870

160

1.33

2792

1.975

1871

173

1.35

2839

1.93

1872

172.5

1.36

2695

1.93

1873

175

1.36

2759

1.895

1874

167

1.29

2292

1.87

1875

167.5

1.22

2007.5

1.7

1876

169

1.18

1827.5

1.61

1877

163

1.15

1805.5

1.4

1878

165

1.16

1631.5

1.37

1879

158.5

1.13

1789

1.31

1880

147

1.17

1998.5

1.34

The average wages of unskilled labor in the United States, 1865-1880, The Journal of Political Economy v.13, 1905 

Which of the following factors most directly contributed to the long-term wage trends shown in the table between 1865 and 1880?

  • The increased use of indentured servitude in Northern factories, which provided a nearly free labor force

  • The growth of mechanized production devalued skilled labor and reduced employment sizes 

  • The lack of federal labor protections, allows corporations to set wages without restrictions or worker rights guarantees

  • The increased participation of women and children in the industrial workforce, which expanded the labor supply and reduced overall wages

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