POLITICS IN THE GILDED AGE Chapter 7 Section

POLITICS IN THE GILDED AGE Chapter 7, Section 3

SECTION 3: POLITICS IN THE GILDED AGE l As cities grew in the late 19 th century, so did political machines l Political machines controlled the activities of a political party in a city l Ward bosses, precinct captains, and the city boss worked to ensure their candidate was elected

ROLE OF THE POLITICAL BOSS l The “Boss” (typically the mayor) controlled jobs, business licenses, and influenced the court system l Precinct captains and ward bosses were often 1 st or 2 nd generation immigrants so they helped immigrants with naturalization, jobs, and housing in exchange for votes Boss Tweed ran NYC

MUNICIPAL GRAFT AND SCANDAL l Some political bosses were corrupt l Some political machines used fake names and voted multiple times to ensure victory (“Vote early and often”) – called Election fraud l Graft (bribes) was common among political bosses l Construction contracts often resulted in “kickbacks” l The fact that police forces were hired by the boss prevented close scrutiny

THE TWEED RING SCANDAL l William M. Tweed, known as Boss Tweed, became head of Tammany Hall, NYC’s powerful Democratic political machines l Between 1869 -1871, Tweed led the Tweed Ring, a group of corrupt politicians, in defrauding the city l Tweed was indicted on 120 counts of fraud and extortion l Tweed was sentenced to 12 years in jail – released after one, arrested again, and escaped to Spain Boss Tweed

CIVIL SERVICE REPLACES PATRONAGE Applicants for federal jobs are required to take a Civil Service Exam l Nationally, some politicians pushed for reform in the hiring system l The system had been based on Patronage; giving jobs and favors to those who helped a candidate get elected l Reformers pushed for an adoption of a merit system of hiring the most qualified for jobs l The Pendleton Civil Service Act of 1883 authorized a bipartisan commission to make appointments for federal jobs based on performance

BUSINESS BUYS INFLUENCE l With employees no long a source of campaigning contributions, politicians turned to wealthy business owners. The alliance between government and big business became stronger than ever.

Partner Question, Chapter 7, Section 3 l Reread the quotation from James Pendergast on page 268. Explain whether you agree or disagree that machine politicians did not coerce people. l How were politicians like Boss Tweed similar to industrial magnates like Carnegie and Rockefeller?

POLITICS IN THE GILDED AGE Chapter 7, Section 3