William M. Tweed

Tweed started out as a volunteer fireman and eventually became head of the New York City political machine in 1863. By 1868 "Boss" Tweed's Tammany Hall organization controlled most of city and state government in New York, including thousands of patronage jobs and millions of dollars in contracts, fees, and government-controlled benefits. The machine built public support by spending tax funds on public services and charities. Precinct committeemen often provided personal assistance through handouts, political pressure, and bribes. Under Tweed's direction, Tammany Hall launched major public works projects--buildings, improvements in streets, parks, sewers, and docks. Much of the construction was riddled with corruption. The Tweed Ring stole millions of dollars from the city through bloated construction projects and kickbacks.

As the urban population swelled in the late nineteenth century, the political machine cultivated its base of support among the poor and working-class immigrants. Machine politicians would help the newcomers find a home (usually in a dirty, overcrowded tenement) and a job, locate relatives in the city, bribe the judge or bail them out of jail for petty crimes like gambling or drinking on a Sunday. If the landlord was too callous or uncooperative, the precinct committeeman or "ward captain" would pay a visit, perhaps bringing along a building inspector. The ward captain would deliver Christmas turkeys, help celebrate marriages and births, and help with funeral arrangements. Around election time, the machine would remind voters who their "friends" were.

As for Tweed, "goo-goos" (good-government reformers) eventually had him indicted for corruption. He had amassed a fortune of more than $12 million dollars for himself and the Tammany Hall political machine by skimming large sums of money off city contracts. He was convicted in 1873 and given a 12-year prison sentence for embezzlement of public funds (reduced by an appellate court to just one year). He was arrested again upon his release from prison and he fled to Cuba in 1875. From there Tweed escaped extradition by traveling to Spain. Spanish authorities, who purportedly recognized him from a Nast cartoon] and believed he was fugitive child-napper, apprehended Tweed and sent him bacl to New York to stand trial. He was sent back to prison in 1876. Tweed died in federal prison two years later at age 55.

*Thomas Nast was a German immigrant who became an illustrator for Harper's Weekly in 1862. He created the Republican elephant and the Democratic donkey and was an intense admirer of Ulysses S. Grant (who once stated, "Two things elected me [president], the sword of Sheridan and the pencil of Nast"). But Nast's most famous subject, beyond a doubt, was Boss Tweed.