Politics in the Gilded Age

1
Politics in the Gilded Age
Entrance Question What will immigrants need as
they begin to settle in the cities?
2
The Emergence of Political Machines

• Political Machine An organized group that
  controlled the activities of a political party in
  a city
• Political Machines offered services to voters
  and businesses in exchange for political or
  financial support.

A political machine is a group, usually dominated
by a political party, that dictates the political
life of a city. At the controls of the
machine is the boss, who may or may not be an
elected official.
3
Political Machines
Precinct captains, ward bosses, and the city boss
worked together to elect their candidates and
guarantee the success of the machine.
Controlled the activities of the political party
throughout the city.
City Bosses
At election time, the ward boss worked to secure
the vote in all the precincts in the ward, or
electoral district. They also helped the poor and
gained their votes by doing favors or providing
services.
Ward Bosses
Tried to gain voters support on a city block or
in a neighborhood and reported to a ward boss.
Local precinct workers and captains
4
The Role of the Political Boss

• He controlled access to municipal jobs and
  business licenses.

• A municipal job is
• County clerk
• Mailman
• Public works (township garbage collection,
  maintaining roads, etc.)

• A municipal job is NOT
• Business owner
• Nurses
• College Professor
• Banker
• Cashier

Sowhat is a municipal job?
5
The Role of the Political Boss

• Influenced the courts and other municipal
  agents.
• Used their power to build parks, sewer systems
  and waterworks.
• Gave money to schools, hospitals, and
  orphanages.
• Provided government support for new businesses
  (which they were often paid extremely well)
• Money, the opportunity to reinforce voters
  loyalty, win additional political support, and
  extend their influences was among the motivations
  for city bosses.

6
Immigrants and the Machine

• Many precinct captains and political bosses were
  first or second generation immigrants.
• Few were educated beyond grammar school.
• They could speak to immigrants in their own
  language and understood the challenges that
  newcomers faced and were able to provide
  solutions.
• The machines helped immigrants with
  naturalization (attaining full citizenship),
  housing, and jobs which were among the newcomers
  most pressing needs.
• In return, the immigrants provided what the
  political bosses needed ? votes

7
Immigrants and the Machine

• Immigrants and the Political Machine

Read The Workings of a Political Machine and
answer the related questions.
8
Election Fraud and Graft

• When the loyalty was not enough to carry an
  election, some political machines turned to
  fraud.
• Use fake names to cast as many votes as were
  needed to win.
• Once a political machine got its candidates into
  office, it could take advantage of numerous
  opportunities for graft.
• Graft the illegal use of political influence
  for personal gain
• For example, helping a person find work on a
  construction project for the city, a political
  machine could ask the worker to bill the city for
  more than the actual cost of materials and labor.
  The worker then kicked back a portion of the
  earnings to the machine.
• Kickbacks illegal payments for their services

9
The Tweed Ring Scandal

• William M. Tweed aka Boss Tweed, became head
  of Tammany Hall, New York Citys powerful
  Democratic political machine in 1868.
• Worked his way up through the citys political
  machine (Tammany Hall)
• In 1861, Tweed had scarcely a dollar to his
  name, but by 1871, he had amassed a fortune in
  excess of 2.5 million all built on influence
  peddling and kickbacks from the sale of city
  contracts and franchises.

10
The Tweed Ring Scandal

• Tweed led the Tweed Ring, a group of corrupt
  politicians, who collectively siphoned off
  anywhere from 40 million to 200 million in
  public funds.
• Example The construction of the New York County
  Courthouse ? The project cost taxpayers 13
  million, while the actual cost was 3 million.
  The difference went into the pockets of Tweed and
  his followers.

11
IMAGINE
Cost to build Robbinsville High School 15
million
Robbinsville Taxpayers charged 20 million
5 million kept by city officials (mayor, etc.)
12
The Tweed Ring Scandal

• Tweed was convicted of fraud in 1873, but he
  fled to Spain. During his heyday, he had been
  ruthlessly caricatured by the great political
  cartoonist Thomas Nast.
• Tweed was indicted on 120 counts of fraud and
  extortion (illegal use of ones official position
  to obtain property or funds)
• In 1876, Tweed was recognized through a Nast
  cartoon. As a result, Tweed was arrested and
  returned to New York, where he died after serving
  two years in prison.

13
Boss Tweed
Thomas Nast
14
(No Transcript)
15
A Political Machine in Practice

• Pretend you are a city boss standing at the top
  of the pyramid of a political machine. You are
  going to try to be as corrupt as possible!!
• Below are your two main goals
• To remain in power by becoming reelected (you
  want to win the favor of many immigrants who
  dont know much about what is going on but have
  many needs)
• Pocket as much money as possible whether it
  comes from a person or government funds.