ipl-logo

George Washington Plunkitt

918 Words4 Pages

George Washington Plunkitt was a historically significant politician born in 1842 into a poor family. He initially worked as a butcher, but then followed his dream of entering into politics. He started at the New York state assembly and ultimately ended up as a New York state senator. He held the reins of the Tammany Hall political machine for over 40 years. Tammany Hall is one of the most controversial topics of political history and is the main discussion of the book Honest Graft: The World of George Washington Plunkitt by William L. Riordon. It is a collections of talks and writing of Plunkitt detailing about his life, politics, and general knowledge of the public. Many reformers saw the organization of Tammany Hall as a corrupt malignancy that plagued the American government. But Plunkitt argues that his work was always practical, legal and influential and helped shape the democratic system for the better. And as for his fortune, he simply states, “I seen my opportunities and I took em.” (Riordon) According to the book, becoming a politician is simpler than one would think. Plunkitt repeatedly mentions that one cannot become a successful politician from formal education. “Some young men think they can learn how to be successful in politics from …show more content…

It is apparent that he doesn’t notice the difference between honest and dishonest graft: he compares the Tammany Hall to the Philly Republic gang and puts them into the same category. This goes again with Plunkitt’s quote about the looters only going in for himself. Plunkitt describes the members of the Philadelphia Republican gang as these “looters” who have consequently ruined their political career. Plunkitt considers himself and members of Tammany Hall to be honest by his definition, although some see any form of graft as abuse of the political system, but this was not something Plunkitt thought of

Show More
Related

Analysis Of Honest Graft By Plunkitt

150 Words | 1 Pages

The actual document begins with Plunkitt discussing the difference between honest graft and dishonest graft. He asserts that during this period of time many questions arose involving Tammany men becoming wealthy, while in office. This questioning defeated Tammany in 1901 due to the fact that the New York individuals thought some of the Tammany men were stealing from the city treasury. He argues that, “There’s an honest graft, and I’m an example of how it works. I might sum the whole thing by sayin’: ‘I seen my opportunities and I took ‘em” (49).

Read More

The Life And Death Summary By Mason Locke Weems

1669 Words | 7 Pages

Weems goes on to give a few anecdotes in regards to the beginnings of Washington's character. The first anecdote being a story between George and his father. Washington’s father, Augustin Washington. Mr. Washington and George were out near an apple orchard and George’s father brings up that fact that the year before he asked George to divide an apple with his siblings, and that if he did

Read More

George Washington In Henry Wiencek's An Imperfect God

1241 Words | 5 Pages

In An Imperfect God, Henry Wiencek presents George Washington as a specific case through which to study what he calls the great “paradox” of American history: how a nation founded on the philosophies of liberty and equality also kept human beings in chains. Washington was a slave-owner his entire life and he took the role of managing the slaves who lived and worked at Mount Vernon including their purchase and sale. Prior to the Revolution, Washington “was just another striving young planter, blithely ordering breeding wenches for his slave trade, blithely exiling a man to a likely death at hard labor” (Wiencek 133) The fortune produced by Washington’s slaves kept him in the ranks of Virginia’s planter elite, securing the social and political prestige that helped lead the Second Continental Congress to appoint him commander-in-chief of the Continental Army in 1775.

Read More

Government Of George Washington Plunkitt Of Tammany Hall And Starship Troopers

1485 Words | 6 Pages

He was born to Irish immigrants in New York City in 1842. He ran for office at the early age of twenty-four but was defeated. Two years later, with the help of his friends, he ran again to be elected to his first public office, New York State Assembly. This victory started his forty-year span as a statesman. Plunkitt's disputable strategies for retrieving votes in favor of his party (Tammany Hall) and himself, one may say, were a crest for

Read More

The Farewell, By Joseph J. Ellis

1683 Words | 7 Pages

Ellis thought that Washington feared the possibility of dying while in office, by volunteering stepping down from office he set the model of how the future presidents should leave office. He wanted to quit while he was still well known, to show that presidents were replaceable no matter how well know they are. This Chapter shows Washington is his true kind and responsible nature, Ellis showed Washington during his important moments of leading a country. Ellis message here was how Washington set the terms of how this country should be run. He made sure he didn’t stay for long even though people wanted him too.

