The main social factor was that immigrants lived in extreme poverty and received little government assistance.
Tammany hall provided them with basic assistance: food, charcoal, loans, and a job. On the other hand, it acted as an intermediary with a government that was foreign to them.
By the end of the 19th century, due to immigrant support, Tammany had become a powerful force in politics in New York. It controlled businesses, politicians and in some cases the application of laws.