Simon Cameron submits his resignation as Secretary of War on January 11, 1862 (remaining until January 20), amid investigations into War Department procurement irregularities and cabinet disagreements over emancipation policy and patronage distribution. Lincoln appointed Cameron, a Pennsylvania …
Simon CameronAbraham LincolnEdwin M. StantonAlexander CummingsU.S. House of Representativeswar-profiteeringcorruptiongovernment-contractspatronageaccountability-failure
Samuel Swartwout, Jackson’s political appointee as Collector of the Port of New York, absconds with $1,225,705.09 (equivalent to $36.2 million in 2024 dollars) after his term expires, fleeing to England in what becomes the most spectacular embezzlement scandal of the era. Swartwout, an old …
Samuel SwartwoutAndrew JacksonMartin Van BurenU.S. Treasuryembezzlementspoils-systempatronagekakistocracyfinancial-corruption+1 more
President Andrew Jackson orders the removal of federal government deposits from the Second Bank of the United States and their redistribution to state-chartered banks derisively called “pet banks” because they are selected based on political loyalty rather than financial soundness. The …
Andrew JacksonRoger TaneyLouis McLaneWilliam J. DuaneU.S. Congress+1 morefinancial-manipulationinstitutional-corruptionpatronagejackson-erabanking-system+1 more
Upon assuming office in March 1829, President Andrew Jackson immediately implements the “spoils system,” sweeping employees from over 900 political offices—approximately 10 percent of all federal appointments—and replacing them with political supporters, friends, and relatives as rewards …
Andrew JacksonMartin Van BurenWilliam MarcyFederal civil servantsspoils-systempatronagekakistocracyinstitutional-corruptionmerit-bypass+1 more