Gilded Age Politics/Crash Course US History #26

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

Subject Area

Social Studies

Grade(s)

10

Overview

In this video from PBSLearningMedia, John Green teaches students about the Gilded Age and its politics. The Gilded Age started in the 1870s and continued until the turn of the 20th century. The era is called Gilded because of the massive inequality that existed in the United States. Gilded Age politics were marked by a number of phenomenons, most of them having to do with corruption. On the local and state level, political machines wielded enormous power. John gets into details about the most famous political machine, Tammany Hall. Tammany Hall ran New York City for a long, long time, notably under Boss Tweed. Graft, kickbacks, and voter fraud were rampant, but not just at the local level. Ulysses S. Grant ran one of the most scandalous presidential administrations in U.S. history, and John will tell you about two of the best-known scandals, the Credit Mobilier scandal, and the Whiskey Ring. There were a few attempts at reform during this time, notably the Civil Service Act of 1883 and the Sherman Anti-trust act of 1890. 

Social Studies (2010) Grade(s): 10 - United States History I

SS10.US1.16

Explain the transition of the United States from an agrarian society to an industrial nation prior to World War I. [A.1.a., A.1.b., A.1.c., A.1.d., A.1.e., A.1.h., A.1.i., A.1.k.]

UP:SS10.US1.16

Vocabulary

  • Manifest Destiny
  • migration
  • immigration
  • urban
  • rural
  • assimilation

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The reasons for and impact of Manifest Destiny Changes that occurred in rural American society during this time period, the reasons for these changes, and the results of them.
  • The impact of legislation and social pressures on specific groups, such as American Indians.
  • The ways various immigrant groups compare.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Evaluate a historical time period in order to determine its causes and impact.
  • Compare social groups in order to determine the impact of political, social, and economic pressures on each.
  • Trace the movements, migration and immigration, of various groups on a map and describe the impact of these movements on the group and society.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Changes that took place throughout American society in the years prior to World War I.

CR Resource Type

Audio/Video

Resource Provider

PBS

License Type

Custom

Accessibility

Video resources: includes closed captioning or subtitles
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