1. The Political Machine

2. Objectives:
Explain the role of political machines and political bosses
Describe how some politician’s greed and fraud cost taxpayers millions of dollars

3. POLITICS IN THE GILDED AGE
As cities grew in the late 19th century, so did political machines
Political machines controlled the activities of a political party in a city
New York’s Solar System, 1898

4. ROLE OF THE POLITICAL BOSS
The “Boss” (typically the mayor) controlled:
Jobs
business licenses
court system
Precinct captains and ward bosses:
1st or 2nd generation immigrants
Helped with naturalization
Housing
All in exchange for votes for the boss
Boss Tweed ran NYC

5. How Would Political Bosses Stay in Power?
Political machines used fake names and voted multiple times to ensure victory (“Vote early and often”) – called Election fraud
Graft (bribes) was common among political bosses
Construction contracts often resulted in “kick-backs”
The fact that police forces were hired by the boss prevented close scrutiny

6. THE TWEED RING SCANDAL
William M. Tweed, known as Boss Tweed, became head of Tammany Hall, NYC’s powerful Democratic political machines
Between , Tweed led the Tweed Ring, a group of corrupt politicians, in defrauding the city $20 million

7. Tweed was eventually indicted on 120 counts of fraud and extortion (Brought down by cartoonist Thomas Nast)
Tweed was sentenced to 12 years in jail – released after one, arrested again, and escaped to Spain

8. Political Cartoon Analysis: Nast vs. Tweed
Thomas Nast= "Father of the American Cartoon“
Nast's drawings were instrumental in the downfall of Boss Tweed
Your Task: use the cartoon analysis sheet to peek into the deeper meaning of the following Nast drawings

9. “That’s What’s the Matter”

12. Gangs of New York Clip Leo DiCaprio- Amsterdam Vallon
Daniel Day-Lewis- Bill “The Butcher” Cutting
Jim Broadbent- “Boss” Tweed
What You Are Looking For:
Political Machine Organization
City Boss, Ward Boss, Precinct Captain
Scorsese’s opinion of political machines

13. Who had the political power THEN?
EXIT TICKET:
Who had the political power THEN?
Does this kind of corruption exist today?
Give THREE examples
start 2:45-6:00