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Lesson 1: The Great Depression and the 'Dust Bowl' — Practice Questions

  1. 1. What was a key benefit that the Hoover Dam provided to California?

    • A. It provided a new tourist destination.
    • B. It supplied electricity to the state.
    • C. It was the state's main source of drinking water.
    • D. It prevented flooding in the Central Valley.
  2. 2. The large-scale construction of dams, bridges, and canals during the New Deal is best described as an effort to modernize California's what?

    • A. Political system
    • B. Communication networks
    • C. Infrastructure
    • D. Educational institutions
  3. 3. The construction of which famous San Francisco landmark was a major public works project under the New Deal?

    • A. Alcatraz Prison
    • B. The Golden Gate Bridge
    • C. The Transamerica Pyramid
    • D. Coit Tower
  4. 4. Which U.S. President was responsible for creating the New Deal program?

    • A. Herbert Hoover
    • B. Theodore Roosevelt
    • C. Franklin D. Roosevelt
    • D. Woodrow Wilson
  5. 5. What was the primary purpose of the public works projects initiated by the New Deal?

    • A. To build monuments honoring past presidents.
    • B. To create jobs and provide income for families suffering from the economic crisis.
    • C. To establish military bases in preparation for a future war.
    • D. To encourage private companies to invest in construction.
  6. 6. What primary environmental disaster led to the creation of the Dust Bowl in the 1930s?

    • A. A series of major river floods
    • B. A severe and prolonged drought
    • C. An unprecedented number of tornadoes
    • D. An early and sustained winter freeze
  7. 7. What was the common, often derogatory, nickname given to migrants who moved to California during the Dust Bowl, regardless of their state of origin?

    • A. Arkies
    • B. Texans
    • C. Okies
    • D. Sooners
  8. 8. Upon arriving in California, the majority of Dust Bowl migrants took on which type of employment?

    • A. Factory assembly line operators
    • B. Small business owners
    • C. Government infrastructure project laborers
    • D. Migrant farmworkers
  9. 9. How did the mass arrival of Dust Bowl families in California affect the local agricultural labor market?

    • A. It created a severe labor shortage, forcing wages to increase.
    • B. It had no significant impact on wages or job availability.
    • C. A surplus of available workers drove wages down for everyone.
    • D. It prompted the state government to set a minimum wage for farm work.
  10. 10. The term "Dust Bowl" specifically refers to which of the following?

    • A. The nickname for the roadside camps where migrant families lived in California.
    • B. The federal government program created to provide financial relief to displaced farmers.
    • C. The popular name for the old, run-down cars, or "jalopies," used for the journey west.
    • D. The geographic region in the American Great Plains afflicted by severe drought and dust storms.