Political Developments: Corruption in US Politics Flashcards
What might be a speaking issue with Immigrants to America?
They may not speak English
What would all immigrants need to find when they got to America? (Name 3 things)
Somewhere to live, Money, Clean water
Who was the first person to start helping Immigrants? What did they do to help them?
William Tweed helped them find a job and somewhere to live.
How were Tweed and many others referred to as?
“Bosses”
How did bosses exploit immigrants?
They used them to gain more votes to gain political power
What would the bosses do once they gained political power? How would they do this?
They would take lots of money by rising the price of building projects heavily and steal the extra money.
Where did William Tweed gain political power?
New York
What levels of government was the corruption happening in?
Local governments, State Governments, Federal Government
What is Patronage?
The process of giving people who support you heavy money or governmental roles
What did Tweed do once he gained political power for his supporters?
He gave them money or governmental roles
What was a limitation of Tweed giving his supporters governmental roles?
They were likely to have no experience in that role.
What was overall significant about William Tweed?
Although he was corrupt, he heavily helped the development of New York
How much money did Tweed steal from corruption?
$45 million
What was the scale of the amount of land Tweed owned in New York due to his corruption?
He became the 3rd largest land owner in America
What institutions did Tweed control in New York? (Name 3)
Courts, Police Force, Elections
What was Tweeds circle of corruption known as?
The Tweed Ring
What is a Political Party Machine?
A form of political party in the gilded age known for its corruption
What group did the Political party machines favour? What group did they not favour?
They favoured immigrants to America over the established USA population
Why did the Political Party Machines favour immigrants?
Because they could guarantee that immigrants would vote for them
What would supporters of Political Party Machines get in return for supporting the parties?
They would get money or governmental roles
What did Stalwarts believe?
They were in favour of the Political Party Machines
Who were Mugwumps?
People who attempted to fight against Political Party Machines as much as possible
Why was support for Reconstruction waning by 1875 in terms of political power?
Many people did not have the political power to keep enforcing radical reconstruction
What did Liberal Republicans not like about Reconstruction by the mid 1870’s?
They did not like the idea that Reconstruction could only be enforced in the South through military intervention which the South opposed
What did the 1872 Amnesty Act do?
Allowed for many Ex-Confederate members to regain political positions
What happened in March 1876 showing an end to Reconstruction?
Two rulings in the Supreme Court went in favour of the South and not federal laws
What economic issue happened which weakened Grant’s position?
Stock Market Panic of 1873
What was Grant distracted by during his Presidency? What year?
Native Americans attempting to start a war in 1874 in the Red River
What scandal happened in 1869?
Black Friday Scandal
What was the Black Friday Scandal?
It exposed the fact that 2 men were attempting to gain control of all gold in New York
How was Grant impacted by the Black Friday Scandal?
Grant’s brother-in-law had connections with the 2 men who were attempting to gain control of all gold in New York
What scandal drew attention to the Tweed Ring?
The New York Custom House Ring
What happened with Grant’s personal secretary resulting to corruption?
They were caught accepting bribes from the Whiskey ring
How had the scandals all impacted Grant by 1877? What did he hope to do?
He lost the 1877 election, which he hoped to win
What happened within the federal government in terms of support for Grant?
The Liberal Republicans deserted Grant and the Republicans overall became divided
