Boss Tweed Significance Us History

Boss tweed april 3 1823 april 12 1878 was an american politician who as the leader of the political organization tammany hall controlled new york city politics in the years following the civil war.
Boss tweed significance us history. Tweed ran an organization that helped immigrants in neighborhoods most notably the irish and rose in politics as his society expanded. In 1858 he rose to the head of tammany hall the central organization of the democratic party in new york and was later elected to the new york state senate in 1867. William tweed aka boss tweed was a powerful political figure in the mid 19th century whose corruption made him famous in nyc. Boss tweed american politician who with his tweed ring cronies systematically plundered new york city of sums estimated at between 30 million and 200 million.
He was finally exposed by the new york times by the satiric cartoons of thomas nast and by the efforts of reform lawyer samuel j. Boss tweed served time for forgery and larceny and other charges but in 1875 escaped from prison and traveled to cuba and spain. Boss tweed was born william magear tweed on april 3 1823 on the lower east side of manhattan. Tweed married mary jane skaden in 1844 and in 1848 he organized a volunteer fire company.
He was elected to the u s. House of representatives in 1853. Tweed leveraged his power as a landowner and corporate board member to extend his influence throughout the city.