Question

Which of these changes took place in the first two decades of the 20th century?

a. The United States went from being a net exporter to being a net importer.
b. The industrial workforce went from minority unionized to majority unionized.
c. The majority of the U.S. population lived in urban areas instead of rural areas.
d. The U.S. government moved from running a budget surplus to running a budget deficit.

Answer 1

The significant change that occurred in the early 20th century was the shift from a primarily rural population to one where the majority of people lived in urban areas, as a result of industrialization and urbanization.

Step-by-step explanation:

Among the changes that took place in the first two decades of the 20th century, one significant transformation was that the majority of the U.S. population began living in urban areas rather than rural areas. Industrialization and urbanization were highly interconnected forces that dramatically changed the American societal landscape. The rise of industrial jobs in urban centers attracted a large number of migrants; as a result, cities expanded rapidly both in population and economic influence.

By the 1920 census, it was evident that a majority of the population resided in urban areas, signifying that urbanization had become a defining feature of American life. This shift from a primarily agrarian society to one centered on industrial and urban workplaces marked a fundamental change in where and how Americans lived and worked. Therefore, the correct answer to the student's question is option c: The majority of the U.S. population lived in urban areas instead of rural areas.

Answer 2

The correct answer is C. In the first two decades of the 20th century the rural population of the United States started to move into the cities, as the increasing industrialization generated more and better jobs in the industrial sector rather than the rural ones.

During that period there have been events such as the Great Migration, which involved African-Americans moving from the rural Southern states to the industrial cities in the north of the United States.