POLITICAL%20MACHINES%20AND%20THE%20GILDED%20AGE

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POLITICAL MACHINES AND THE GILDED AGE

• The external glitter of wealth conceals a corrupt
  political core that reflects the growing gap
  between the very few rich and the very many poor.
  
• America in the 1870s-1890s
• -- Mark Twain

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POLITICAL MACHINES

• Group that controlled the activities of a
  political party in a city
• Offer support services to voters/businesses in
  exchange for political/financial support

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IMMIGRANTS AND POLITICAL MACHINES

• Received sympathy understanding
• Many bosses could relate to immigrant problems
• Immigrants would support machines in return

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POWER CORRUPTS

• In order to win elections some bosses turned to
  fraud
• Added fake names to voting lists
• Received kickbacks from government contracts
• Favors for businesses in return for gifts (graft)
• Accept bribes to allow illegal activities to
  continue

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TAMMANY HALL

• William Boss Tweed Chairman of Tammany Hall
• Helped unite Democrats
• Boss Tweed was head of Tammany from 1863-1871

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BOSS TWEED

• Tweed convinced the city legislature to give City
  government more control
• Tweed sought rapid expansion of infrastructure
  (extending streets sewers)
• Tammany Hall gained much power and became caught
  up in one of the biggest political scandals of
  the nations history

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THE TWEED RING

• Corrupt politicians led by Tweed that used power
  to line their pockets
• Pocketed 200 million through graft and kickbacks

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THOMAS NAST

• Thomas Nast drew political cartoons for Harpers
  Weekly
• Began a campaign to expose the Tweed Ring
• Tweed sentenced to 12 years
• Led to political reform movement

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NAST CARTOONS
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SPOILS SYSTEM

• To the victor go the spoils
• Most federal jobs given out by the President
• Interfered with the function of government
• A merit system was called for to give federal
  jobs to qualified people

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ULYSSES S. GRANT1869-1877

• One of the worst examples of scandal
• Congressmen received bribes/kickbacks
• Cabinet cheated Indians on reservations
• Whiskey Ring distillers bribed treasury
  official not to pay taxes

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RUTHERFORD B. HAYES1877-1880

• Won disputed election
• His Fraudulence
• Began civil service reform
• Named independents to his cabinet
• Investigated government corruption (fired 1,000)

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JAMES A. GARFIELD1881

• Ties to reformers, but VP was Chester Arthur
• Garfield gave most jobs to reformers
• Garfield assassinated by someone that did not get
  a job

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CHESTER A. ARTHUR1881-1885

• Turned reformer after he became President
• Signed the Pendleton Act (1883)
• Created commission to make appointments of
  federal jobs
• Today 90 are merit jobs

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PENDLETON ACT

• Increased number of merit jobs
• Politicians could no longer uses spoils system to
  gain power (decrease of contributions)
• Tie between government and big business became
  stronger