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Boss Tweed, New York City, and the Political Machine

Does democracy always foster moral success, or can the systems in place actually help those with devious intentions? To kick off our first episode of season three, Mary, Gary, and Eryn explore these questions by examining the life of Boss Tweed and why the backdrop of Gilded Age New York City was a perfect setup for the corrupt politician to seize power. How did Tweed manipulate each sector of society--from the police to groups of immigrants--to control an entire city?

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Video

Thomas Nast Takes on Boss Tweed | BRIdge from the Past: Art Across U.S. History

12 Min

What is the role of the press in a democratic republic? In this video, Mary and Liz explore another one of Thomas Nast’s political cartoons, “The Tammany Tiger Loose" (1871). This striking image aided in the downfall of the corrupt de facto controller of the New York City Democratic Party, William “Boss” Tweed. Knowing both the positive and negative impact that Tweed had on NYC, do you believe Nast’s depiction of Tweed was fair?