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journal article Bosses and Machines: Changing Interpretations in American HistoryThe History Teacher Vol. 9, No. 3 (May, 1976) , pp. 445-463 (19 pages) Published By: Society for History Education https://doi.org/10.2307/492336 https://www.jstor.org/stable/492336 Read and download Log in through your school or library Alternate access options For independent researchers Read Online Read 100 articles/month free Subscribe to JPASS Unlimited reading + 10 downloads Purchase issue $16.00 - Download now and later Journal Information The History Teacher is the most widely recognized journal in the United States devoted to more effective teaching of history in pre-collegiate schools, community colleges and universities. Publisher Information The Society for History Education, Inc., an affiliate of the American Historical Association, supports all disciplines in history education with practical and insightful professional analyses of traditional and innovative teaching techniques. Rights & Usage This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website. If you're behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains *.kastatic.org and *.kasandbox.org are unblocked.  38d. Corruption Runs WildHarper's Weekly Magazine Thomas Nast was a cartoonist for Harper's Weekly Magazine. His cartoons condemning the corrupt regime of Boss Tweed helped end the era of machine politics at Tammany Hall. Becoming mayor of a big city in the Gilded Age was like walking into a cyclone. Demands swirled around city leaders. Better sewers, cleaner water, new bridges, more efficient transit, improved schools, and suitable aid to the sick and needy were some of the more common demands coming from a wide range of interest groups. To cope with the city's problems, government officials had a limited resources and personnel. Democracy did not flourish in this environment. To bring order out of the chaos of the nation's cities, many political bosses emerged who did not shrink from corrupt deals if they could increase their power bases. The people and institutions the bosses controlled were called the political machine. The Political MachinePersonal politics can at once seem simple and complex. To maintain power, a boss had to keep his constituents happy. Most political bosses appealed to the newest, most desperate part of the growing populace — the immigrants. Occasionally bosses would provide relief kitchens to receive votes. Individuals who were leaders in local neighborhoods were sometimes rewarded city jobs in return for the loyalty of their constituents. Bosses knew they also had to placate big business, and did so by rewarding them with lucrative contracts for construction of factories or public works. These industries would then pump large sums into keeping the political machine in office. It seemed simple: "You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours." However, bringing diverse interests together in a city as large as New York, Philadelphia, or Chicago required hours of legwork and great political skill. All the activities mentioned so far seem at least semi-legitimate. The problem was that many political machines broke their own laws to suit their purposes. As contracts were awarded to legal business entities, they were likewise awarded to illegal gambling and prostitution rings. Often profits from these unlawful enterprises lined the pockets of city officials. Public tax money and bribes from the business sector increased the bank accounts of these corrupt leaders. Voter fraud was widespread. Political bosses arranged to have voter lists expanded to include many phony names. In one district a four-year-old child was registered to vote. In another, a dog's name appeared on the polling lists. Members of the machine would "vote early and often," traveling from polling place to polling place to place illegal votes. One district in New York one time reported more votes than it had residents. Boss TweedThe most notorious political boss of the age was William "Boss" Tweed of New York's Tammany Hall. For twelve years, Tweed ruled New York. He gave generously to the poor and authorized the handouts of Christmas turkeys and winter coal to prospective supporters. In the process he fleeced the public out of millions of taxpayer money, which went into the coffers of Tweed and his associates. Attention was brought to Tweed's corruption by political cartoonist Thomas Nast. Nast's pictures were worth more than words as many illiterate and semi-literate New Yorkers were exposed to Tweed's graft. A zealous attorney named Samuel Tilden convicted Tweed and his rule came to an end in 1876. Mysteriously, Tweed escaped from prison and traveled to Spain, where he was spotted by someone who recognized his face from Nast's cartoons. He died in prison in 1878. What was one reason for the expansion of machine politics in the late nineteenth century A?What was one reason for the expansion of machine politics in the late 19th century? the rapid influx of immigrants made it difficult for local governments to provide basic services.
What was the main reason for the rise of political machines?Political machines started as grass roots organizations to gain the patronage needed to win the modern election. Having strong patronage, these "clubs" were the main driving force in gaining and getting out the "straight party vote" in the election districts.
Why did political machines become common in big cities in the late 19th century?Political machines became common in cities because basic services for citizens and new immigrants were often extremely lacking and poor in quality. By stepping in to help ameliorate these problems, political machines won influence and votes from the populace, who often had nowhere else to turn for effective help.
What role did political machines play in the late nineteenth century?In a nutshell, this is how the political machine worked in the big cities of the late-19th and early-20th centuries in America. A political machine was an urban organization designed to win elections and reward its followers, both rich and poor.
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