Grade 8 Lesson at a Glance: Chapter 16, Lesson 1

Houghton Mifflin Social Studies
A More Perfect Union

Lesson at a Glance
Chapter 16, Lesson 1: The Politics of Corruption (pp. 472-476)

The Big Idea
Framework Concept: Conflict Corruption developed at all levels of government during the Gilded Age.

Identify the ways in which big business manipulated the national political system during the Gilded Age. Discuss examples from the Grant administration, such as the Credit Mobilier and the Whiskey Ring scandals. Remind students that this money was the public's, and had been collected to pay for public projects.

Explain the ways that political bosses used the needs of the poor to gather political power and influence. Discuss the ways in which the political machines controlled city governments and used their power to make a great deal of money.

Lesson Outline
Use the Lesson Outline to preview the content of the lesson. You may wish to print it for your students as a guide during reading.

Check for Understanding

Have each student write a newspaper story as a European reporter describing the political corruption at either the national or local level in the United States. Each news story should also describe the reasons for the corruption and its effects on the public.
Have students study the cartoon by Thomas Nast on page 476 and draw a cartoon figure or complete cartoon of their own that represents any group or idea covered in the lesson. Encourage students to use strong symbols to express their ideas.

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