City Bosses and Political Machines

City Bosses and Political Machines
The year is 1858
For over 50 years Tammany Society (Hall) has influenced
politics in New York. Tammany Hall’s electoral base lay
predominantly with New York’s burgeoning immigrant
constituency which often exchanged political support for Tammany
Hall’s patronage which at times included: food, coal, rent money, or
a job. Tammany served as a powerful intermediary between
immigrants and the unfair state. Tammany also helped immigrants
served as a social integrator for immigrants by familiarizing them
with American society and its political institutions and by helping
them become naturalized citizens.
Task
In this investigation, you will produce a short press release to deliver to
a small group. Your presentation should argue for or against the
benefits of societies and political bosses such as Tammany Hall and
Boss Tweed.
After the brief presentations, your group will tabulate some of the main
arguments from the time and vote on whether or not you think the
benefits of the societies outweighed the corruption.
Process
This investigation will allow you to examine primary and secondary
source materials.
Step 1
Read Documents related to players associated with Tammany Hall and
Boss Tweed.
Tammany Hall
In the 1840’s, American cities were growing rapidly. In New York, the city’s
population in 1830 was over 197,000. It grew to almost 313,000 in 1840, and by
1850 had increased to about 460,000. There was an expansion in trade and
business in cities across the nation. America had jobs to offer, which drew many
people to our shores. Many immigrants, like the Irish, were poor and had to
struggle to make a living in their native land and so they came to America for
economic opportunities.
Some political groups in these growing cities saw a way to shape local politics.
They offered jobs, money or food to the immigrants and their families, or helped
get them out of any trouble they might be in, if the immigrants voted for that
group’s candidates. These groups became known as political machines because,
like machines, they manufactured votes and power. In New York City, the political
machine was known as Tammany Hall, which dominated the Democratic
Party in New York City.
While the Tammany Hall system helped many people, some felt it was dishonest
and should be stopped. These reformers believed that people who wanted city jobs
should compete and the most qualified should win. The city should be run by
honesty, not graft. (Graft means getting money or advantages dishonestly.)
The cartoon below was drawn by the famous political cartoonist Thomas Nast. The
cartoon shows “Boss” William Marcy Tweed. Boss Tweed was the leader of
Tammany Hall from 1860 to 1871. He was a man of great power who made
millions of dollars by cheating the city. At the same time, Tweed took care of the
people who voted for his candidates. He provided jobs for his poorer voters so that
they could feed their families, and he gave money to schools and hospitals. Many
New Yorkers trusted Tweed because of his generosity, but he was dishonest in the
way he carried out city business. For example, at election time he was known to
change the number of votes so that the candidate of his choice was sure to get
elected. How was he able to do this?
The cartoon shows Tweed standing by a ballot box at election time. Today in New
York City, votes are registered by machines. In fact, the first voting machine — the
Meyers Voting Machine — was introduced in the 1892 election at Lockport, New
York. But in the earlier years of voting, and in some places to this day, people used
a special container called a ballot box. A voter placed a piece of paper (the ballot)
with the name of the candidate he was voting for in the ballot box. One of the
problems with this system was that dishonest politicians, like Tweed, could easily
either throw away ballots for candidates they didn’t like or add ballots for
candidates they liked.
Boss Tweed
In the late 1860s, William M. Tweed was the New York City's
political boss. His headquarters, located on East 14th Street, was
known as Tammany Hall. He wore a diamond, orchestrated
elections, controlled the city's mayor, and rewarded political
supporters. His primary source of funds came from the bribes and
kickbacks that he demanded in exchange of city contracts.
The corruption was breathtaking in its breadth and baldness. A
carpenter was paid $360,751 ($4.9 million) for one month's labor
in a building with very little woodwork. A furniture contractor
received $179,729 ($2.5 million) for three tables and 40 chairs.
And the plasterer, A tammy functionary, Andrew J. Garvey, got
$133,187 ($1.82 million) for two days' work; his business
acumen earned him the sobriquet "The Prince of Plasterers."
Tweed personally profited from a financial interest in a
Massachusetts quarry that provided the courthouse's marble.
When a committee investigated why it took so long to build the
courthouse, it spent $7,718 (roughly $105,000 today) to print its
report. The printing company was owned by Tweed.
In July 1871, two low-level city officials with a grudge against the
Tweed Ring provided The New York Times with reams of
documentation that detailed the corruption at the courthouse and
other city projects. The newspaper published a string of articles.
Those articles, coupled with the political cartoons of Thomas Nast
in Harper's Weekly, created a national outcry, and soon Tweed
and many of his cronies were facing criminal charges and political
oblivion. Tweed died in prison in 1878.
Tammany Hall Worksheet
Directions: Study the political cartoon, & then answer the following questions
using complete sentences.
1. How does the cartoon illustrate the idea of “pass-the-buck”?
2. Which figure is most likely to represent Boss Tweed?
3. How does this cartoon illustrate a political machine at work?
4. Why were such political cartoons so much more successful at bringing down the
Boss Tweed & the “Tammany Ring” than newspaper articles?
Immigrant Perspective
Business Owners Perspective:
Plunkitt Political Boss Perspective
Thomas Nast on Political Machines
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YildL_ilQFY
Step 2 with your group answer these three questions.
1. Those who supported the political machine and boss
establishment defended it upon what grounds?
2. Those who opposed the political machines did so on what
grounds?
3. How would the lives of immigrants have been different had it not
been for the political machine?
Step 3
Prepare a 2 minute press release supporting or accusing political
machines and their impact during this time period.