Activities: Guided Reading/Secondary
Political Machines
1820s–1950s
Political machines were unofficial governments in cities during the
nineteenth century. Their existence depended on the patronage system. The
patronage system rewarded people with political favors in return for their support
of political candidates. Elected officials would reward political supporters with city
jobs after an election. Political machines operated in major American cities
between 1820 and 1850. This coincided with the first large waves of immigrants to
the United States. However, political machines’ power to dominate politics rose
dramatically between 1875 and 1950. Powerful political machines operated in New
York City, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Kansas City.
The main goal of the political machine was to elect and re-elect its
candidates to political office. The person at the head of the political machine was
referred as the “boss.” The boss had strong ties with local business leaders. He also
had associations with elected officials and their employees. As long as the boss was
in power, people in his district could approach the boss seeking help for various
problems. If an immigrant needed a job, he went to see his neighborhood’s
“precinct captain” who worked for the boss. The precinct captain could secure jobs
for immigrants in city departments: fire, police, and sanitation. It was not necessary
for the immigrant to be qualified for the patronage job. In return, the boss expected
the immigrant to give political support and to vote for the machine’s candidates.
The precinct captains also made sure the immigrants voted. This system ensured
the political machine would remain in power. Since many of the immigrants
benefited from the boss’ and the precinct captain’s aid and there was little help for
immigrants anywhere else, they usually were willing to vote for the machine.
In time, the original immigrants who had been in the neighborhood for a
while became precinct captains and even political bosses. Usually, the political
machine would stay in the same family for a long time. This resulted in nepotism
as family members hired other relatives for jobs, whether the relatives were
qualified or not. Many immigrant groups created neighborhoods that reflected their
own culture.
One of the most well-known political machines in United States history was
Tammany Hall, the Democratic machine that dominated New York City from 1854
to 1934. Tammany Hall started as the Tammany Society of New York City, a social
group formed in 1786. By 1798 the Tammany Society was a political organization.
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Activities: Guided Reading/Secondary
It was a staunch supporter of Thomas Jefferson’s political polities, and the
Tammany Society sided with the Democratic Party. It dominated New York City
politics after Andrew Jackson was elected President of the United States in 1828.
The society garnered the loyalty of immigrants in the 1830s and the 1840s. The
Tammany society assisted immigrants to obtain jobs, find housing, and apply for
citizenship. In return, the society expected the immigrants to vote for the Tammany
Society’s political candidates.
By the 1854 election of Fernando Wood as mayor of New York City, the
Tammany Society had become a strong political organization and controlled most
public offices in the city. However, corruption was prevalent. Corruption was most
apparent during the reign of political boss William M. Tweed. Many officials
associated with the “Tweed Ring” were
stealing money from the city. It was estimated
that from 1865 to 1871, between $75 million
and $200 million was stolen from New York
City and the state of New York. The biggest
critics of Tweed and his supporters were
Republicans. One person who criticized
Tweed was cartoonist, Thomas Nast. Nast
used his cartoons, published in the
Republican-supported New York Times, to
expose the corruption in the Tweed Ring.
Tweed eventually was convicted of stealing
money from New York City.
Many people, most notably Sam Tilden, brought down the Tweed Ring.
Tilden was the chairman of the New York State Democratic Party and the
prosecutor in the Boss Tweed trial. Tilden was determined to eliminate the
corruption associated with the Tweed Ring and Tammany Hall. After Tweed’s
tenure in office, Tammany Hall gradually declined. Nevertheless, it maintained
some power in city politics until 1950. The Great Depression, the removal of
Mayor James Walker, and the election of President Franklin D. Roosevelt severely
damaged Tammany Hall’s political power. When President Roosevelt implemented
the New Deal to help assist Americans during the Great Depression, people were
less dependent on Tammany Hall for jobs. When Fiorello LaGuardia became the
mayor of New York, city hall was no longer under Tammany Hall’s control.
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Activities: Guided Reading/Secondary
Name: ________________________________
Date: ____________________
Political Machines
1820s–1950s
Discussion Questions:
Matching: Match the description on the right with the correct answer on the left.
_____ 1. patronage
a. The Tammany Society
followed the political
ideology of this man.
_____ 2. political machines
b. event that hurt the political
machine in New York City.
_____ 3. New York City
c. His election to be mayor of
New York was the end of
Tammany Hall.
_____ 4. provided jobs in exchange for votes
d. giving a job to a person who
is not necessarily qualified
for it.
_____ 5. The “boss”
e. Tammany Hall became
powerful when he became
President of the United States
_____ 6. precinct captains
f. He helped to bring down the
“Tweed Ring.”
_____ 7. Tammany Hall
g. one way political machines
helped supporters.
_____ 8. Thomas Jefferson
h. cartoonist who revealed
corruption of the “Tweed
Ring.”
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_____ 9. Democratic Party
Activities: Guided Reading/Secondary
i. President Roosevelt’s
program that helped to end
Tammany Hall.
_____ 10. Andrew Jackson
j. the leader of political
machines.
_____ 11. Fernando Wood
k. Tammany Hall was aligned
with this political party.
_____ 12. William M. Tweed
l. city with a powerful political
machine.
_____ 13. Republican Party
m. His removal as mayor
damaged Tammany Hall.
_____ 14. Thomas Nast
n. He was mayor of New York
when Tammany Hall first
came to power.
_____ 15. “Tweed Ring”
o. The most corrupt group in
Tammany Hall.
_____ 16. Samuel Tilden
p. They helped immigrants to
get jobs and places to live.
_____ 17. Great Depression
q. unofficial governments in
many cities.
_____ 18. James Walker
r. The most famous political
machine in New York City.
_____ 19. New Deal
s. This political party strongly
criticized Tammany Hall.
_____ 20. Fiorello LaGuardia
t. The famous Tammany Hall
political boss.
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