Mrs. Ruland's U.S. History Class Project
Political Bosses and Their Effects on Cities
Political machines were created during the late 19th century so that the party boss could gain power by exploiting the large influx of immigrants that were arriving in the United States. These political machines took hold in several major cities and were a major point on the 'list' of items that reformers tried to tackle during the Progressive Era.
This webliography includes links to websites about political machines, how they work, specific political machines and bosses, and what happened to these machines while they existed mainly during the late-1800s to early-1900s. Political machines were created during that time period so that the party boss could gain power by exploiting the large influx of immigrants that were arriving in the United States.
"Boss Tweed" and the Tammany Hall Machine
This site contains information about Party Boss William Tweed and Tammany Hall. This site was created by a teacher at the University of Albany in New York for his students. Since the information was created by a teacher for educational purposes, it is most likely accurate.
Digital History: Urban Political Machines
This site includes information, quotes, data, and questions about political machines. The site was created by a collaboration of several groups, including the University of Houston, the Chicago Historical Society, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, the Museum of Fine Arts (Houston), American Voices, the National Park Service, and the Teachers as Historians group. All these groups created the site for educational purposes, and the groups are reliable, so the information is reliable as well.
The Handbook of Texas Online: Boss Rule
This website includes general information about political machines and information on specific machines in the Texas area from the late-1800s to the early-1900s. It was created by the General Libraries at the University of Texas and the Texas State Historical Association. Although the information is limited to one specific area, it was created for educational reasons and is reliable.
The Social Studies Help Center: Political Machines
This website contains quotes and information regarding political machines, how they work, and Tammany Hall's defeat. It also includes links to other sites and some of Thomas Nast's famous political cartoons. This site was created for educational purposes, although it is difficult to find the author so the information is mostly reliable, but should probably be double-checked against another source.
Political Bosses and Machines in the U.S.
This website includes images, information, and links of a variety of political bosses from all across the U.S. The site was created by the San Jose State University for educational reasons so the information is most likely accurate and reliable.
Immigrants & Big City Machine Politics
This website describes how political machines work and interact with immigrants. This site was created by a teacher at the University of Albany in New York for his students. Since the information was created by a teacher for educational purposes, it is most likely accurate.
BoondockNet.com: Political Cartoons of Thomas Nast
This site includes background information about Thomas Nast and some of Nast's political cartoons, some of which are related to the Tammany Hall political machine and some that are related to other events in American history. This site was edited by Jim Zwick, an American Studies scholar, who creates educational websites. The information is most likely reliable.
Created by: Daniel Z.
Last updated March 28, 2007
© Marcella Ruland 1998-2011, All rights reserved
