• The Rise of the Political Machine: (518-519)– The continuing growth of cities created

a new challenge for city governments:.

– Growing urban populations also required the expansion or new construction of bridges, parks, schools, streets, sewer systems, utility systems, fire, police and sanitation departments

– With the support of very well-organized political parties, city council members and district representatives took charge of city governments

– They oversaw new public services and, in many cases, pocketed money meant for the public good

• The Rise of the Political Machine: (518-519)– Political bosses: (518)

• Political Machine: well-organized political parties that dominated city governments in the United States and they had great success in getting their members elected to local political offices.

• Powerful political bosses managed these machines

• Political bosses dictated party positions on city ordinances and made deals with business leaders

• They also controlled the district leaders, city officials, and council members who kept the machine running smoothly.

• The Rise of the Political Machine: (518-519)– Political bosses: (518)

• Precinct captains built relationships with voters living in urban neighborhoods and was a great strength of political machines – meet voters face-to-face

• By offering jobs, political favors, and services to local residents, precinct captains won support for the political machine

• At election time, bosses and precinct captains instructed local residents to vote for selected candidates and they did

• The Rise of the Political Machine: (518-519)– Public services: (519)

• During the late 1800s political machines attempted to provide the public services required by growing U.S. cities

• Political bosses such as Alexander Shepherd of Washington, D.C., financed expanded sewer and water systems, paved streets, and provided other public services

• The boom in public-works projects meant that bosses could distribute many jobs among loyal supporters

• The Rise of the Political Machine: (518-519)– Public services: (519)

• By providing jobs, political favors, and services to local residents, political machines were able to win support from many poor working-class city-dwellers

• Immigrants and Political Machines: (519-520)– Because political machines

helped the urban poor, new immigrants often became particularly loyal supports of political machines

– Machine politicians usually met immigrants as soon as they arrived in the United States

• They helped newcomers get settled in their new homeland

• Immigrants and Political Machines: (519-520)– Tammany Hall, a political club that had

gained considerable power in the 1860s and early 1870s, became a powerful Democratic political machine in New York City

• It sent numerous party workers to Ellis Island to meet new immigrants

• Party workers assisted immigrants by finding them temporary housing and jobs. They also helped immigrants become naturalized citizens and thus eligible to vote for Tammany Hall candidates

• However, Tammany officials failed to offer any extensive programs to address poverty and poor housing conditions

• Immigrants and Political Machines: (519-520)– Political bosses ensured voter

loyalty among immigrant groups by providing jobs in exchange for votes

– James Pendergast was a particularly well-liked boss in Kansas City, Missouri

– Pendergast gained considerable political support by providing jobs and special services to African Americans, Irish Americans, and Italian American voters

• Immigrants and Political Machines: (519-520)– In some cities, however,

immigrants became active members of political machines, serving as officeholders, organizers and representatives

– Because Irish Americans spoke English as a first language, they had slightly easier access to U.S. Political process than many other immigrant groups

• Graft and Corruption: (520-523)

– Political machines often resorted to corruption in their attempt to take control of city governments

– Machine corruption often interfered with the important functions of city government

• Graft and Corruption: (520-523)

• Election Fraud: (520)– When jobs and political

favors were not enough to build popular support during elections, some political machines turned to fraud

• For example, during one election in Philadelphia, a voting district with fewer than 100 registered voters somehow returned 252 votes

• Graft and Corruption: (520-523)

• Graft: (520-522)• Graft means: the acquisition of money or

political power through illegal or dishonest methods

• Once elected, political bosses often became even more corrupt

• Political bosses looked for ways to increase their own political power and personal wealth

• Politicians often received bribes, payoffs, or KICKBACKS – payments of part of the earnings from a job or contract

• In Chicago, business leader Charles Tyson Yerkes built an empire of street railway lines by paying Alderman John Powers to support city ordinances favorable to his company

• Graft and Corruption: (520-523)

• The Tweed Ring: (523)– William Marcy Tweed was a boss of

Tammany Hall in the 1860s– The Tweed Ring collected $200

million in graft between 1865 and 1871.

– The corruption of Tammany Hall and the Tweed Ring was mercilessly revealed in a series of political cartoons drawn by Thomas Nast. His cartoons exposed the corruption of Tammany Hall and contributed to Tweed’s conviction for fraud and extortion in 1873.