Station Two

Role of the Political Boss Gilded Age: Political Machines Role of the Political Boss William Marcy Tweed The “City Boss” (typically the mayor) controlled jobs, business licenses, and influenced the court system. He was the leader of the machine. Remember, a machine is not necessary made out of iron and steel. It can be someone or group of people that can make things happen through their influence. (social, political, or economic.) Boss Tweed ran NYC

Tammany Hall: This was the name of the New York city political machine from 1861 to 1871. Very Corrupt and powerful of all machines. Political Machine = organized group that controlled the political party and offered services to voters and businesses in exchange for political (votes) or financial support.

Who exposed the political machines in New York City? Thomas Nast: cartoonist for New York Times and Harper’s Weekly. His cartoons revealed corruption of Tweed. This made Tweed angry. He did a cartoon about Tweed. Tweed was convicted and jailed. Tweed escaped to Spain. But was captured with the use of a Nast cartoon. Tweed was imprisoned again in the U.S. and died in 1878.

Gilded Age: Political Machines What did the political machines offer those that were considered natural allies of the political machines? 1. Food 2. Jobs 3. Housing 4. Naturalization Process 5. Better standard of living 6. Protection

Tenement- House Slums- very crowded housing for workers and families during industrialization. Cities were covered with this kind of housing!

Inside a tenement house!

Children stand on the machine while it is in motion!!!!

The Gilded Age: Labor Movement and Impact of Industrialization Child Labor = immigrant children were often hired and paid less. They were held responsible for their own injuries and had no supervision. They had no formal training, and often mentally unprepared to work and think critically. Safety of workers was not a priority.

Women canning fruits in order to preserve them!

Women sewing in a garment factory.

STEEL Steel could be produced as early as the mid-1800’s, but the process was so expensive that it was not practical. This changed in 1859 when two gentlemen (one from Great Britain and one from the U. S.) developed a process (called the Bessemer Process) that used a blast of hot air to burn off impurities. Those men were William Kelley (U. S.) and Henry Bessemer (G. B.). More steel was produced in a day than the old process could produce in a week. An American engineer named William Holley adapted the Bessemer process and improved it. Steel production went from production of 15,000 tons in 1865 to more than 28 million by 1900.

Advantages (Bessemer Process) allowed for the developments of industrial cities such as Gary, Indiana; Cleveland, Ohio; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania and West Virginia provided most of the coal that fueled steel production. allowed the railroad industry to replace their old iron rails with stronger steel rails that lasted much longer. builders began to use steel to build buildings and bridges. Buildings could be built higher and bridges built longer due to the stronger substance. steel’s resistance to rust made it ideal for used in wire and nails.

Henry Ford’s assembly line revolutionized production and prosperity followed as the automobile industry boomed.