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A political ring, famous for its unscrupulous dishonesty, which governed New York, State and city, from 1860 to 1871. The ring was composed of William M. Tweed, A. Oakey Hall, Peter B. Sweeney and Richard B. Connolly. These men, through bribery and influence among the lower classes, particularly the foreign element, having first gained control of Tammany Hall, so manipulated the mayoralty election of 1865 as to secure the city government. In 1866, Hall was elected mayor; Sweeney was made city and county treasurer; Tweed, superintendent of the street department; and Connolly, city comptroller. They carried into effect a new city charter which gave them absolute control of fiscal appropriations. When the Ring was finally overthrown in 1871, through publications of its frauds on the taxpayers, and the untiring efforts of Samuel J. Tilden, a prominent Democrat, it was discovered that the city debt had increased from $20,000,000 to $101,000,000. Tweed died in prison; Sweeney and Connolly went into exile, and Hall also left the country.