Corruption, Political Machines, Tammany Hall, Boss Tweed, Progressive Era

Why were political machines like Tammany Hall able to maintain power despite their corrupt practices, and how did their eventual exposure lead to significant political power? This lesson and activity examines the development and impact of corrupt political machines and bosses in the United States during the Progressive Era. Students will analyze primary and secondary source documents. They’ll then answer corresponding scaffolding questions. They will answer the final summary question to apply their knowledge.

Included in this resource:

Do Now - 1871 Thomas Nast political cartoon primary source document and scaffolding questions
Corruption in the Gilded Age reading passage with graphic organizer scaffolding questions
Boss Tweed POV with scaffolding questions
Boss Tweed and Political Cartoons: Popular Subject for Political Cartoonists reading passage with scaffolding questions
Investigating Political Corruption in the Gilded Age Political Cartoon Activity with rubric
Application/Closing/Higher-Order Thinking Assessment: How did the corruption of political machines during the Gilded Age impact American politics and lead to important reforms in government transparency and accountability?
Answer key for teachers
★ Please make an executive decision whether or not this lesson can be executed with your students based upon the preview file. Thank you!

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