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Quiz for Living in the Past: The Steam Age

Question

1. Prior to the advent of the railroad, travel was largely measured

by the distance a man or horse could cover before becoming exhausted.

in fifty mile increments.

by the distance between traditional landmarks.

in miles per day.

Correct. The answer is a. Not only did railroads promise faster speeds, unlike humans and horses, they also allowed for travel with a constant rate of speed and no limit on its duration.

Incorrect. The answer is a. Not only did railroads promise faster speeds, unlike humans and horses, they also allowed for travel with a constant rate of speed and no limit on its duration.

Question

2. Which of these was an important contribution of railroads to economic growth?

They slowed the rate of migration from the countryside to the cities.

They eliminated the need for water transportation of goods.

They dramatically reduced the cost and uncertainty of shipping goods over land.

They allowed for the development of small, local markets.

Correct. The answer is c. By reducing the cost and uncertainty of shipping goods over land, railroads facilitated the growth of national markets.

Incorrect. The answer is c. By reducing the cost and uncertainty of shipping goods over land, railroads facilitated the growth of national markets.

Question

3. Which of these best captures the most common response of nineteenth-century authors and artists to rail travel?

Awe at the power and speed of trains

Disinterest in what most assumed was a passing fad

Nostalgia for slower, simpler times

Bemusement at the public’s obsession with railroads

Correct. The answer is a. The unprecedented speed and power of steam trains was overwhelming and awe inspiring to many contemporary observers.

Incorrect. The answer is a. The unprecedented speed and power of steam trains was overwhelming and awe inspiring to many contemporary observers.

Quiz for Living in the Past: The Steam Age

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