View a FREE sample

This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Why did farmers in southern Italy live on hillsides?
(a) To hide from invaders.
(b) To avoid malaria.
(c) To get a better view.
(d) Because arable land was in the hills.

2. What crop were most slaves in the U.S. producing?
(a) Vegetables.
(b) Cotton.
(c) Sugar.
(d) Tobacco.

3. What industry occupied nearly half of Russian Jews prior to their emigration to the U.S.?
(a) Transportation.
(b) Clothing production.
(c) Publishing.
(d) Farming.

4. What early 20th century occupation was 90% done by Italians?
(a) Bootblacking.
(b) Construction.
(c) Ragpicking.
(d) Mining.

5. Which group of Jews in New York were more established and wealthier?
(a) Yiddish-speaking Jews.
(b) Downtown Jews.
(c) Russian Jews.
(d) Uptown Jews.

6. How did German Jews regard themselves?
(a) Jews from Germany.
(b) Hebrews from Europe.
(c) Jewish Americans.
(d) Germans of the Hebrew faith.

7. In what area did 19th century Germans consider themselves superior to Irish?
(a) Sports.
(b) Religion.
(c) Americanization.
(d) Education.

8. What is the "diaspora"?
(a) The gathering of the Jews to the new nation of Israel.
(b) The dispersion of the Jews throughout the world.
(c) The discrimination against Jews.
(d) The immigration of the Jews to the United States.

9. What advantages did early Irish immigrants have over others?
(a) They were hard workers and used to urban life.
(b) They spoke English and many were literate.
(c) They had skills for industrialization.
(d) They had business acumen and education.

10. What was the average life expectancy of an Irish immigrant in the 19th century?
(a) Thirty.
(b) Fifty-five.
(c) Forty.
(d) Eighteen.

11. How many people died of starvation or illness during the Great Famine of the 1840s in Ireland?
(a) One million.
(b) Five hundred thousand.
(c) Two hundred thousand.
(d) Five million.

12. The most affluent groups have experienced ________________ discrimination.
(a) No.
(b) More.
(c) About the same.
(d) Less.

13. What was the "Pale"?
(a) The area where Russian Jews were imprisoned.
(b) The area where Russian Jews were not allowed to live.
(c) The area where Russian Jews were allowed to live.
(d) The area where Russian Jews went for recreation.

14. How many of the emigrants from the potato famine died en route to America in 1847?
(a) Ten percent.
(b) Five percent.
(c) Fifty percent.
(d) Twenty percent.

15. What system did Italian immigrants use to finance business ventures?
(a) Crime syndicates.
(b) Banks.
(c) Mutual aid societies.
(d) Credit unions.

Short Answer Questions

1. In what area did Italian immigrants find success in California?

2. Who were the "Know-Nothings"?

3. How many years did a German indentured servant typically have to work to pay off his transportation to America?

4. What important social change did Germans bring to the mainstream culture?

5. What advantages does northern Italy have over southern Italy, where most emigrants lived?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 465 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample