Ludlow Street Jail
Encyclopedia
The Ludlow Street Jail was New York City
's federal prison, located on Ludlow Street
and Broome Street in Manhattan
. Some prisoners, such as soldiers, were held there temporarily awaiting extradition to other jurisdictions, but most of the inmates were debtors imprisoned by their creditors. The two most famous inmates of the Ludlow Street Jail were Victoria Woodhull and Boss Tweed. Seward Park High School
Educational Campus now sits on the site of the jail.
suffragist who was publicized in Gilded Age
newspapers as a leader of the American woman's suffrage movement in the 19th century. On November 2, 1872, U.S. Federal Marshals
arrested Victoria and her sister Tennessee for sending obscene material through the mail. The sisters were held in the Ludlow Street Jail for the next month. The arrest was arranged by Anthony Comstock
, the self-appointed moral defender of the nation at the time, and the event incited questions about censorship and government persecution. The Claflin sisters were found not guilty six months later, but the arrest prevented Victoria from being present during the 1872 presidential election.
, the name given to the Democratic Party
political machine
that played a major role in New York City
politics from the 1790s to the 1960s. After being arrested for bilking the city out of millions of dollars, Tweed jumped bail and was later apprehended in Spain. He was subsequently delivered to authorities in New York City
on November 23, 1876. He was imprisoned in the Ludlow Street Jail, occupying the warden's parlor for $75.00 a week. Two years after being imprisoned, he died at the age of 55.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's federal prison, located on Ludlow Street
Ludlow Street (Manhattan)
Ludlow Street runs between Houston and Division Streets on the Lower East Side of the New York City borough of Manhattan, an important cultural street rich with history....
and Broome Street in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. Some prisoners, such as soldiers, were held there temporarily awaiting extradition to other jurisdictions, but most of the inmates were debtors imprisoned by their creditors. The two most famous inmates of the Ludlow Street Jail were Victoria Woodhull and Boss Tweed. Seward Park High School
Seward Park High School
Seward Park High School is a now-closed comprehensive high school which was located in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York City. The school began as P.S. 62 Intermediate, a intermediate school. In 1923 the school pursued an experimental path as a combined junior-senior high school...
Educational Campus now sits on the site of the jail.
Victoria Woodhull
Victoria Woodhull was an AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
suffragist who was publicized in Gilded Age
Gilded Age
In United States history, the Gilded Age refers to the era of rapid economic and population growth in the United States during the post–Civil War and post-Reconstruction eras of the late 19th century. The term "Gilded Age" was coined by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner in their book The Gilded...
newspapers as a leader of the American woman's suffrage movement in the 19th century. On November 2, 1872, U.S. Federal Marshals
United States Marshals Service
The United States Marshals Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice . The office of U.S. Marshal is the oldest federal law enforcement office in the United States; it was created by the Judiciary Act of 1789...
arrested Victoria and her sister Tennessee for sending obscene material through the mail. The sisters were held in the Ludlow Street Jail for the next month. The arrest was arranged by Anthony Comstock
Anthony Comstock
Anthony Comstock was a United States Postal Inspector and politician dedicated to ideas of Victorian morality.-Biography:...
, the self-appointed moral defender of the nation at the time, and the event incited questions about censorship and government persecution. The Claflin sisters were found not guilty six months later, but the arrest prevented Victoria from being present during the 1872 presidential election.
Boss Tweed
William Magear Tweed (April 3, 1823 – April 12, 1878), commonly known as "Boss" Tweed, was an American politician and head of Tammany HallTammany Hall
Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was a New York political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789 as the Tammany Society...
, the name given to the Democratic Party
History of the United States Democratic Party
The history of the Democratic Party of the United States is an account of the oldest political party in the United States and arguably the oldest democratic party in the world....
political machine
Political machine
A political machine is a political organization in which an authoritative boss or small group commands the support of a corps of supporters and businesses , who receive rewards for their efforts...
that played a major role in New York City
History of New York City
The history of New York, New York begins with the first European documentation of the area by Giovanni da Verrazzano, in command of the French ship, La Dauphine, when he visited the region in 1524. It is believed he sailed in Upper New York Bay where he encountered native Lenape, returned through...
politics from the 1790s to the 1960s. After being arrested for bilking the city out of millions of dollars, Tweed jumped bail and was later apprehended in Spain. He was subsequently delivered to authorities in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on November 23, 1876. He was imprisoned in the Ludlow Street Jail, occupying the warden's parlor for $75.00 a week. Two years after being imprisoned, he died at the age of 55.