The Rooms Where It Happened: The Rise, Climax, and Fall of New York’s Tammany Hall Political Machine
Open Access
- Author:
- Sanville, Joshua
- Area of Honors:
- Secondary Education
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Dan Letwin, Thesis Supervisor
Scott Metzger, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- American History
New York History
Political Machines
Tammany Hall - Abstract:
- From 1789 to its ultimate dissolution in 1967, the political machine known as Tammany Hall waged a campaign of patronage and control over the Democratic Party in all its many forms. Waxing and waning in power across the years, the legacy of Tammany Hall is the discourse and controversy surrounding not only Tammany but the idea of machine politics. This thesis presents the two prevailing perspectives on Tammany; the opinion that Tammany Hall is a corrupt organization that forever tarnished Democratic politics in the United States, and the view that Tammany served as a type of early social welfare system in an era where the government was reluctant to extend a helping hand. Through the lens of three Presidential elections – 1828, 1872, and 1912 – the eras and historical context around the elections are discussed to identify when Tammany Hall rose to prominence, when it peaked in power, and when it began its fall from grace. Primary research of political cartoons (particularly those from Thomas Nast) and publications indicates a strong anti-Tammany sentiment, especially in the Jacksonian and Progressive Era, with some redeeming opinions of the political machine during the Gilded Age. However, historiographical research presents a much more positive attitude towards Tammany as some historians argue that Tammany Hall provided much-needed support and protection to the most downtrodden in American cities. This thesis does not aim to answer the question of which side of this controversy is correct, but rather present the sheer extent of the debate and discuss the merits and pitfalls of both the arguments surrounding Tammany Hall and of Tammany Hall itself.