Quiz for American Voices: Theodore Roosevelt: From Anti-Populist to New Nationalist

Question

1. In his 1897 publication, Theodore Roosevelt wrote, “It is both foolish and wicked to teach the average man who is not well off that some wrong or injustice has been done him, and that he should hope for redress elsewhere than in his own industry, honesty and intelligence.” What group was Roosevelt dismissing as “foolish and wicked” in this statement?

A.
B.
C.
D.
Correct. The answer is b. The Populist Party had become an important political influence in the 1890s as it challenged the unchecked growth of capitalism and called for a stronger state that would adopt new measures to protect ordinary Americans. Roosevelt’s words in this piece challenged the assumptions and arguments made by American populists in this period.
Incorrect. The answer is b. The Populist Party had become an important political influence in the 1890s as it challenged the unchecked growth of capitalism and called for a stronger state that would adopt new measures to protect ordinary Americans. Roosevelt’s words in this piece challenged the assumptions and arguments made by American populists in this period.

Question

2. Roosevelt wrote in his 1897 publication, “The worst foe of the poor man is the labor leader, whether philanthropist or politician, who tried to teach him that he is a victim of conspiracy and injustice, when in reality he is merely working out his fate with blood and sweat as the immense majority of men who are worthy of the name always have done and always will have to do.” What does this statement suggest about what Roosevelt viewed as the source of American workers’ discontent?

A.
B.
C.
D.
Correct. The answer is a. Roosevelt argued here that workers’ discontent came from labor leaders who tried to convince them that they deserved more than working men should have or have ever had. He suggested that hard work was most men’s destiny.
Incorrect. The answer is a. Roosevelt argued here that workers’ discontent came from labor leaders who tried to convince them that they deserved more than working men should have or have ever had. He suggested that hard work was most men’s destiny.

Question

3. When he published his remarks in 1897, Roosevelt was serving as the police commissioner in New York City. How might that job have influenced his remarks?

A.
B.
C.
D.
Correct. The answer is b. As police commissioner, most of Roosevelt’s exposure to the labor movement had probably been through strikes and public protests that caused various degrees of disruption in the city. That perspective might well have led him to the conclusion that labor leaders were more dangerous than beneficial.
Incorrect. The answer is b. As police commissioner, most of Roosevelt’s exposure to the labor movement had probably been through strikes and public protests that caused various degrees of disruption in the city. That perspective might well have led him to the conclusion that labor leaders were more dangerous than beneficial.

Question

4. In his 1897 publication, Roosevelt argued that the poor were “thriftless” and in need of greater self-reliance. What did he suggest was the cause of poverty in his 1910 New Nationalism speech?

A.
B.
C.
D.
Correct. The answer is c. In his 1910 speech, Roosevelt argued that hard work alone was not sufficient to combat poverty and that low wages left most workers unable to provide for even their basic needs.
Incorrect. The answer is c. In his 1910 speech, Roosevelt argued that hard work alone was not sufficient to combat poverty and that low wages left most workers unable to provide for even their basic needs.

Question

5. Which of the following factors was the most likely impetus for Roosevelt’s changed thinking on questions about labor, capital, and the state between 1897 and 1910?

A.
B.
C.
D.
Correct. The answer is c. In the late nineteenth century, the emerging social sciences used data to show that unemployment and poverty were not caused by laziness and ignorance, but by miserable and unjust conditions. It is most likely that, as he became a national political figure, Roosevelt gained new awareness of the findings of social scientists and modified his views about poverty.
Incorrect. The answer is c. In the late nineteenth century, the emerging social sciences used data to show that unemployment and poverty were not caused by laziness and ignorance, but by miserable and unjust conditions. It is most likely that, as he became a national political figure, Roosevelt gained new awareness of the findings of social scientists and modified his views about poverty.

Question

6. In his 1910 speech, what did Roosevelt suggest about why the state and U.S. governments had been unable to more effectively regulate corporations?

A.
B.
C.
D.
Correct. The answer is d. In his 1910 speech, Roosevelt argued that the “special interests” of business and corporations “too often control and corrupt the men and methods of government for their own profit.” He argued that government could balance the rights of corporations and workers effectively only after such special interests had been driven out of politics.
Incorrect. The answer is d. In his 1910 speech, Roosevelt argued that the “special interests” of business and corporations “too often control and corrupt the men and methods of government for their own profit.” He argued that government could balance the rights of corporations and workers effectively only after such special interests had been driven out of politics.