CAMPAIGN FINANCE
“The Election of 1896”
Developed by: Victor W. Geraci, Ph.D.
Click Here for the Word Document version of this page.
Materials Needed:
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The Republican Platform pdf --- one packet for every two students
The People’s Party Platform pdf --- one packet for every two students
The Democratic Platform pdf --- one packet for every two students
Pencil/Paper
US History textbooks and internet access for supplementary data
Class Time: Two or three class periods.
Objectives: It is necessary to understand that the 1890s and 1990s have some
common historical themes. Because a few business and government leaders
controlled the nations booming political and economic growth, American writer Mark
Twain dubbed the late 1800s the Gilded Age. Twain, and others, worried that the
American industrial wealth was a facade covering up overcrowded cities filled with
immigrants, rising crime, environmental problems (water, solid waste, sewage), and
health and education crisis. On top of this, depressions in the middle of each decade
since the Civil War resulted in the collapse of the small family farm. The analogy to
the corroded/corrupted inner core grew to represent the majority of Americans
struggling to live from day to day. As a result of the mal-distribution of wealth and
political power many from the developing middle-class and rural Midwest and South
formed the Populist Party that gave birth to the Progressive party. Today many are
concerned that again a few wealthy business and government leaders have gained
control of America by influencing elections and government policies with large
campaign contributions. By the 1990s many proponents of campaign finance laws
alluded to a second American Gilded Age.
Anticipatory Set:
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Video clip from the film The Man Who Corrupted Hadleyburg
Have students read all or parts of Mark Twain’s The Man Who Corrupted
Hadleyburg
http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/Mark_Twain/The_Man_that_Corrupted_Ha
dleyburg/ or
http://www.boondocksnet.com/twaintexts/twain_hadleyburg.html
Use Mark Twain’s book The Gilded Age
http://www.boondocksnet.com/twaintexts/ga/index.html or
http://www.mtwain.com/The_Gilded_Age/index.html
Internet quotes on corruption and politics from Twain are available on line.
CT-N State Civics Toolbox
Campaign Finance: The Election of 1896
Page 1 of 2
Activity:
Day One;
 Anticipatory Set
 Either a lecture on the Gilded Age or reading assignment in textbook to set
the context for the election of 1896 --- Click here for sample lecture
 Break the class into three or six groups
 Assign each group to study one of the 1896 Political Parties (Republican,
Democratic, People’s Party) and distribute party platforms to each of the
groups.
 Each group is to read the platform and make a list of the key points of the
party’s platform. Equally distribute the planks to the members of the group.
Each group member is to then to prepare to discuss his or her planks.
Day Two;
 Have each group list on the board the key points of the platform they read.
Each member should briefly describe his or her planks.
 Have students write these lists down on the left-hand side of a piece of
notebook paper folded in half lengthwise.
 Homework; Take the list from the other two groups and on the right hand
side of your note sheets describe how your party felt about this plank/issue.
Day Three:
 Using homework assignments as reference points execute a teacher led
brainstorm (TABA exercise) about the key concerns addressed in the
platforms.
 Organize the brainstormed list into key groups of similarities.
 Teacher Debrief; Do any of these topics/concerns appear today --- business is
to powerful, government is to big and in the control of a few, need for
campaign finance laws, no voice for the common voter, poverty, crime,
immigrants…..
 Pose this writing topic--- How did American’s in 1896 feel about who
controlled their government and what changes/reforms were they proposing?
Collect the next day.
If you have any comments or suggestions about this activity or would
like to submit your own activity, please contact us and share your
ideas.
CT-N State Civics Toolbox
Campaign Finance: The Election of 1896
Page 2 of 2