Al Smith

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/al-smith

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Al Smith born?December 30, 1873
2. Where was Al Smith born?Lower East Side, Manhattan, New York City
3. What is the governorships?42nd Governor of New York (1919-1920, 1923-1928)
4. What is the presidential nomination year?1928
5. Who was Al Smith?Al Smith was a New York politician who served as governor and ran for president in 1928. He grew up on the Lower East Side and worked his way up through Tammany Hall.
6. Why was Al Smith's 1928 presidential campaign special?He was the first Catholic nominated by a major party, which challenged religious biases and sparked debate about church and state.

Tammany Hall: A powerful, historically significant political organization in New York City known for its influence and patronage.
Prohibition: The nationwide constitutional ban on the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages in the United States from 1920 to 1933.
Efficiency Movement: A progressive reform era movement that sought to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of government and industry.
New Deal: A series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1939.