The Trial of the Century:

The LEAST MOST forgettable President of the Gilded Age

Your president is going on trial for being forgettable. You need to prove that he wasn’t!

You will be assigned oneof the presidents from the Gilded Age. The presidents during this time may be viewed as “forgettable.” Your task is to prove your president was the least most forgettable. Your group will represent your president in the trial of the century. The trial date is set for February 21st and 22nd.

*Not all Presidents will be used in all classes

Rutherford B. Hayes
1877-1881 Republican
“Compromise of 1877”
1876US vs. Reese
Great RR Strike (1877)
1877Munn v. IL
1878Bland-Allison Act / James A. Garfield
1881 Republican
Compromise Candidate
Star Route Scandal
Assassinated / Chester A. Arthur
1881-1884Republican
1882Tariff Commission
1883Pendleton Act
Grover Cleveland
1885-1888 Democrat
First Term:
“Ma, Ma Where’s my Pa?”
1886Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific RR Co. vs. IL
1886Haymarket Riot
1887Interstate Commerce Act / Benjamin Harrison
1889-1892Republican
Billion Dollar Congress
1889Famers' Alliance
Sherman Anti-Trust Act
McKinley Tariff Act
Sherman Silver Purchase Act
1892Homestead Strike / Grover Cleveland
1893-1897 Democrat
Second Term:
Panic of 1893
1894Pullman Strike
1894Wilson-Gorman Tariff
1895E. C. Knight Co. vs. U.S.

*The information in the table above is a start, there is more information available

The following are major issues during the Gilded age that should be addressed in court:

•Monetary Policy

•Government Reform

•Tariff Policy

•Railroad Regulations

•Trade Unionism

•Women’s Suffrage

•American Imperialism

•Populism

ASSIGNMENT:

Create an infographic/poster which should include the following information (be sure to include details that substantiate your claim):

  1. Acknowledgement for why your president could be considered forgettable or emblematic of problems in the Gilded Age.
  2. Two claims for greatness to show why your president should not be forgotten.

Create a legal brief to be presented in front of the court (library) with your claims of why your Gilded Age president should not be forgotten. You will use your legal brief for your presentation, but you will also turn in a written portfolio. Your brief should include the following:

  1. An opening statement defending your status as the least forgettable president of the Gilded Age
  2. Statements of fact to defend your client against claims of being forgettable
  3. Should be detailed reasons why your president was significant (this is where the AP material comes in).
  4. Two pieces of evidence (primary sources) showing why your client is not guilty of being forgettable.
  5. One claim against each of the other defendants on why they should be forgotten.
  6. You must call at least one witness to support your claim or and one witness against another President.
  7. A closing statement that concludes your case and makes one final attempt to find your client not guilty

Remember all material presented should be AP level material. You will be graded as a group on your infographic and your presentation before the court. All parts of the court case should be presented by three different people in your group (you can do more than three if you choose). Be sure to include the information above related to your president as well as relating it to the major issues of the Gilded Age. You will only have one class period to conduct your research, so use your time wisely and delegate who is responsible for what parts of the project. The trial date has been set for February 21st and 22nd, we will hold court in the library and you will present your case. Be sure to share the information, if someone is absent on the trial date you will still be responsible for the information. You will submit pre-trial report with multiple pieces of evidence to support your client and your witness list.