1. Politics in the Gilded Age
What contributes to the rise of the “political machine”?

2. Problems Lead to Political Machines
Problem: Cities grow so fast their local government can’t keep up with needs of people
Citizens feel local gov’t doesn’t provide enough jobs, financial aid, protection, sanitation, etc.
Solution: Political Machine steps in and provides services in exchange for votes and money
Goal of Political Machine: work to get their candidates elected
Political Machines take over Baltimore, NY, Chicago, San Francisco and other major cities

3. The Political Machine Cities
Cities grow so fast their government can’t keep up with the needs of the people—the POLITICAL MACHINE steps in.
City governments
Didn’t provide: jobs, financial aid, protection, sanitation etc.
Political Machine steps in
Cities
Provided services and business help in exchange for votes and money

4. organized group that controlled things for a political party
Political Machines:
organized group that controlled things for a political party
All work together
To elect their
Candidates &
Ensure the success
Of the machine
city boss
ward bosses
precinct captains
precinct workers

5. Role of the Political Boss
The “Boss” (typically the mayor) controlled the jobs, business licenses, and influenced the court system.
Precinct captains and ward bosses were often 1st or 2nd generation immigrants
They helped new immigrants find jobs, housing, and naturalization in exchange for votes.

6. Party Boss: Examples
Roscoe Conkling - boss of the New York Republican political Machine
William Tweed-boss of the infamous democratic political machine—Tammany Hall

7. Immigrants and the Political Machine
Constituents (voters) are often immigrants
Why would the constituents’ immigrant nature be important?
Immigrants taken advantage of
Nativism still existed
Why would being an immigrant or a descendent of an immigrant matter for a Boss hiring a precinct captain?
Knew the language, culture, and what was needed

8. Corruption in the Machines

9. Corruption in the Machines
Fraud: cheating to win elections
ex: voting more than once “stuffing the ballot box”
Voter intimidation
Voting was conducted in the open

10. Led ring of corrupt politicians who defrauded New York City 1869-1871
“Boss Tweed”
William M. Tweed was City Boss of Tammany Hall, the Democratic Pol. Mach. in NY
Led ring of corrupt politicians who defrauded New York City

11. Tammany’s Corruption:
One example: the courthouse scam
Charged taxpayers $13,000,000 for project that cost $3,000,000
Estimated Tweed stole from $30 million to $300 million

12. Received large fees for interests (*kickbacks) from the Erie Railroad
WILLIAM BOSS TWEED
Received large fees for interests (*kickbacks) from the Erie Railroad
Tweed Ring milked the city with false leases, padded bills, false vouchers, unnecessary repairs and over-priced goods
Eventually indicted on (charged with) 120 counts of fraud and extortion
*Return of a portion of the money received in a sale or contract often illegal and corrupt in return for special favors.

14. WILLIAM BOSS TWEED
Exposed for his corruption by cartoonist and editor, Thomas Nast
Tweed Ring fell and 1873 Tweed convicted of embezzlement
Later Tweed was arrested on a civil charge and jailed in NYC, later died there

18. The “Spoils” System (or patronage) in Politics
The winning party in an election got to hand out government jobs to their supporters
Government jobs were the “spoils” (what the elected person received for winning)

19. How was Patronage Ended
The law passed by Congress that brought an end to patronage (the spoils system) and led to the creation of the Civil Service Commission was the Pendelton Act
Under the Pendleton Act, people now had to Pass a civil service exam to qualify for a government job.

20. Credit Mobilier
During Grant’s presidency, stockholders of the Union Pacific Railroad created a fake construction company, Credit Mobilier
They hired Credit Mobilier to build the transcontinental railroad at nearly twice the actual cost of the project
When Congress investigated, the stockholders bribed them to stop
When uncovered, it led to greater public awareness of government corruption
Depiction of Uncle Sam scolding party participants for eating his cake, which is labeled "Crédit Mobilier" in this 1873 political cartoon titled "Injured Innocents."

21. Immigration & Migration
Urbanization
Influx of immigrants & migrants causes a population boom in cities
City services (housing, h2O, sanitation) are stretched to the limit
Reformers try to fix urban problems through ed., training, charity, and political action
Immigration & Migration
Poverty & persecution cause millions of pple to leave Europe, China, Japan, Mexico for the U.S.
Immigrants forced to adapt to new language & culture
Changes in agri. cause pple. to migrate from rural U.S. to urban U.S.
Many immigrants and migrants face discrimination in jobs & housing
Politics
Pol. Mach. Develop to take advantage of the needs of immigrants & urban poor
City politicians use graft & fraud to maintain political power
Corruption in politics causes civil service system to be developed