Which of the following statements about the gold standard in the United States is correct?

• A. The United States adopted the gold standard in 1879, which increased monetary stability.
• B. The United States permanently left the gold standard in 1879 and never returned.
• C. The United States went off the gold standard in 1879 to help debt-ridden farmers.
• D. The United States abandoned the gold standard during the Civil War in 1861.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand what the gold standard is — a monetary system where a country's currency or paper money has a value directly linked to gold.
2. Step 2: Recall the historical timeline of the gold standard in the United States, focusing on key dates such as the Civil War period (1861), the year 1879, and later developments.
3. Step 3: Analyze the statement about the U.S. adopting the gold standard in 1879 and consider its impact on monetary stability, recognizing that this marked a return to the gold standard after a suspension during the Civil War.
4. Step 4: Evaluate the other statements by comparing them to historical facts: the U.S. did not permanently leave the gold standard in 1879, nor did it go off the gold standard specifically to help debt-ridden farmers at that time.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the correct statement is the one indicating the U.S. adopted the gold standard in 1879, which increased monetary stability, because this aligns with the historical return to the gold standard after the Civil War suspension.