The Political Machine

U.S. History Gilded Age The Political Machine
Students read a quote from the Federalist Papers about the nature of government and name an event from any period of U.S. history that illustrates the quote. Then they learn about political machines of the Gilded Age, focusing on “Boss” Tweed. Next they analyze the causes and effects of civil service reform. Finally they examine some of Thomas Nast’s cartoons against Tweed and then write an op-ed article about the role of the media in supporting or destroying a politician’s reputation.

This learning experience is designed for device-enabled classrooms. The teacher guides the lesson, and students use embedded resources, social media skills, and critical thinking skills to actively participate. To get access to a free version of the complete lesson, sign up for an exploros account.

1:1 Devices
Teacher Pack

The Pack contains associated resources for the learning experience, typically in the form of articles and videos. There is a teacher Pack (with only teacher information) and a student Pack (which contains only student information). As a teacher, you can toggle between both to see everything.

Here are the teacher pack items for The Political Machine:

Preview - Scene 1
Exploros Learnign Experience Scene Navigation


Engage


Overview

In this experience, students read a quote from the Federalist Papers about the nature of government and name an event from any period of U.S. history that illustrates the quote. Then they learn about political machines of the Gilded Age, focusing on “Boss” Tweed. Next they analyze the causes and effects of civil service reform. Finally they examine some of Thomas Nast’s cartoons against Tweed and then write an op-ed article about the role of the media in supporting or destroying a politician’s reputation.

Objectives:

  • Analyze the growth of political machines.
  • Explain reforms in the civil service.


As the United States was undergoing rapid urbanization during the Gilded Age, local municipal governments could not keep up with the demands for more services and infrastructure. This weakness led to the rise of groups called political machines. You will learn about them in this experience.

Objectives:

  • Analyze the growth of political machines.
  • Explain reforms in the civil service.


image of a U.S. flag painted onto cracked pavement

It has been said that all Government is an evil. It would be more proper to say that the necessity of any Government is a misfortune. This necessity however exists; and the problem to be solved is, not what form of Government is perfect, but which of the forms is least imperfect.

–James Madison, Federalist Papers


Name an event from any period of U.S. history that you think illustrates Madison’s quote from the Federalist Papers.


Allow a few minutes for students to discuss their examples. Summarize student posts: Are they from different eras? What do they show about the problems and needs of government?

If relevant, read Winston Churchill’s famous statement aloud: “Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.”


When everyone is ready to continue, unlock the next scene.

End of Preview
The Complete List of Learning Experiences in Gilded Age Unit.
U.S. History Gilded Age Gilded Age: Vocabulary
Gilded Age: Vocabulary
Gilded Age: STAAR Practice Test
Gilded Age: Review
U.S. History Gilded Age The Transcontinental Railroad
The Transcontinental Railroad
U.S. History Gilded Age Western Industries: Mining, Ranching, Farming
Western Industries: Mining, Ranching, Farming
U.S. History Gilded Age The Political Machine
The Political Machine
U.S. History Gilded Age Case Study: Innovations of the Late 1800s
Case Study: Innovations of the Late 1800s
U.S. History Gilded Age The Gilded Age: Review
The Gilded Age: Unit Review
U.S. History Gilded Age Developing the Western Frontier
Developing the Western Frontier
U.S. History Gilded Age Big Business and Industrialization
Big Business and Industrialization
U.S. History Gilded Age Social Issues of the Gilded Age
Social Issues of the Gilded Age
U.S. History Gilded Age The Rise of Labor Unions
The Rise of Labor Unions
U.S. History Gilded Age Policies Towards American Indians
Policies Towards American Indians
Would you like to preview the rest of this learning experience, and get access to the entire functioning US History Since 1877 course for your classroom? Sign up using your school email address below.
Back to top