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POLITICALCARTOONExplanations
GROUP1
Retrievedfrom:http://users.humboldt.edu/ogayle/hist110/unit4/SectionalIssues.html
GROUP2
Retrievedfrom:https://adastracomix.com/
Abolitionistcartoonsatirizingslaveholdersracistjustificationsforenslavementofblacks.Awhitecouplepassingagroupofslavelaborerssays,‘Poorthings,theycan’ttakecareofthemselves.’IllustrationsoftheAntislaveryAlmanacfor1840.Whiteslookeduponslavesasuneducatedandunabletoeventakecareofthemselves,however,inactuality,itwastheslavesthatknewhowto
accomplishtasksasdepictedinthepicture.
GROUP3
Retrievedfrom:http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/civil-war-feb-1861/civil-war-slave-cartoon.htm
ThiscartoondepictstheNorth’sstanceonholdingfirmtotheirwayoflifewithfarmingcornandtheSouth’swayoflifegrowingcotton.TheSouthsays,“Don’ttalktome,Sir!”andisportrayedasasoutherngentlemenwithweapons.TheNorthreplieswhilemakingahandgestureandbeingdressedincityattireofatophatwith,“Oh!Youbederned!”Inthebackgroundisaslavewatchingtoseewhatwillhappenbetweenthem.ThemeaningbehindthecartoonwasthattheUnionwasatastandstillwiththedivisionand
theslavebeingcaughtinthemiddleasanunfortunateobserverofwhatwouldhappen.
ThispoliticalcartoonpublishedintheBritishMagazinePunchonNovember8,1856accuratelypredicted,asmanyinAmericanswerebeginningtorealize,thatthebusinessofslaverywastearingthenationapart.Here,aslave,standingbetweenasouthernarmedandrough-clothedplanterandasolemnbusinessmanfromtheNorth,tearsapartamapoftheUnitedStates,seemingtofollowtheMason-DixonLine-theboundaryshowingageographic,ifnotpolitical,dividinglinebetweenNorthandSouth.
BETWEENTHELINES
GROUP4
Retrievedfrom:https://apus-b.wikispaces.com/political+cartoons
GROUP5
Retrievedfrom:http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/cartoon-of-abraham-lincoln-feeding-bedridden-black-slave-news-photo/96738811
Abrahamisdepictedhereasgivingnourishmenttoaslavethroughemancipation.ThiscartoonisimplyingthattheEmancipationwasgoingtohealthesicknessthatslaveryhadcausedandhewastheonethatwasprovidingit.
Thiscartoonisnotasslantedasmanyoftheothercartoonsoftheday.Forone,itispublishedinHarper’sWeekly,whichwasapopularmagazinewithlittletonopoliticalaffiliation.ItwastothattimeastheEconomististoday.Boththemagazineandthecartoonpublishedwithinseemtoberelativelyimpartial.Superficially,thecartoonmerelydepictsLincoln’scampaignstatusinagenerallyunbiasedway.However,whenprobingfurther,onecannoteapro-Lincolnattitudefromthecartoonist.ThoughtheAfricanAmericanisaburdenforLincolnthatcouldcausehimtofallintotheragingwatersbelow,Lincolnisportrayedasstandinguprightandsteady.ThecalmyetsomberdemeanorthatLincolnhasisnotindicativeofanymajorpanicthatfallingintothecascadeisastrongpossibility.Dallas(thecartoonist)isshowingthatLincolncansuccessfullymanagethetrekovertheturbulentflowbeneathhimaslongashisgripontheconstitutionstaysunyielding.Attheverybottomofthecartoon,underthetitle,thereissomesmallprintaddingtothepro-Lincolnundertone.Itsays“Don’tgiveuptheship.”ThiscouldbeareferencetoaquotebyJamesLawrence,aUnitedStatesnavalofficerintheearly1800s.LawrencewasthecaptainoftheUSSChesapeakeduringtheWarof1812.Hewasmortallywoundedduringbattleandutteredthosefamouslastwordsreferencedbythecartoonist.TheinclusionofthisquoteinthecartooncouldsuggeststhatsupportersofLincolnshouldnotgiveuptheirstanceonslaverynomatterhowtheconflictoveritgoes.ThisquotecouldalsobemeanttoreinforcetheimageofLincolnasacaptain,steeringtheshipofAmericathroughtreacherouswaters.
