Thomas Nast was an extremely popular political cartoonist who crusaded in the reform of New York politics by making the political corruptions of Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall public and widely known. Thomas Nast's “Tammany Tiger” is among his most famous political cartoons. In this cartoon, Nast presents the Tammany Hall political machine in the form of a powerful tiger. The cartoon’s caption reads, “The Tammany Tiger Loose—‘What are you going to do about it?’” The tiger is let loose in an arena of sorts where a woman is being held down. The women’s fallen off helmet is labelled “Republic” and lies alongside her broken shield labeled “Ballot” and a broken sword labeled “Law.” This women is known as Columbia and is a symbol of the American Republic. …show more content…
Boss Tweed, the largest vulture, is shown standing on the body of a dead man with “New York” written on his sleeve. This is to illustrate how Boss Tweed and his friends are feeding on the city of New York, not helping it. The vultures are in a nest, surrounded by bones labelled law, justice, liberty, the New York City treasury, etc. This is to demonstrate how Boss Tweed killed virtues such as law, liberty, and justice through his political corruption. The vultures are also shown to be caught in a storm of lightning and rain that is meant to represent the accusation of political corruption by New York newspapers and reformers that Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall were dealing with during this time period. The cartoon’s caption reads, “A Group of Vultures Waiting for the Storm to ‘Blow Over’ – ‘Let Us Prey.’” This basically implies that Boss Tweed and the others are patiently waiting for the storm of accusations and criticism to pass or blow over, like a storm, so that they might continue being vultures and corrupting the …show more content…
They corrupted the New York government and “openly bought votes, encouraged judicial corruption, extracted millions from city contracts, and dominated New York City politics.” (History.com) Thomas Nast brought light to these actions and Boss Tweed and his peers lost the elections of 1871 and were eventually tried (most for “forgery and larceny and other charges”) and sentenced to prison.
Works Cited
Nast, Thomas. “The Tammany Tiger Loose.” https://I.pinimg.com/736x/5d/28/43/5d284313796e9dbc11a83365fa5cc4e8--Tammany-Hall-Political-Cartoons.jpg, Harper's Weekly, Nov. 1871.
Nast, Thomas. “A Group Of Vultures.” http://media.edgenuity.com.education2020.Us/Contentengine/Common//Closereader/SOCIALSTUDIES/3311-02-07/3311-02-07-CR1-001.jpg, Harper's Weekly, 23 Sept. 1871.
.com, History. “‘Boss’ Tweed Delivered to Authorities.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 23 Nov. 1876,
Carcasses attract scavengers. The Guilty Party by O. Henry showcases the untimely death of a girl of twelve, Liz. Above Chrystie Street on the east side, a strange bird stalks the children of the playground. Although people say it’s a stork, locals call it a vulture. In this case, Liz is the carcass that the vulture sets its eyes on.
Individuals like Boss Tweed seized and controlled entire cities. William M. Tweed was a politician who controlled New York City's political network through illegal subsidization for political support and affiliation with city gangs. From his headquarters at Tammany Hall and his position in the United States House of Representatives, he was able to orchestrate elections, cultivate support, and establish the New York County Courthouse, funded by the profits of the Tweed Ring (“William Magear Tweed”) . His accomplishments were made possible by the chaotic shambling of desperate people who had no choice but to submit to his demands, in hopes of alleviating themselves from their dire circumstances. Tweed was only one of many corrupt political figures who used their power and influence to accumulate wealth, and vice versa. By the mid 20th century, the scale and prominence of corruption had increased dramatically, due to the widespread transition to vast urban cities and industrialized systems. The greed and desperation that resulted from the shift towards industrialism accelerated the growth of corruption in
With this power came leniency for the men and Tweed began to use this power to gain personal wealth. Tweed accomplished this when he made business for the city. For example, “Tweed allowed the contractors to overcharge the city for their work as long as the suppliers ‘kicked back’ a portion of their illicit profits to him” (Anbinder, 2010), as well as Hall, Sweeny, and Connolly. Tweed and these men were nicknamed the Tweed ring, known for their illicit acts against the city (Hirsch, 1945, p.
The Robber Barons, as they were called, were the kings of American Industry and American Society during the late 1800's and early 1900's. Rich beyond the average man's wildest dreams, these industrialists were often criticized for their philosophies and their ways of making money. Robber Barons can also be viewed as immoral, greedy, and corrupt, and the evidence to support such a view is not difficult to find. Bribery, illegal business practices, and cruelty to workers were not uncommon in this period, and many of the most respected industrialists were also the most feared and hated.
George Washington Plunkitt worked his way as a young boy in the New York city politics to become one of the most well know statesman that city has ever now. As a young boy, he became an “apprenticeship of the business “(RIORDON, Chapter, 1) of politics by “working around the district headquarters and hustling about the polls on Election Day” (RIORDON, Chapter, 1). He steadily built a following and became very clever in the political game. Plunkitt had definite idea’s as to what characteristics where needed to thrive in the political arena. If one understood that there could be personal benefits in being in politics, then one could succeed greatly, he was fond of the saying “I seen my opportunities and I took ‘en” (RIORDON, Chapter, 1). In order to make it in the political game, one must distinguish between an honest graft and a dishonest graft. Plunkitt idea’s of an honest graft was to basically find opportunities and take action on them before someone else could benefit from them. While working in city government, Plunkitt used his position to benefit himself and his friend, for example, he would “go to that place and I buy up all the land I can in the neighborhood. Then the board of this or that makes its plan public, and there is a rush to get my land, which nobody cared, particular for before. Ain’t it perfectly honest to charge a good price and make a profit on my investment and foresight? Of course, it is. Well, that’s honest graft. Or supposin’ it’s a new bridge they’re goin’ to build. I get tipped off and I buy, as much property as I can that has to be taken for approaches. I sell at my own price later on and drop some more money in the bank. Wouldn’t you? It’s just like lookin’ ahead in Wall Street or in the cof...
