Question

during the gilded age, supporters of social darwinism sought to
a. assist the urban poor through the establishment of settlement houses.
b. limit immigration through the passage of restrictive immigration laws.
c. improve transcontinental trade through the expansion of rail systems.
d. end the exploitation of workers through the formation of labor unions.

Explanation:

Social Darwinism applied Darwin's "survival of the fittest" to society, justifying inequality by arguing that wealth/power indicated "fitness." Settlement houses (A) were linked to the Progressive movement, not Social Darwinism. Rail expansion (C) was economic development unrelated to its core tenets. Labor unions (D) aimed to counter exploitation, which Social Darwinists opposed as interfering with "natural" competition. Restrictive immigration laws (B) aligned with their view that certain groups were less "fit," so limiting immigration preserved the dominance of existing "fit" populations.

Answer:

B. limit immigration through the passage of restrictive immigration laws.