Thomas Nast Boss Tweed Political Cartoons

Harper s weekly september 30 1871.

Thomas nast boss tweed political cartoons. But a prominent political cartoonist thomas nast of harper s weekly also played a vital role in keeping the public focused on the misdeeds of tweed and the ring. The first american master of the political cartoon an illustrator named thomas nast used his work to shed light on the corruption that ran rampant in tammany hall in new york city. Besides his scathing political attacks nast is also largely responsible for our modern depiction of santa claus. Known today as the father of american political cartoons thomas nast gained fame for harper s magazine in the 1860s and 1870s.

September 1868 nast cartoon this is a white man s government. Say the cartoon depicts boss tweed william magear tweed leaning against a plinth marked in counting there is strength on which stands a ballot. As long as i count the votes what are you going to do about it. The american river ganges a cartoon by thomas nast showing bishops attacking public schools with connivance of boss tweed.

All told boss tweed and his associates stole roughly 3 5 billion in today s dollars. The tammany ring run by a man named william boss tweed bribed officials rigged elections and stole money from city coffers. Thomas nast is considered the father of modern political cartoons and his satirical drawings are often credited with bringing down boss tweed the notoriously corrupt leader of the new york city political machine in the 1870s. Today he is best remembered for his cartoons about boss tweed and the tammany ring.