political+cartoons

NDH- NBCArchives “A Demonized Lincoln Drafting the Emancipation Proclamation ”

This cartoon of Lincoln drafting the Emancipation Proclamation is a propaganda-filled attempt to express unhappiness over the document. Looking at the whole picture of the cartoon, it is evident that is was created by a slave supporter. This fact is based off the fact that Lincoln is made to look like a demon. He is hunched over with a wicked expression on his face. He has surrounded himself with demonic furniture and grim looking paintings. Also, there are African tribal statues behind him, making him look more like he sympathizes with the slaves and their African origins. The pictures on the wall to Lincoln’s left are both quite gruesome, further demonizing the president. Outside his window there are bats and on his table is a winged demon. All of this negative imagery would make anyone think that Lincoln was a devilish man who did not support equal rights, but who instead supported godless tribal beliefs.

The very large amount of demonic pieces found in the picture is evidence that the artist did not think very highly of Lincoln or the Emancipation Proclamation. The picture was not in a newspaper, so it was not done to show the whole world. It was probably in a book or someone’s personal journal and was most likely drawn to express a simple point; that the artist did not approve of the Emancipation Proclamation. It was widely viewed that the Proclamation was made entirely by Lincoln, or, in the eyes of a Confederate, that it was entirely his fault. Like the devil did to the pagans, Lincoln left no out for Confederates; they had to get rid of their slaves. Though this eventually ended the war and slavery for all time, most southerners hated it at the time. Everyone cried out in one way or another whether they agreed or disagreed with the proclamation. This image may not have been noticed in its own time, but nowadays it shows how people felt about the proclamation.

Analysis of the cartoon: "The Coming Man's Presidential Career, à la Blondin" by Jacob Dallas. //Harper's Weekly//, Aug 25, 1860, p. 544

CCR- This comic depicts presidential nominee Abraham Lincoln Walking over a large body of water. This is an allusion to popular acrobat and tight rope walker Charles Blondin, who frequently walked across Niagara Falls. Blondin would always do something to add to his performance such as carrying his agent on his back. He carries on his back an African American man and balances himself with the constitution. The African American on his shoulders represents the burden of Lincoln’s anti-slavery position on his campaign. He is portrayed walking across Niagara Falls to represent the tumultuous and dangerous political waters of the time. He is tight rope walking specifically in order to portray how addressing the hot issues of the day requires a tricky balancing act. In order to steady himself as he walks along, Lincoln uses the constitution as a balancing rod. This cartoon is not as slanted as many of the other cartoons of the day. For one, it is published in Harper’s Weekly, which was a popular magazine with little to no political affiliation. It was to that time as the Economist is today. Both the magazine and the cartoon published within seem to be relatively impartial. Superficially, the cartoon merely depicts Lincoln’s campaign status in a generally unbiased way. However, when probing further, one can note a pro-Lincoln attitude from the cartoonist. Though the African American is a burden for Lincoln that could cause him to fall into the raging waters below, Lincoln is portrayed as standing upright and steady. The calm yet somber demeanor that Lincoln has is not indicative of any major panic that falling into the cascade is a strong possibility. Dallas (the cartoonist) is showing that Lincoln can successfully manage the trek over the turbulent flow beneath him as long as his grip on the constitution stays unyielding. At the very bottom of the cartoon, under the title, there is some small print adding to the pro-Lincoln undertone. It says “Don’t give up the ship.” This could be a reference to a quote by James Lawrence, a United States naval officer in the early 1800s. Lawrence was the captain of the //USS Chesapeake// during the War of 1812. He was mortally wounded during battle and uttered those famous last words referenced by the cartoonist. The inclusion of this quote in the cartoon could suggests that supporters of Lincoln should not give up their stance on slavery no matter how the conflict over it goes. This quote could also be meant to reinforce the image of Lincoln as a captain, steering the ship of America through treacherous waters. JGF: NBC Learn Video “Cartoon: Positive Good of Slavery” In the NBC Learn video “Cartoon: Positive Good of Slavery,” Professor David S. Reynolds of the City University of New York wrongly attacked the Southern view of slavery in the 1850s. During the 1850s, Southerners argued that the slave system was superior to the Northern factory workers system because though the slaves weren’t “free,” they were taken care of through life, which was more than could be said for the Northern factory workers. Despite the validity of these claims, Reynolds called this way of thinking “all rationalization,” and “all ridiculous.”

The truth, though, is that John C. Calhoun, the father of the “Positive Good of Slavery” philosophy, was right. Northern workers were trapped in a cycle of ever-increasing debt to the factory owner, without hope of getting out, without days off, and often without proper nourishment and housing. Slaves were generally well-fed, slept in proper beds, attended church on their days off, and were allowed to have friends outside the plantation. Though neither way of life was perfect, southern slavery is obviously preferable to the Northern factory worker life.

If a factory worker was injured on the job, he or she would be immediately fired and removed from the factory premises, sometimes denied even the luxury of collecting his or her belongings. If a slave were injured while working, the plantation owner would find him a new job that required less effort. The slave’s rations would not be cut, and he would be allowed to sleep in the same bed he slept in when healthy. Slave women were given maternal leave, to a certain extent, whereas factory workers were expected to not let it interfere with their duties in any way. Calhoun’s argument holds a great deal of validity.

Reynolds’ description of Southern ideology, that “[slavery] exposed them [the slaves] to the so-called blessings of western civilization,” is phrased in a sarcastic way that doesn’t do justice to the South’s argument at all. Reynolds hides behind humor because he knows he cannot truly refute Calhoun’s point. But though it was better than the northern system, Slavery still had drawbacks. An ideal system would have been something similar to what the United States has today: no slavery, and heaping legislation to prevent company owners from taking advantage of workers.

Published in harpers weekly This political cartoon depicts Lincoln after his reelection. Lincoln was known far and wide for his physical largeness and his larger than life political persona. The cartoon plays off both. The cartoon also makes a play off Lincoln ’s term in office that will now be extended. This cartoon incorporates a large amount of sarcasm as well as timely and pro-Lincoln messages. This is common at the time because at the time of his reelection, Lincoln was one of the most popular presidents in American history. The grave look on his face indicates that he means business for the country. He also holds his hand in his shirt. This is an allusion to the famous portrait of Napoleon where he has a similar hand placement. This allusion is meant to represent the idea that Lincoln was leading American troops to victory. The wording is also pro-Lincoln. It doesn’t say “for just a little longer” or anything like that. It therefore doesn’t imply that having Lincoln around is a bad thing. This is once again representative of Lincoln ’s popularity at the time.