1.D. To encourage western settlement, the Homestead Act was signed into law by president Lincoln in 1862. This allowed any American, including freed slaves, to put in a claim for up to 160 free acres of federal land. Homesteaders were required to live on and work the land for five years before receiving legal .
2.B., best answer.
A is somewhat true; many Irish immigrated due to the potato famine in the mid 1800s, and sometimes the fares were paid by the British government.
B is true. The phrase "the fighting Irish" apparently originated with the US Civil war. Hundreds of thousands of German and Irish men volunteered to fight.
C is obviously incorrect, because federal minimum wage wasn't instituted until 1938.
D was often true, as it has been for centuries.
But to choose ONE reason? I'd say B.
3. Only C is false.
A & B are true. Although "great gains" would be a matter of opinion, there were many black officeholders during the reconstruction, in the north and the south.
C is incorrect. During the reconstruction era, US Congress did pass laws granting the black vote.
D is also true. Many blacks kept out of politics because they felt it wouldn't make a difference.
4. B & D, if this is a "choose all that apply." There was competition from foreign cotton producers such as India and Egypt. But if I had to pick one, I'd say D, because without the free labor of slaves, cotton became much more expensive to produce.
