The Tiger: The Rise And Fall Of Tammany Hall - Hardcover

Allen, Oliver E.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 020162463X ISBN 13: 9780201624632

Publisher: Da Capo Press, 1993

Synopsis

The first complete history of America's most bizarre and longest-running political act. Stories of chicanery and finagling and rigged elections abound in this look at a bygone era in American politics.

About this title

About the Author

A former editor and writer for Time-Life Books, Oliver E. Allen is the author of more than a dozen books on subjects ranging from horticulture to history. He lives in New York City.

Reviews

The Tammany Society, named after a legendary Native American chief, was formed in 1789 to resist an aristocratic political system. In a painstakingly researched study, Allen ( New York, New York: A History of the World's Most Exhilarating City ) traces the 150-year history of Tammany, detailing its evolution from a national organization to a New York City political machine. Tammany's long identification with the Democratic party began in 1817, when Irish immigrants won the right to membership. Associated with graft and violence early on, Tammany's corruption reached a peak during the 1860s when, under "Boss" Tweed's leadership, Tammany fixed elections, sold judgeships and stole $30 million in public funds. Because Tammany reached out to the poor and provided jobs, it was able to ride out scandal until the reform movement of the 1960s ended its long reign. This is a strong contribution to urban studies. Illustrations.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

For nearly two centuries, Tammany Hall exercised political and economic dominion over New York City. Allen traces the roots of this legendary organization to the Tammany Society, a benevolent social club formed in the late eighteenth century. When its focus became politicized during the course of the nineteenth century, venal Tammany bosses were able to exploit a seemingly ceaseless stream of immigrants, exchanging assistance for votes. Eventually, Tammany virtually controlled both the electoral process and the police force, enabling corrupt politicians to establish profitable links with both illegal enterprises and legitimate businesses. Although Tammany's fortunes and influence waned in the twentieth century, its legacy as the prototype of modern machine politics endures. A detailed historical survey and a fascinating examination of a peculiarly American institution. Margaret Flanagan

"When Tammany Hall finally perished, much that was bad went with it. But something was lost, too, and it will be missed." So reads the insipid conclusion of Allen's book, a history of America's most notorious political machine. Formerly a writer for Time-Life Books, Allen tells an old-fashioned story of colorful personalities, sordid scandals, and smoke-filled rooms. Political issues slip by unexamined, and Tammany's economic base is barely considered. Still, unlike his sources, Allen fits the hall's entire history from 1786 to 1961 into a brisk and entertaining volume. Readers may turn to better, if less complete, accounts, for comparison: Morris R. Werner's savagely funny Tammany Hall (1932) and Warren Moscow's The Last of the Big Time Bosses (1971). Recommended for public libraries.
- Gregory Gilmartin, New York
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Da Capo Press
• Publication date: 1993
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 020162463X
• ISBN 13: 9780201624632
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 336