Boss Tweed Arrested: End of Tammany Hall Corruption
William 'Boss' Tweed escaped from Ludlow Street Jail in New York on December 4, 1875, and fled to Cuba and then Spain. Spanish authorities recognized him from Thomas Nast's Harper's Weekly cartoons and arrested him in Vigo. Tweed, as head of Tammany Hall, had stolen an estimated $30 to $200 million from New York City through rigged construction contracts, padded bills, and kickback schemes. The Tweed Ring collected percentages on every city expenditure. The new courthouse they built cost $13 million when it should have cost $250,000. Nast's caricatures, which depicted Tweed as a bloated vulture feeding on the city, turned public opinion against him when newspaper articles alone had failed. Tweed was returned to New York, convicted, and died in prison on April 12, 1878. He reportedly said 'I don't think they'll be able to forget me.'
December 4, 1875
151 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on December 4
A Roman officer discovers his daughter has converted to Christianity. He locks her in a tower. She escapes, gets baptized, returns. He drags her before the pref…
Carloman was 20 when he died. His widow fled immediately to Italy with their sons — she knew what was coming. Charlemagne absorbed his brother's kingdom before …
Emperor Otto I forced the election of the lay official Leo VIII to the papacy, asserting imperial control over the Roman Church. This move deposed the incumbent…
The Crusaders starved Sidon for 47 days. No relief came from Egypt. No help arrived from Damascus. The city's Muslim governor finally opened the gates on Decemb…
King Baldwin I of Jerusalem captured the coastal city of Sidon with the support of a Norwegian fleet led by King Sigurd the Crusader. This victory secured a vit…
Baldwin I of Jerusalem and Sigurd the Crusader of Norway seize Sidon, securing a vital coastal foothold that expands Frankish control along the Levantine shore.…
Talk to History
Have a conversation with historical figures who witnessed this era. Ask questions, explore perspectives, and bring history to life.