Transcript Examples of Political Machine “Bosses”

• Political Machines (Packet reading)
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Analyze political cartoons about the
Tweed Ring political machine.
Understand how political machines
operated in the United States.
Quiz
Model
Interpretation:
Label at least two
examples of symbolism:
Emergence of the Political Machine
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Inefficient municipal government allowed the “machine” to
emerge.
Immigrants who needed assistance upon arrival to the U.S.
turned to the political machine instead of the government for
help.
Political machines were well organized groups that controlled
a political party in a city and offered services to voters in
exchange for votes.
Machine Organization
City Boss
Ward Boss
Precinct Captains
Ward Workers
Emergence of the Political Machine
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Political machines were well organized groups that controlled
a political party in a city and offered services to voters in
exchange for votes.
Role of the “City Boss”
 controlled thousands of jobs (police, fire, sanitation,
clerical within the government) which in turn controlled
licensing, building inspections, the courts and even
mayors… and thus lies the POWER!!
Emergence of the Political Machine
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Examples of Political Machine “Bosses”
 New York Senator Roscoe Conkling
 Kansas City “Big Jim” Pendergast
and his younger brother Thomas.
 New York City William Marcy Tweed
Machines helped new immigrants
adjust to life in America.
Emergence of the Political Machine
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Examples of Machine Corruption
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Election fraud – voter registration lists were “padded”
Graft – taking money while in office for services
 kickbacks
 bribes
MOST abusive machine?
 William Marcy Tweed who controlled NYC’s democratic
political machine “Tammany Hall” ran the so-called
“Tweed Ring” that pocketed over $200 million from
1869-1871.
Emergence of the Political Machine
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Built New York County
Courthouse which cost
taxpayers $11 million
($8million went to the
machine!!)
Cartoonist Thomas Nast
attacked Tweed Ring in NY
Times, Harper’s Weekly.
1871 Tweed sentenced to
12 years in prison, escaped
but recaptured in Spain.
Emergence of the Political Machine
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Machine bosses were similar to the great industrialists of the
age such as Carnegie, Rockefeller, Morgan in that although
they amassed huge fortunes (not always legally) they also had
positive effects … a dichotomy.
 bosses assisted immigrants in getting jobs, finding a place
to live.
 industrialists oftentimes donated money for libraries for
the public.
The Political Machine
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In a 2-column chart, list as many advantages
and disadvantages of the political machine:
Advantages
Disadvantages