POLITICAL MACHINES AND THE
GILDED AGE
The external glitter of wealth
conceals a corrupt political
core that reflects the
growing gap between the
very few rich and the very
many poor.
America in the 1870’s-1890’s
-- Mark Twain
POLITICAL MACHINES
Group that controlled
the activities of a
political party in a
city
• Offer support
services to
voters/businesses in
exchange for
political/financial
support
•
IMMIGRANTS AND POLITICAL
MACHINES
Received sympathy
& understanding
• Many bosses could
relate to immigrant
problems
• Immigrants would
support machines in
return
•
POWER CORRUPTS
•
•
•
•
•
In order to win elections some
bosses turned to fraud
Added fake names to voting
lists
Received kickbacks from
government contracts
Favors for businesses in
return for gifts (graft)
Accept bribes to allow illegal
activities to continue
TAMMANY HALL
•
William “Boss”
Tweed Chairman of
Tammany Hall
•
•
Helped unite
Democrats
Boss Tweed was
head of Tammany
from 1863-1871
BOSS TWEED
•
Tweed convinced the city
legislature to give City government
more control
•
Tweed sought rapid expansion of
infrastructure (extending streets &
sewers)
•
Tammany Hall gained much power
and became caught up in one of
the biggest political scandals of
the nation’s history
THE TWEED RING
•
Corrupt politicians
led by Tweed that
used power to “line
their pockets”
•
Pocketed $200
million through graft
and kickbacks
THOMAS NAST
Thomas Nast drew
political cartoons for
Harper’s Weekly
• Began a campaign to
expose the Tweed Ring
• Tweed sentenced to 12
years
• Led to political reform
movement
•
NAST CARTOONS
SPOILS SYSTEM
•
•
•
•
“To the victor go the spoils”
Most federal jobs given out by the
President
Interfered with the function of
government
A merit system was called for to give
federal jobs to qualified people
ULYSSES S. GRANT
1869-1877
One of the worst examples
of scandal
• Congressmen received
bribes/kickbacks
• Cabinet cheated Indians on
reservations
• “Whiskey Ring” distillers
bribed treasury official not to
pay taxes
•
RUTHERFORD B. HAYES
1877-1880
•
•
•
•
•
Won disputed election
“His Fraudulence”
Began civil service reform
Named independents to
his cabinet
Investigated government
corruption (fired 1,000)
JAMES A. GARFIELD
1881
Ties to reformers, but
VP was Chester
Arthur
• Garfield gave most
jobs to reformers
• Garfield
assassinated by
someone that did not
get a job
•
CHESTER A. ARTHUR
1881-1885
Turned reformer after he
became President
• Signed the Pendleton Act
(1883)
• Created commission to
make appointments of
federal jobs
• Today 90% are merit jobs
•
PENDLETON ACT
•
•
•
Increased number of merit jobs
Politicians could no longer uses spoils
system to gain power (decrease of
contributions)
Tie between government and big
business became stronger