Albany Regency

Last updated

The Albany Regency was a group of politicians who controlled the New York state government between 1822 [1] and 1838. Originally called the "Holy Alliance", it was instituted by Martin Van Buren, who remained its dominating spirit for many years. [1] The group was among the first American political machines. In the beginning they were the leading figures of the Bucktails faction of the Democratic-Republican Party, later the Jacksonian Democrats and finally became the Hunkers faction of the Democratic Party.

Contents

History

The Albany Regency was a loosely organized group of politicians with similar views and goals who resided in or near Albany, New York, the state capital. They controlled the nominating conventions and patronage of their party within New York State, and by dictating its general policy, exerted a powerful influence in national as well as state politics. They derived their power largely from their personal influence and political sagacity, and were, for the most part, earnest opponents of political corruption, though they uniformly acted upon the principle, first formulated in 1833 by one of their number (Marcy), that "to the victors belong the spoils." [2]

The Regency developed party discipline and originated the control of party conventions through officeholders and others subservient to it. The spoils system they had created would dominate late-19th-century American politics, but in the beginning, observed the technical qualifications of the candidates for office they nominated. Thurlow Weed, who coined the name "Albany Regency", wrote he "had never known a body of men who possessed so much power and used it so well". [3] However, this also may have been intended by Weed to be a disparaging remark.

The leading figure of the Albany Regency was Martin Van Buren. Upon Van Buren's election to the United States Senate in 1821, several of his friends and aides, including Benjamin F. Butler, Samuel A. Talcott, Silas Wright, William L. Marcy, and Azariah C. Flagg, took over the day-to-day management of the political organization that had been developed under Van Buren. Roger Skinner, state printer Edwin Croswell, Benjamin Knower, John Adams Dix, and Charles E. Dudley also became members of the Regency. Their organ was the Argus newspaper of Albany, founded in 1813 by Jesse Buel (1778–1839) and edited from 1824 to 1854 by Edwin Croswell. [4] The Regency was powerful enough during this era that it largely dictated policy to New York City's Tammany Hall Democratic organization. [5]

The Regency ended when Marcy was defeated in the election for Governor of New York by the opposing Whig's candidate William H. Seward in 1838, which led to a radical change in state politics. Also cited as a factor is a bitter factional split in 1848 (see Barnburners) which gave the other party the patronage the Regency used to use against it. The Regency was reduced in a few years to unorganized individuals. [6]

In 1845 Mackenzie published private letters between Jesse Hoyt and various members of the Albany Regency. These letters described negotiations between various members of the Regency for financial transactions and appointments to government office and exposed how members of the Regency were able to profit from speculatory notes and political corruption. [7]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 Reynolds, Francis J., ed. (1921). "Albany Regency, The"  . Collier's New Encyclopedia . New York: P. F. Collier & Son Company.
  2. ↑ One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain :  Gilman, D. C.; Peck, H. T.; Colby, F. M., eds. (1905). "Albany Regency, The"  . New International Encyclopedia (1st ed.). New York: Dodd, Mead.
  3. ↑ Thurlow Weed Barnes: Life of Thurlow Weed Vol. II, p. 36
  4. ↑ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Albany"  . Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 490.
  5. ↑ Allen, Oliver E. (1993). The Tiger: The Rise and Fall of Tammany Hall . Addison-Wesley Publishing Company. pp.  27-50. ISBN   0-201-62463-X.
  6. ↑ Rines, George Edwin, ed. (1920). "Albany Regency"  . Encyclopedia Americana .
  7. ↑ Gates, Lilian F. (1996-07-25). After the Rebellion: The later years of William Lyon Mackenzie. Toronto: Dundurn. p. 117. ISBN   978-1-55488-069-0.

Sources

Related Research Articles

Martin Van Buren President of the United States from 1837 to 1841

Martin Van Buren was an American lawyer and statesman who served as the 8th president of the United States from 1837 to 1841. A founder of the Democratic Party, he had previously served as the 9th governor of New York, the 10th United States secretary of state, and the 8th vice president of the United States. Later in his life, Van Buren emerged as an elder statesman and an important anti-slavery leader who led the Free Soil Party ticket in the 1848 presidential election.

The Anti-Masonic Party, also known as the Anti-Masonic Movement, was the earliest third party in the United States. Formally a single-issue party, it strongly opposed Freemasonry, but it later aspired to become a major party by expanding its platform to take positions on other issues. After emerging as a political force in the late 1820s, most of the Anti-Masonic Party's members joined the Whig Party in the 1830s and the party disappeared after 1838.

Spoils system Practice where a newly elected political party gives civil service jobs to supporters and cronies

In politics and government, a spoils system is a practice in which a political party, after winning an election, gives government jobs to its supporters, friends (cronyism), and relatives (nepotism) as a reward for working toward victory, and as an incentive to keep working for the party—as opposed to a merit system, where offices are awarded on the basis of some measure of merit, independent of political activity.

William L. Marcy American lawyer, politician, and judge (1786–1857)

William Learned Marcy was an American lawyer, politician, and judge who served as U.S. Senator, Governor of New York, U.S. Secretary of War and U.S. Secretary of State. In the latter office, he negotiated the Gadsden Purchase, the last major acquisition of land in the continental United States.

Silas Wright American politician and Governor

Silas Wright Jr. was an American attorney and Democratic politician. A member of the Albany Regency, he served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, New York State Comptroller, United States Senator, and Governor of New York.

The Barnburners and Hunkers were the names of two opposing factions of the New York state Democratic Party in the mid-19th century. The main issue dividing the two factions was that of slavery, with the Barnburners being the anti-slavery faction. While this division occurred within the context of New York politics, it reflected the national divisions in the United States in the years preceding the American Civil War.

Thurlow Weed United States political manager and journalist

Edward Thurlow Weed was a printer, New York newspaper publisher and Whig and Republican politician. He was the principal political advisor to prominent New York politician William H. Seward and was instrumental in the presidential nominations of William Henry Harrison (1840), Zachary Taylor (1848), and John C. Frémont (1856).

Horatio Seymour American politician (1810–1886)

Horatio Seymour was an American politician. He served as Governor of New York from 1853 to 1854 and from 1863 to 1864. He was the Democratic Party nominee for president in the 1868 presidential election, won by Republican and General Ulysses S. Grant.

Second Party System Phase in the development of US electoral politics (1828–1852)

Historians and political scientists use Second Party System to periodize the political party system operating in the United States from about 1828 to 1852, after the First Party System ended. The system was characterized by rapidly rising levels of voter interest, beginning in 1828, as demonstrated by Election Day turnouts, rallies, partisan newspapers, and high degrees of personal loyalty to parties.

Nathaniel P. Tallmadge American politician

Nathaniel Pitcher Tallmadge was an American lawyer and politician. He served two terms as United States Senator from New York (1833–1844) and was the 3rd Governor of the Wisconsin Territory (1844–1845).

Azariah C. Flagg American politician

Azariah Cutting Flagg was an American newspaper printer and editor, and politician.

The Bucktails (1818–1826) were the faction of the Democratic-Republican Party in New York State opposed to Governor DeWitt Clinton. It was influenced by the Tammany Society. The name derives from a Tammany insignia, a deer's tail worn in the hat. The name was in use as early as 1791 when a bucktail worn on the headgear was adopted as the "official badge" of the Tammany Society. The wearing of the bucktail was said to have been suggested by its appearance in the costume of the Tammany Indians in the vicinity of New York.

John Van Buren American lawyer and politician

John Van Buren was a United States lawyer, official and politician. In addition to serving as a key advisor to his father, President Martin Van Buren, he was also Attorney General of New York from 1845 to 1847.

1819–1820 United States Senate election in New York

The 1819/1820 United States Senate election in New York was held on February 2, 1819, and January 8, 1820, by the New York State Legislature to elect a U.S. Senator to represent the State of New York in the United States Senate.

1821 United States Senate election in New York

The 1821 United States Senate election in New York was held on February 6, 1821, by the New York State Legislature to elect a U.S. Senator to represent the State of New York in the United States Senate.

1827 United States Senate election in New York

The 1827 United States Senate election in New York was held on February 6, 1827, by the New York State Legislature to elect a U.S. Senator to represent the State of New York in the United States Senate.

Edwin Croswell American journalist

Edwin Croswell, was an American journalist and politician. Croswell's father and uncle were both influential editors and journalists in the early 19th century. Edwin expanded the family's influence on American journalism.

60th New York State Legislature New York state legislative session

The 60th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 3 to May 16, 1837, during the fifth year of William L. Marcy's governorship, in Albany.

Solomon Southwick American newspaper publisher and politician

Solomon Southwick was an American newspaper publisher and political figure who was a principal organizer of the Anti-Masonic Party.

William Barnes Jr. American journalist and politician (1866–1930)

William Barnes Jr. was an American journalist and politician. The longtime owner and publisher of the Albany Evening Journal, Barnes was most notable as a major behind the scenes player in state and U.S. politics as a leader of New York's Republican Party.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.