Read More

Pivotal Chices In Booker T. Washington's Life

708 Words | 3 Pages

There were many factors that contributed to Washington's growing as a person. But, three pivotal decisions set the course of Booker T. Washington's life. In this essay, we will discuss the tree pivotal choices in Washington's life and how they affected him and the people

Read More

Compare And Contrast Dubois And Booker T Washington

681 Words | 3 Pages

Washington believed in working simple labor jobs and starting from the bottom and progressing up in order to gain the respect necessary to achieve racial equality, Du Bois believed in not submitting to lesser occupations and demanding racial equality. Washington says that the key to prosperity is through learning to dignify common labor. Whereas Du Bois states that “Becoming a gospel of work and money to such an extent as apparently almost completely overshadow the higher aims of life.” “Common Labor” is viewed by Washington as the only way to make progress toward a higher quality life, however, Du Bois views “common labor” as a social setback. Washington’s views can be summed up, almost completely, in the following quote “It is at the bottom of life we must begin, not the top.”

Read More

George Washington's Precedents

427 Words | 2 Pages

President George Washington knew that a lot of his accomplishments would be viewed as precedents. As being the first President, he set numerous precedents, a significant number of which are still being implemented today. He chose to be called Mr. President as opposed to the title of being called a King, he then created the Presidential Cabinet, established the term limit of two terms for Presidency and was first President to create foreign policy. Those who served under the first Presidential Cabinet that was created by George Washington was: • Vice President John Adams • Secretary of State- Thomas Jefferson • Secretary of The Treasury- Alexander Hamilton • Secretary of War-

Read More

The Tweed Ring Scandal

830 Words | 4 Pages

In 1853, he was elected to the House of Representatives. He rose to the head of Tammany Hall and was later elected to the New York Senate in 1867. Tweed used his political position to his own selfish advantage. A scandal, known as the Tweed Ring, originated from his self-centered greed. Tweed gathered other leaders around him.

Read More

George Washington Leaders

415 Words | 2 Pages

Throughout the many periods of history, there have been many great leaders in the United States, such as the presidents and many reformers of movements. These powerful and courageous people led to many changes within the nation that better the country. Great men exist regardless of the time period or region they live in, but history tends to only recognize them and highlight their contributions to society during a time of crisis. However, great men begin as regular men, but they must work their way through a social status rank in order to be deemed as credible. One of the most widely known leaders of the United States is the first president, George Washington who served from 1789 to 1797.

Read More

George Washington Founding Father

434 Words | 2 Pages

The very fact that some of the Founding Fathers had a membership in the freemason fraternity is important to highlight, both when they became a part of the federal government and before the Constitution and its amendments were ratified. One of these very inspiring men was George Washington. As one of the Founding Fathers it is highly likely that George Washington greatly influenced the founding of the United States and the writing of the Constitution thus, otherwise, he would not be considered a Founding Father. He had both, a great military background and amazing leadership that aided him during the Revolutionary War and the creation of the United States. It is very likely that George Washington’s leadership origin can be traced back to the

Read More

Booker T Washington Research Paper

419 Words | 2 Pages

All the hard work Washington did led him to the amazing accomplishments he

Read More

Analysis Of The Atlanta Exposition Address

1758 Words | 8 Pages

Understanding Washington’s background ties into the thesis because the person analyzing “The Atlanta Exposition” can understand what experiences he has gone through leading up to the speech to help the reader understand the stance and views he stated during the speech. Washington was born roughly around April 5, 1856 in Hale’s Ford,

Read More

Summary Of The Plunkitt Of Tammany Hall

1038 Words | 5 Pages

"The Plunkitt of Tammany Hall" written by William L. Riordon about George W. Plunkitt's multiple talks in defense of his career in the political machine Tammany Hall. George W. Plunkitt was a ward boss of the Tammany Hall Political machine. It was full of corruption which made George W. Plunkitt wealthy. Before people knew about Tammany Hall being corrupt, George W. Plunkitt tried to defend Tammany Hall throughout his political career in order to keep making a lot of money. Some of George W. Plunkitt's talks were on his honest graft against dishonest graft, Civil Service reforms, Tammany Hall being patriotic, and how successful politicians do not drink.

Read More

Rhetorical Analysis Of George Washington's Inaugural Address

1040 Words | 5 Pages

Historical Background Before Mr. Washington was even elected into presidency, he was a politician and a soldier. However,

Read More

More about George Washington Plunkitt

Open Document