This course will examine the history of bossism and corruption that dominated Jersey City NJ for decades. It will begin with the ascent of the Irish to political power in the late 19th century that led to the triumph of Frank Hague. Mayor Hague ruled the city with an iron fist for 30 years. Famous for his statement 'I am the Law,' Hague built his organization on kickbacks and gambling protection, but also on the voter's sincere appreciation for his safe streets and free health care. Hague's organization delivered remarkable election pluralities, some from the city's graveyards, and he quickly became a linchpin of Franklin Roosevelt's National Democratic Party. We will examine why Hague's successors, though equally canny and corrupt, were unable to keep his organization intact, and how Federal prosecutors sent the city's entire Democratic leadership to prison in the early 1970s.