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Political Bosses
In politics, a boss is a person who controls a unit of a political party, although they may not necessarily hold political office. ... Reformers sometimes allege that political bosses are likely guilty of corruption. Bosses may base their power on control of a large number of votes. -
Political machines
To bring order out of the chaos of the nation's cities, many political bosses emerged who did not shrink from corrupt deals if they could increase their power bases. The people and institutions the bosses controlled were called the POLITICAL MACHINE. -
William Boss tweed
In 1868, Tweed became grand sachem (leader) of Tammany Hall and was also elected to the New York State Senate, and in 1870 he and his cronies took control of the city treasury when they passed a new city charter that named them as the board of audit. -
Immigration
Personal politics can at once seem simple and complex. To maintain power, a boss had to keep his constituents happy. Most political bosses appealed to the newest, most desperate part of the growing populace — the immigrants.
