Quiz: Geographic Mobility in the U.S., 1920–1950

Multiple-Choice Questions

1. What does "population density" measure?
A) The total population of a country
B) The number of people per unit of area
C) The rate of population growth over time
D) The number of cities in a region

2. Which three time periods are compared in this activity's data visualizations?
A) 1900–1910, 1910–1920, 1920–1930
B) 1920–1930, 1930–1940, 1940–1950
C) 1940–1950, 1950–1960, 1960–1970
D) 1910–1950, 1950–1990, 1990–2010

3. According to the activity, population density declines during 1920–1930 mostly occurred in what type of areas?
A) Coastal cities
B) Rural areas
C) Northeastern factory towns
D) National parks

4. What major event most influenced population density changes between 1930 and 1940?
A) World War I
B) The Dust Bowl and Great Depression
C) The California Gold Rush
D) The building of the transcontinental railroad

5. During 1940–1950, what was a key reason many women relocated to new areas?
A) To attend newly built universities
B) To take jobs previously held by men who were fighting overseas
C) To escape the Dust Bowl
D) To work in agriculture

6. Which of the following is described as a "push factor" driving migration away from an area in the early 20th century?
A) War mobilization
B) Industrial growth
C) Agricultural depression and increased farming mechanization
D) The building of the Hoover Dam

7. According to the more recent data visualization (2000–2010), which regions did the U.S. population shift toward?
A) The Northeast and Midwest
B) The South and West
C) The Great Plains
D) The Pacific Northwest only

8. Which New Deal program mentioned in the activity helped spur migration by creating jobs?
A) The Social Security Administration
B) The Civilian Conservation Corps
C) The Federal Reserve
D) The Interstate Highway System

Short-Answer Questions

9. Explain how increased industrialization and farming mechanization during the 1920s contributed to migration patterns, particularly for African-Americans.

10. Describe how the Dust Bowl and the boll weevil epidemic affected population movement during the Great Depression (1930–1940).

11. Compare the population density patterns of the 1940–1950 decade to the earlier two decades. What historical event helps explain this difference?

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Answer Key

1. B) The number of people per unit of area
2. B) 1920–1930, 1930–1940, 1940–1950
3. B) Rural areas
4. B) The Dust Bowl and Great Depression
5. B) To take jobs previously held by men who were fighting overseas
6. C) Agricultural depression and increased farming mechanization
7. B) The South and West
8. B) The Civilian Conservation Corps

1. As farming became more mechanized, many agricultural workers, including a large number of African-Americans, lost farm employment and moved from the South to the North and West seeking industrial jobs in growing cities.

1. The Dust Bowl forced people out of Texas and the Great Plains toward places like California and larger cities, while the boll weevil epidemic bankrupted farmers and sharecroppers, pushing them to move to cities in search of work.

1. Unlike the 1920s and 1930s, the 1940–1950 decade saw more widespread increases in population density, especially in the Northeast, Midwest, and West Coast, as people moved from rural counties to urban, populous ones. This shift is explained by World War II mobilization, as people relocated to work in war supply production centers.