William Magear Tweed: The Boss
Introduction:
The political machine system, also known as the “boss” system, was dominant during the late 19th century, and is still present today. These political machines were able to wield an enormous amount of power, in some cases even reaching the national level. However, most bosses were content to control their local domain through various tactics and methods, including corruption. Yet, despite all of this, one of the “bosses,” stood out among the rest. Saying, “I don’t care who does the electing, so long as I get to do the nominating,” and “As long as I count the votes, what are you going to do about it,” Boss Tweed was notorious. William Magear Tweed controlled Tammany Hall of New York, and would become the most caricatured and infamous “boss” in American history.
Early Political History:
William Magear Tweed, soon to be known as Boss Tweed, was elected to his first government position in 1851. In 1852, he was elected to Congress, and in 1856, he managed to consolidate his position in Tammany Hall. Tammany Hall was an executive committee under the Democratic Party in New York, and would be influential and a necessity in Boss Tweed’s domination. Through his numerous political offices, the boss was able to place his friends in important offices, creating the legendary Tweed Ring. In 1860, Tweed wielded an immense amount of power, then being the head of Tammany Hall, thereby controlling the party’s city nominations. He was able to place friends and other individuals in vast positions of power, such as in the Senate and House of Representatives. Tweed was later able to control the entire government of New York, creating a cycle of money flowing directly to him. Recall that bosses used their influence to get into positions of political power, use that political power to gain inside secrets and other valuable knowledge, eventually extorting it for financial gain, all being distributed back to the boss and politicians, creating a vicious cycle. Boss Tweed used this system, with minor changes, and instead of focusing on insider information, he funneled through the city legislature numerous overpriced bids, all leading to the city overcompensating him drastically.
Conclusion:
Despite the tremendous power and influence Tweed had over New York, he was eventually arrested, and the movement to take him down became a key focus of many reformers. He eventually died in prison, but served as a symbol to all as the epitome of the political machine system. Boss Tweed was able to receive amounts ranging from 30-200 million dollars from New York through his illegal methods, and was able to avoid prison time for a ridiculously long period of time. It is also important to note that the boss, despite only reaching power through illegal means, is still regarded as an “American politician” today.
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This is a very good post. I find the Boss System fascinating as it highlights a point in American history where the moral path is not totally clear. Although Tweed scammed many citizens while earning millions, the system did help many immigrants and lower class people find jobs and homes. For Tweed though, it seems that his pride was his own undoing as after boasting far too often he was bound to be caught.
ReplyDeleteThis post is very interesting because it looks into the way that the "The Boss" rose to power and was able to maintain it in his favor. Especially since he received 30-200 million dollars from it.
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