How did William "Boss" Tweed gain power in the Tammany Hall machine of New York City? How did he operate and what ultimately led to his downfall?

Question

Answer:

Answer 1

An ideal answer will:
1. Define Tammany Hall as the powerful political machine in New York City that used patronage and bribery to maintain control of the city administration.
2. Discuss how William Tweed had previous political experience (Congressman, alderman) before he decided the real political power was in Tammany.
3. Discuss how Tweed used Tammany to get his close friend, Abraham Oakley, elected as mayor of New York and then began corruptive practices, such as massive city projects (courthouse, Riverside Park) that billed the city at a higher rate than it cost to construct the projects. Tweed robbed the city of millions of dollars, while giving jobs to the poor who agreed to vote for the Tammany machine on Election Day.
4. Provide examples of corruptive practices, including ensuring all loyal voters got jobs, even if it meant hiring 20 inspectors for four pumps or hiring hundreds of workers to keep the parks clean.
5. Provide examples of charitable work done by Tweed, including helping families through rough economic patches, providing food baskets at the holidays and getting city officials to drop charges when someone was arrested.
6. Discuss how cartoonist Thomas Nast attacked Tweed, which led to a public backlash and the eventual arrest and conviction of Tweed, who died in prison in 1878.
7. Write a concise and effective conclusion that examines the life of Boss Tweed.