Tammany Hall was a Democratic political organization founded in the late 1700s in New York City. A friend to immigrants, Tammany Hall was one of the first organizations to support the newly arrived Irish during the famine era of the 1850s. The potato famine led to tens of thousands of Irish fleeing Ireland and settling in NYC. They were often farm laborers who didn’t
have the skills necessary to thrive in the industrial city. Tammany Hall
supported Irish immigrants by providing them with food during the
cold winters, finding them better employment, and funding Catholic
schools. They also made sure that the immigrants were naturalized
swiftly so they could become citizens. In return, Irish immigrants
often voted for the political leaders that Tammany Hall promoted. Tammany Hall became known as a political machine for the way it seemed to run effortlessly 24 hours a day.
Tammany Hall became notorious in the 1870s because of the corruption and graft of its leaders, particularly William “Boss” Tweed. He became the head of Tammany Hall and took control of the city budget away from the NY state. With Tweed and Tammany Hall in control,
they would make financial decisions for the city that often were at the
expense of the taxpayers. Essentially, Tammany Hall would take on projects
to improve the city. These projects might involve building a bridge, repairing
roads, or adding on a wing to a building. Tweed would set the price for the
improvement. Most often these prices would be set way above what the
improvements actually cost. Taxpayers would pay the bill, and then Tweed
and the fellow members of the “Tweed ring” would pocket half the money.
This was called graft. Tammany Hall was also known for “fixing” elections if
the results didn’t go their way to make sure the people they chose were
elected.
Tweed’s crimes were brought to light when several city papers - including the New York Times and Harper’s - investigated Tweed’s actions and published a report detailing his crimes. He was also harshly criticized in a series of cartoons drawn by Thomas Nast.
Tweed was arrested, and although he tried to flee to Cuba
and Spain, he was eventually brought to justice and he died in
prison.
Although Tweed was not the sole source of the corruption,
without him at the helm, Tammany Hall transformed itself into
more of an upstanding organization. They broadened their
support to help immigrants of many different ethnicities. They
also were behind many of the regulatory laws passed after the
Triangle Shirtwaist fire.
Name _______________________________�Mr. Larsen Social Studies Period ______
DIRECTIONS: Read the following and answer the questions on the back side of this page
Graft - This means to gain an advantage through the unfair use of political power or influence. Typically this involved funds meant for public use stolen by private individuals.
Naturalization - This refers to the process of allowing a foreigner to become a citizen of a country.
This cartoon was drawn by a critic of Boss Tweed named Thomas Nast.
The “BRAINS”
Name _______________________________ Period ______
____ 1. Tammany Hall supported Irish immigrants in many ways. Which of the following sentences best describes their support?
A. They helped Irish immigrants to vote.
B. They helped fund Irish travel to the Americas after the famine.
C. They provided the Irish with food, job support, and school funding.
D. They encouraged the Irish to settle outside of the city.
____ 2. Tammany Hall was associated with which political group of the time?
A. The Democrats
B. The Republicans
C. The Populists
D. The Whigs
____ 3. What of the following would be an example of graft?
A. A person not paying their taxes
B. Theft of a horse
C. Murder
D. Overcharging the government for the building of a new sewer lines.
DIRECTIONS: Answer the following questions based on the reading on the previous page.
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4. Tammany Hall participated in many forms of corruption. Describe their crimes below.
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5. Look at the cartoon on the previous page. Is this cartoon portraying Boss Tweed in a positive or negative way?
6. How can you tell?
2. Answer the following question by using evidence from the previous page to justify your reasoning.
Q. Is Boss Tweed better described as a public servant or a criminal? Why?
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Name _______________________________ Period ______
“The Tammany Tiger Loose,” Thomas Nast, 1871
This cartoon was drawn by a critic of Boss Tweed named Thomas Nast.
The Crown says “Republic”
The sword says “Power”
The paper says “law”
A smashed ballot box
3. How is this cartoon criticizing Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall? How do you know?
4. Was this a fair depiction of Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall? Why or why not?
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_____Complete - Work provided above demonstrates student’s thoughtful assessment of the information.
_____Incomplete - Student provided some evidence of thinking, but the information provided was not complete, or answers were incorrect.
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