The history of the income tax in the US dates back to the Civil War in 1861.
Interestingly the 16th amendment was proposed by conservatives opponents who believed that three-quarters of state legislatures would never approve it. Boy were they surprised!
We have included a very short background information essay as well as the transcript to the 16th amendment with questions and answers.
For more resources on teaching the Progressive Era:
US History PowerPoint: The Progressive Era
Simulation games:
Government PowerPoints:
The progressive era is (imho) one of the most fascinating periods of US History!
Our country very rapidly progressed to becoming a world power, but struggled with the harshness of working in sweatshops and poor living conditions, learning to live and work with immigrants from other countries, the rise of industrial cities, and all of the political corruption that threatened the vision of our forefathers. How did we manage?