The book Plunkitt of Tammany Hall is not only a monument to George W. Plunkitt's 40 plus years as a senator, it is also a monument to his enormous ego. G. W. Plunkitt was a well-liked man among his supporters and Tammany men alike. He had opposition from reformers who accused Tammany Hall of illegal activities involving graft. But, according to Plunkitt he never engaged in, "blackmailin', gamblin' or disorderly people." He said that "the politician that steals is worse than a thief. He is a fool." Plunkitt made a fortune in politics, and he did it all through honest graft. He says that even if his worst enemy wrote his epitaph that he could not do more than write: "George W. Plunkitt. He Seen His Opportunities and He Took 'Em."
But the other men, who were like hook-clawed, beak-bent vultures,/ descending from the mountains to pounce upon the lesser birds;/ and these on the plain, shrinking away from the clouds, speed off,/ but the vultures plunge on them and destroy them, nor is there any/ defense, nor any escape, and men are glad for the hunting;/ so these men, sweeping about the palace, struck down/ the suitors, one man after another; the floor was smoking/ with blood, and the horrible cries rose up as their heads were broken.
In Upton Sinclair’s novel “The Jungle” the use of animalistic terms and connotations in the depictions of both the people and the politics created persuasive arguments for socialism and against capitalism.
Debbs was arrested for breaking the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, but formed the Industrial Workers of the World Union (IWW) in jail. Most of the political power was in the hands of the businessmen as they had the money to donate to the campaigns of politicians. The federal government is essentially a tool for the wealthy. One instance of political corruption happened with the election of William Andrews Clark.
enough votes to maintain control over the community. Political machines were able to restructure the city governments; they also resulted in poorer services, corruption and aggravation of the immigrants and minorities. ("Encyclopedia of American History") He was able to infiltrate Tammany Hall and bribe or smooth-talk any government official that stood in his way. Famously, Tweed is known for the construction of the New York Courthouse. It wasn't until the New York Times wrote an exposé on Boss Tweed that his grafting became publicly known and finally consequences caught up with his actions.
"Boss" Tweed of Tammany Hall ran New York in the 1860s and early 1870s and some of his feats of swindling helps explain how the machine system works. It mostly centers around the, then new, county courthouse. The building of the courthouse was initially estimated to cost $250,000, but ended up costing well over $13,000,000. Inclu...
Following the years of Congressional Reconstruction during the Johnson administration, former Union General Ulysses S. Grant was elected president, despite his lack of political experience. Although Grant was an excellent soldier, he proved to be an insufficient politician, failing to respond effectively to rampant corruption throughout his two terms in office. Both government and businesses were plagued by corrupt schemes, as Republican leaders used the spoils system to gain political favors and “robber barons,” such as Jay Gould and James Fisk, stole large sums of money at the public’s expense. New York Mayor William “Boss” Tweed, leader of the “Tammany Hall” political machine, took advantage of the influx of immigrants to the United States by manipulating newly arrived immigrants, promising employment, housing, and other favors in return for their electoral support. This blatant corruption severely damaged the opinions of many Americans regarding their government, and prompted the election of numerous reform-minded politicians. Rutherford B. Hayes and James Garfield both attempted to restore honest government following the tainted Grant administration, yet political divisions between the “Halfbreed” and “Stalwart” factions of the Republican Party prev...
want, if you can hit'em but remember it's a sign to kill a. Mockingbird. Harper Lee uses symbolism implicitly to liken mocking. birds to certain characters and explicit references to describe the atmosphere created by events throughout the book. == ==
The book Plunkitt of Tammany Hall is not only a monument to George W. Plunkitt's 40 plus years as a senator, it is also a monument to his enormous ego. G. W. Plunkitt was a well-liked man among his supporters and Tammany men alike. He had opposition from reformers who accused Tammany Hall of illegal activities involving graft. But, according to Plunkitt he never engaged in, "blackmailin', gamblin' or disorderly people." He said that "the politician that steals is worse than a thief. He is a fool." Plunkitt made a fortune in politics, and he did it all through honest graft. He says that even if his worst enemy wrote his epitaph that he could not do more than write: "George W. Plunkitt. He Seen His Opportunities and He Took 'Em."
Damiao seems to be a cut and dried main character, but he is riddled with mystery. He must make crucial choices, but still remains a cowardly character. Damiao’s personality, relationship, and choice play a big part in defining him. Throughout the story, Damiao demonstrates many qualities of his personality, but they do not show him changing in anyway. He tends to have plenty of negative qualities from being powerless, cowardly, and a potential manipulator.