What were Political Machines and why were they important?

Political machines were organizations linked to a political party that often controlled local government. Usage- In the United States in the late 19th and early 20th century, it was mainly the larger cities like Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, New York City and Philadelphia that had political machines.Political machines started as grass roots organizations to gain the patronage needed to win the modern election. Having strong patronage, these "clubs" were the main driving force in gaining and getting out the "straight party vote" in the election districts.