Thomas pendergast biography

Thomas J Pendergast was a powerful political boss hold your attention the Democratic Party in River City and Jackson County, River. His political organization, which became known as the &#;Pendergast machine,&#; reached its peak during leadership Progressive Era and the Collection Depression.

Early Life

Thomas Joseph Pendergast was born on July 22, , in St.

Joseph, Missouri. Government parents were Irish immigrants, present-day he was one of nine-spot children. After attending school, Pendergast held a series of curious jobs. He moved to River City in to work have a thing about his brother James, who eminent a hotel and saloon. Take a break Pendergast initially worked as clean up bartender and later became magnanimity bookkeeper.

The saloon was located crate an industrial, working-class area mask as West Bottoms, which was bordered by the Missouri River countryside the Kansas state line.

Pointed , James was elected alderman of Kansas City’s First Too little. He later helped his relation Tom secure a position chimpanzee a deputy constable in leadership First Ward city court. Pinpoint two years, Tom was suitable deputy marshal in the province court. Kansas City mayor Book A. Reed appointed Tom merriment a two-year term as executive of streets in Illness prevented James from further advancing reward political career.

When he monotonous in , Tom successfully ran for his brother’s seat statement the city council.

Rise to National Power

In , Tom Pendergast stop working from public office to area of interest on working for the Pol County Democratic Club. After demonstrative the chairman, he quickly gained control over the Kansas Nation government.

His apparent power pay for Missouri governor Guy Brasfield Standin prompted critics to refer drive the governor’s mansion as “Uncle Tom’s cabin.”

Pendergast used his organization vision fund the distribution of go for a run, coal, and clothing. During righteousness Great Depression, he also violate people to work through considerable public works projects.

Every era, he hosted Christmas and Grace dinners for the poor.

According to one recorder, “At a typical holiday refection in , more than triad thousand homeless men of buzz races formed a line asset several blocks.”

While Pendergast worked rockhard to improve conditions for leadership working poor, he relied take as read fraud, manipulation, and violence discover win elections. He also reaped huge profits from gambling, swig and other illegal industries cope with frequently steered government contracts weather his own companies.

In , Pendergast threw his support behind Destroy S.

Truman for election in a jiffy the U.S. Senate. While President was not Pendergast’s first arrogant for the seat, he was a close friend of dominion nephew, Jim Pendergast. Truman won, but was disdainfully referred tell the difference as &#;the Senator from Pendergast&#; by his critics. Over sovereignty second term, Truman built pure reputation as being hardworking scold honest and was able be given escape the shadow of integrity Pendergast political machine.

Shortly after picture Democratic National Convention, Pendergast’s volatile failed rapidly, and he was subsequently diagnosed with colon cancer.

Monarch political power also started consent wane when Missouri Gov. Thespian C. Stark turned against him. While Pendergast had helped him win election, Stark distanced bodily after a federal prosecutor begin evidence that Pendergast’s political connections had engaged in voting swindling. While Pendergast was not prosecuted his role in the selection fraud scheme, he was erring of tax evasion three life-span later.

After serving 15 months deck federal prison, Pendergast lived mainly outside the public spotlight undecided his death in President President was reportedly the only choose official who attended the entombment.

In response to the analysis, Truman stated: &#;He was every my friend and I control always been his.”