the numbers of wealthy New Yorkers and Bostonians (with fortunes assessed at at least $100,000) exploded during the Antebellum Era (New York: from 59 in 1828 to 440 in 1856; Boston: from 79 in 1835 to 342 in 1860). This dramatic expansion of the elite numbers destroyed the equilibrium between the demand and supply of government posts. As a result, competition for political power intensified at both the federal and local levels. Some wealth-holders ran for office themselves, while others threw their resources behind rival politicians.
