Unofficial political organization based on patronage and the spoils system

Rely on voter loyalty through bribes and favorsPreyed on the immigrants (provided

jobs, food and housing) in exchange for votes on election day

Existed in large cities like NYCControlled by a “boss”Seen as corrupt for their unethical and

often illegal practices

The most notorious political machine

Democrats that controlled New York City politics for decades

Under the control of William Marcy Tweed or “Boss Tweed”

Relied/preyed on the Irish immigrants

Supporters would vote several times in one day…illegal

Obtaining money dishonestly by exploiting political power

Form of political corruption

A form of reward for being corrupt

Tammany Hall collected between $75-$200 million in graft

Example: Buying land that will be

zoned for commercial use , before this is publicly known, and then selling it for a significant profit

Who Stole the People’s Money? T 'Was Him

(Tweed)!

Well known example of graftUS Congressmen bought land that

would be used for the Transcontinental Railroad then sold the land for an outrageous profit

$72 million in contracts had been given to Credit Mobilier for building a rail only worth $53 million. Union Pacific and other investors were left nearly bankrupt.

Plagued Grant’s 2nd administration like the Whiskey Ring plagued his 1st administration

Many believed that the spoils system (patronage) made government inefficient – people are not qualifiedStart to promote a civil service system in which jobs

are given based on expertise Others believed that the removal of spoils system

would ruin their partyAfter President Garfield was assassinated by Charles

Guiteau because he thought he deserved a government job many people change their mind

Ended the spoils system (patronage) by establishing a Civil Service Commission that wrote a civil service exam

If people wanted a government job they had to do well on the exam

Created a civil service system in which government employees were qualified to do their jobs, not because they were loyal to a political party

Cartoonist like Joseph Kepler and Thomas

Nast exposed

the corruptions

in governmen

t and machine politics.