1840s – Naturalizations of Germans and Irish Are Expedited and Offered Free of Charge During Election Time

“The buying of votes in local elections was easy where large groups of immigrants could be mobilized by their leaders to march to the polls… naturalization papers could be obtained before election, free of charge and without too many questions asked, from friendly judges. In the 1840’s, it was the general practice to advertise in the German papers of New York just before Election Day that all Germans wishing to be naturalized should apply to the German committee of Tammany Hall, where they would receive their citizenship papers gratis. Irish immigrants landing in the morning might be voters by nightfall.”