The History of Tammany Hall

"In most men's minds a certain spell of wonder attaches to the career and character of the Tammany Society and Tammany Hall. The long continuance of this dual power, its control of the city, ... throughout the century; the nature of its principles, the method of its practices and the character of its personnel-all these combine to furnish a spectacle which exerts over the general mind a peculiar and strong fascination."
-Gustavus Myers, Preface, The History of Tammany Hall
In The History of Tammany Hall (1917), Gustavus Myers reported on his research about what information in the news about Tammany's history in New York City was based on true facts and what was based on political speculation. In his own words, the book "is a narrative history-plain, compact and impartial." At the same time, his story provides confirmation of many of the stories of political corruption, theft, and swindle that had been attributed to the Tammany leadership.

GUSTAVUS MYERS (1872-1942) was an American historian and muckraker who worked on a number of newspapers and magazines in New York City, joined the Populist party and the Social Reform Club, and eventually became a member (1907-12) of the Socialist party. He wrote several books including such books as The History of Tammany Hall (1901) and, History of the Great American Fortunes (1910.)