Thomas Nast
Thomas Nast was a political cartoonist and illustrator during the Progressive Era. He used his drawings to fight for causes he believed in and found worthy.
In 1868, he began to focus more on politics, New York City in particular, focusing on William Tweed, or "Boss" Tweed. Tweed was an elected Democratic official serving on New York's city council. Over time, Tweed had gained a great deal of political power, mostly through corrupt business dealings. He and his business partners were known as the Tweed Ring, whose headquarters were in a building called Tammany Hall. Tweed gave high ranking city political positions to grossly under-qualified friends, and in 1870, he and his cronies managed to get a bill passed that gave Tweed complete control over the city treasury. He soon began giving his friends expensive contracts, and then received money for these jobs he gave them.
Nast did not agree with the Tweed Ring. He began to use his cartoons to expose Tweed's criminal activity to his readers. He often showed Tweed as a criminal and, upon hearing of this campaign to bring him down, Tweed offered him a large sum of money to cease his cartoons, which Nast refused. Tweed then tried to force Harper's Weekly to fire him, but they would not fire their star illustrator.
In November of 1871, Tweed and his friends were voted out of office and Tweed was then sued by the city and sent to debtor's prison. He escaped in 1876 and fled to Spain, where he was recognized by a customs official who had recognized him from Nast's cartoons. He was sent back to prison and died there in 1878.
In 1868, he began to focus more on politics, New York City in particular, focusing on William Tweed, or "Boss" Tweed. Tweed was an elected Democratic official serving on New York's city council. Over time, Tweed had gained a great deal of political power, mostly through corrupt business dealings. He and his business partners were known as the Tweed Ring, whose headquarters were in a building called Tammany Hall. Tweed gave high ranking city political positions to grossly under-qualified friends, and in 1870, he and his cronies managed to get a bill passed that gave Tweed complete control over the city treasury. He soon began giving his friends expensive contracts, and then received money for these jobs he gave them.
Nast did not agree with the Tweed Ring. He began to use his cartoons to expose Tweed's criminal activity to his readers. He often showed Tweed as a criminal and, upon hearing of this campaign to bring him down, Tweed offered him a large sum of money to cease his cartoons, which Nast refused. Tweed then tried to force Harper's Weekly to fire him, but they would not fire their star illustrator.
In November of 1871, Tweed and his friends were voted out of office and Tweed was then sued by the city and sent to debtor's prison. He escaped in 1876 and fled to Spain, where he was recognized by a customs official who had recognized him from Nast's cartoons. He was sent back to prison and died there in 1878.