Although Tammany Hall initially touted itself as a an organization for "pure Americans," midway through the 19th century, it increasingly courted immigrants as a reliable voting block for electing its political candidates. In return, those under its patronage could expect employment opportunities and various forms of social assistance. I'm especially interested in the latter. Before the institution of a federal safety net for the disabled, impoverished and destitute, what kind of material assistance did the political machine provide to its most vulnerable patrons? Cash? Buckets of coal? Baskets of groceries? How frequent were these gifts? How were these forms of assistance viewed by Anglo-Americans?