Search results

(1 - 3 of 3)

Title: The black Republicans at their devotions
Description: Cartoon exploiting the stereotypes of the factions comprising the recently formed antislavery political party, the Republicans, before the Presidential Election of 1856. Depicts a meeting of the party members singing "Du da, du da." In the left is a white man, attired in a brimmed hat, a white collared shirt, a white waistcoat, and a black jacket and carrying a paper that reads, “Bobtail Hoss.” He represents a "puritanical bigot" abolitionist “who goes strongly in favor of stealing negroes.” In the center is a white man, attired in a white collared shirt, a black bowtie, a black waistcoat, and a black jacket, who is a "disciple of Free Love and Fremont" (i.e., John C. Fremont, the Republican presidential nominee). In the right, is a white man, wearing long hair and a beard and attired in spectacles, a ruffled, white collar shirt with a brooch, and a black jacket, who represents the "long bearded spiritualist." In the left foreground is an African American man, portrayed in racist caricature, who remarks in the vernacular, “Mass mos’ as good as brudder Bones.” In the background, more people sing “Du da,” including a woman, attired in spectacles, and described as “a hooked nosed, masculine crocodile, who is descanting upon woman’s rights and niggers’ wrongs.” Also visible is a statue of a man holding a staff atop a pedestal labeled “Du da.”, Title from item., Date inferred from content., Text printed on recto, below image: “The Mustang colt is young and strong, Du da du da; His wind is good, his knees not sprung, Du da du da da!” The artist has given in this group a representative of nearly all the isms that go to make up the pie-bald conglomeration of which the Black Republican party is composed. Here is the long-bearded spiritualist, who, like his candidate, has more hair than brains; then we have the genuine Aminidab Sleek, or the true disciple of Free Love and Fremont; then there is the sour, morose, puritanical bigot, who goes strongly in favor of stealing negroes, because their services can be secured at a much lower rate than he would have to pay white men; the darkey, emerging from below, is grinning with ferocious delight at the ‘Du da du,’ which is to exalt niggers above “sassy white people;” there is a wide and foul-mouthed slang-monger, in the back-ground, who goes in for free discussion on one side; a hooked nosed, masculine crocodile, who is descanting upon woman’s rights and niggers’ wrongs, because he is too lazy to work. There is the picture—look at it. Du da du. Nero fiddled while Rome was burning. Black Republicans sing foolish songs while the glorious fabric which our fathers reared in peril and blood, is dissolving in the fires of fanaticism. They make no appeal to our reason, but to our imagination; the reason and the judgment is not addressed, only our passions and our prejudices. They cannot sing a mere political adventurer into the Presidential chair., Originally part of American political caricatures, likely a scrapbook, accessioned 1899. Collection primarily comprised of gifts from Samuel Breck, John A. McAllister, and James Rush., RVCDC, Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021., Part of digital collections catalog through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of the Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor, 2013-2014.
Date: [1856]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Political Cartoons - 1856-Bla [5760.F.94]

Title: Col. Fremont's last grand exploring expedition in 1856
Description: Cartoon ridiculing the antislavery convictions of John C. Frémont, the 1856 Republican presidential candidate and former explorer, and his abolitionist supporters during the Kansas-Nebraska crisis. Depicts Frémont's fictional expedition through the hills of "Kansas-Nebraska" atop New York Tribune editor Horace Greeley portrayed as the "Abolition Nag." Frémont states the road is hard astride the "Old Hack," but if he gets to the White House safely he will forgive his friends who put him there. Pulling Greeley by a rope is New York Republican William Seward who heads to the "Salt River" (i.e., political doom) in "Bleeding Kansas." Greeley admits to going the "same road as '52" but will follow Seward's lead. A gun-laden Henry Ward Beecher, the abolitionist minister, pledges to furnish rifles to antislavery Kansas settlers. A white frontiersman comments that the abolition horse's death is more beneficial to the Constitution than is an antislavery Republican president in the White House., Title from item., Date inferred from content., Probably drawn by John Cameron., Originally part of American political caricatures, likely a scrapbook, accessioned 1899. Collection primarily comprised of gifts from Samuel Breck, John A. McAllister, and James Rush., Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021., Part of digital collections catalog through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor, 2013-2014.
Date: [1856]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Political Cartoons - 1856-20 [5760.F.101]

Title: The great presidential race of 1856
Description: Cartoon ridiculing the Democratic and American (Know-Nothings) Party presidential candidates James Buchanan and Millard Fillmore by depicting them in a race to win the election of 1856. Depicts Buchanan having crashed his mount (i.e, running mate John C. Breckenridge depicted as a buck) into a rickety platform marked "Democratic Platform," Slavery," and "Cuba." An enslaved African American man, portrayed with racistly caricaturized features, and wearing shackles on his ankles and worn and torn clothes, shoes, and a hat, stands upon and ridicules the "Democratic Platform." Buchanan angrily replies, "You infernal Black Scoundrel, if it had not been for you and that cursed Slavery Plank that Scared and upset my Buck, I should have won this race certain." Following Buchanan is Fillmore using his running mate Andrew Jackson Donelson, depicted as a goose, as his mount. Fillmore, the American Party candidate, carries a "Know-Nothing" lamp and fears his loss will dissolve the Union. In the distance, the Republican candidate John C. Fremont pulls ahead to the cheers of many of the spectators. Brother Jonathan, (predecessor of Uncle Sam), stands on an observation or judging deck and carries a timer’s watch. Additional spectators include white men belittling Fillmore as "spineless" and a "goose," and a white boy holding a sign inscribed, "We Po'ked Em in 44; We Pierced Em in 52; and We'll 'Buck Em' in 56." He is being hoisted by two African American men, portrayed with racistly caricaturized features, upon the back of a gruff and annoyed-looking, bearded, white man asking him if he's a "Fre'mounter.", Title from item., Artist and publication information supplied by Reilly., Political cartoon Horse sassengers! A free lunch lithographed on recto. (political cartoons - 1858 Hor, P.2275.18b)., Accessioned 1979., RVCDC, Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021., Part of digital collections catalog through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of the Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor, 2013-2014., Magee was a New York cartoonist and lithographer who eventually established his own lithographic firm in Philadelphia in 1850.
Creator: Magee, John L., artist
Date: [1856]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department political cartoons - 1858 Hor (verso) [P.2275.18a]

Main menu