William M Tweed

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William Magear Tweed (April 3, 1823 – April 12, 1878) – often erroneously referred to as "William Marcy Tweed" (see below), and widely known as "Boss" Tweed – was an American politician most notable for being the "boss" of Tammany Hall, the Democratic Party political machine that played a major role in the politics of 19th century New York City and State.

At the height of his influence, Tweed was the third-largest landowner in New York City, a director of the Erie Railroad, a director of the Tenth National Bank, a director of the New-York Printing Company, proprietor of the Metropolitan Hotel, a significant stockholder in iron mines and gas companies, a board member of the Harlem Gas Light Company, a board member of the Third Avenue Railway Company, a board member of the Brooklyn Bridge Company, and the president of the Guardian Savings Bank.Tweed was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1852 and the New York County Board of Supervisors in 1858, the year he became the head of the Tammany Hall political machine.

He was also elected to the New York State Senate in 1867, but Tweed's greatest influence came from being an appointed member of a number of boards and commissions, his control over political patronage in New York City through Tammany, and his ability to ensure the loyalty of voters through jobs he could create and dispense on city-related projects. Tweed was convicted for stealing an amount estimated by an aldermen's committee in 1877 at between $25 million and $45 million from New York City taxpayers through political corruption, although later estimates ranged as high as $200 million.

Unable to make bail, he escaped from jail once, but was returned to custody.

He died in the Ludlow Street Jail.

Early life and education

Tweed was born April 3, 1823, at 1 Cherry Street, on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The son of a third-generation Scottish chair-maker, Tweed grew up on Cherry Street. His grandfather arrived in the United States from a town near the River Tweed close to Edinburgh. Tweed's religious affiliation was not widely known in his lifetime, but at the time of his funeral The New York Times, quoting a family friend, reported that his parents had been Quakers and "members of the old Rose Street Meeting house". At the age of 11, he left school to learn his father's trade, and then became an apprentice to a saddler. He also studied to be a bookkeeper and worked as a brushmaker for a company he had invested in, before eventually joining in the family business in 1852. On September 29, 1844, he married Mary Jane C. Skaden and lived with her family on Madison Street for two years.

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Early career

Tweed joined the Odd Fellows and Masons as a member of Engine No. 1, a volunteer fire organisation. 12. The Americus Fire Company No. was formed in 1848 by state assemblyman John J. Reilly, who invited him. The "Big Six," a volunteer fire group that adopted a snarling red Bengal tiger from a French lithograph, was associated with Tweed and Tammany Hall for many years. Volunteer fire organisations competed vigorously with each other at the time; some were affiliated with street gangs and had strong ties to various immigrant groups; others were connected with street gangs and had strong ethnic links to many immigrant groups. If the fire companies battled each other, the competition might have become so fierce that burning buildings would often be ignored. Tweed was first known for his ax-wielding brutality, and he was voted Big Six foreman shortly. Alfred Carlson, the chief engineer, was ordered to be kicked out of the team due to pressure from him. However, firefighters were also recruiting grounds for political causes at the time, so Tweed's exploits attracted the attention of the Democratic politicians who ran the Seventh Ward. In 1850, the Seventh Ward escorted him to Alderman, who was 26 years old. He lost the election to Whig candidate Morgan Morgans but won again this year, gaining his first political position. Tweed's name was later identified with the "Forty Thieves," a group of aldermen and assistant aldermen who, up to that point, were among the city's most corrupt politicians.

Tweed was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1852, but his two-year term was undidentious. The control of the New York County Board of Supervisors was increased in a bid by Republican reformers in Albany, the state capital, to control the Democratic-controlled New York City government. The board had 12 members, six named by the mayor and six elected, and Tweed was named to the board in 1858, which became his first instrument for large-scale graft; Tweed and other administrators were compelled to pay a 15% overcharge to their "ring" in order to do business in the area. Tweed was running the seventh ward for Tammany by 1853. Six Democrats and six Republicans were also on the board, but Tweed would often sway the board by buying one Republican. Peter P. Voorhis, a coal dealer by trade who excused himself from a board meeting in exchange for $2,500 so that the board could choose city inspectors, was one of the board's most popular Republican board members. Henry Smith was also a member of the Tweed party.

Despite the fact that he was not prepared as a lawyer, Tweed's mentor, Judge George G. Barnard, licensed him as an advocate, and Tweed opened a law office on Duane Street. He ran for sheriff in 1861 but was disqualified shortly after, but shortly after, he was elected chairman of the Democratic General Committee and was later appointed to chair Tammany's general committee in January 1863. Several months later, in April, he became "Grand Sachem" and began to be referred to as "Boss," particularly after he tightened his grip on office by establishing a small executive committee to run the club. Tweed began to overcharge the city government for their products and services, using his law firm to extort funds; he later revealed it as legal services; he had himself named deputy street commissioner; and the city's stationery supplier, the Manufacturing Stationers' Company; and then the city government began to overcharge the city government for their commodities and services; 17–32 He accepted almost $100,000 from the Erie Railroad in exchange for favors in lieu of other court works. He has also become one of the city's top real estate investors. George G. Barnard was elected Recorder of New York City by his peers, and Richard B. Connolly was elected City Comptroller. Albert Cardozo, John McCunn, and John K. Hackett were among the other judicial members of the Tweed family.

Fowler's arrest was traced to Isaiah Rynders, another Tammany operative who was serving as a US marshal at the time, when Grand Sachem Isaac Fowler, who had paid the $2,500 to buy off the Republican Voorhis on the Board of Supervisors. Upon arrival at the hotel where Fowler was staying, Rynders made enough ruckus that they were able to flee to Mexico.

With his new role and wealth came a change in style: Tweed began to wear a large diamond in his shirtfront, a feature that Thomas Nast used to great effect in his Tweed assaults, as well as in Harper's Weekly beginning in 1869, when he purchased a brownstone in 41 West 36th Street, then a fashionable area. He invested his now substantial illicit wealth in real estate, so that by the late 1860s, he ranked as one of New York City's most prominent landowners.

In the early 1900s, Tweed became interested in the operation of the New York Mutuals, a pioneering baseball club. He brought in thousands of dollars per home game by dramatically raising the cost of admission and gambling on the team. He has been credited with inventing spring training in 1869 by the club's transfer to New Orleans to prepare for the season.

Tweed served in the New York State Legislature from 1868 to 1873, serving in the 91st, 93rd, and 94th New York State Legislatures, but not in the 95th and 96th New York State Legislatures. He divided his time between Albany, New York, and New York City while in the state Senate. He lived in a seven-room suite in Delevan House while in Albany. His favorite canaries were accompanied in his rooms. Guests were rumored to have included members of the Black Horse Cavalry, thirty state legislators, whose votes were up for auction. In the Senate, he enabled financiers Jay Gould and Big Jim Fisk to take control of Cornelius Vanderbilt's Erie railroad by lobbying for legislation that recognized fake Erie stock certificates that Gould and Fisk had issued. Tweed was made a director of the organization after receiving a large block of stock in return.

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