IllustratingWarandRace:

PoliticalCartoonsandtheCivilWar

By

IdrisA.Young

Politicalcartoonscanmakeyoulaughbuttheyarealsoserious,amatterof

lifeanddeath.Justthinkaboutthe2006controversyoverthecartoonsofthe

ProphetMohammedintheDanishnewspaperJyllands‐Posten,thatsomebelieveled

tothebombingoftheDanishEmbassyinIslamabad,Pakistanin2008,wheresix

peoplewerekilled.CharlieHebdo,aFrenchsatiricalmagazinere‐published12of

thesecontroversialcartoons,alongwithmanyothercartoonsthatcriticizedIslamic

fundamentalismandcaricaturedtheProphetMuhammed.OnJan7,2015two

gunmen,offendedbythesecartoons,openedfireintheofficesofCharlieHebdoand

killedtwelvepeople.ThereisclearlyconflictbetweenEuropeansandIslamic

refugees.Wemightunderstandthepowerofthesepoliticalcartoonsifweshifttoan

earlierperiodofhistoryalsocharacterizedbymajorpoliticaldifferencesbetween

thosewhobelievedinthenecessityofslaveryandthosewhowanteditabolished,

betweentheNorthandtheSouth,andbetweenblackandwhite.Thepolitical

cartoonsoftheCivilWareramightprovideuswithvaluableinformationintohow

cartoonscanexpresstheracismofsocietyaswellastheangeratthatracism.They

canallowustocriticizethewaysocietyworksbypokingfunatitandtheyalsocan

expresshopefornewwaysofthinkingandlivingwithreligious,racialandpolitical

difference.

Todaytherearefewerpoliticalcartoonistsbecauseofthedeclineofprint

newspapersandalsobecausemorepeopleareabletodopoliticalcommentaryon

thewebbymakingtheirown‘cartoons’viamemegenerators(JohnJennings).But

duringthetimeoftheCivilWar,politicalcartoonsbecameanimportantformof

commentaryforanumberofreasons.Previously,cartoonswereoftenplacedinthe

windowsoflithographyshops,inthehopesthattheywouldcapturetheinterestof

peoplewalkingby.Politicalcartoonsaroseataperiodwhenthesteampresscould

makelargeamountsofprintssomanypeoplecouldseeandreadthem.Oneofthe

placeswherehundredsofthousandsofpeoplesawpoliticalcartoonswasHarper’s

Weekly,firstpublishedin1857.DuringtheCivilWar,Harper’sWeeklywasthe

majorsourceofpictorialpolitics.Harper’sWeeklyhadsmallpoliticalcartoonson

thebackpage.ThesepoliticalcartoonswereoftenbyThomasNast.Hiscartoons

werewoodengravedwithblackandwhite.Withtheadvancesinprinting

technology,thecartoonscouldbeunderstoodbymanybecausetheyhavetheability

totakeverycomplexideasandsimplifythemforthepublic.EllenGoldnerstates

thatthe“steampresscouldprintlargerunsrapidlyenoughtointerveneinthe

politicsofthemoment,therebyhelpingtopropeltheUSpoliticalcartooninto

prominence”(44).

TherewereveryfewAfricanAmericanpoliticalcartoonists.MarvinD.Jeter

andMarkCervenkawriteaboutHenryJacksonLewis,whowasbornsometime

betweenthelate1830sand1850s.HewasthefirstAfricanAmericanpolitical

cartoonist.In1879,sixengravingsthatweremadebyHarper’sWeeklystaffwere

attributedtosketchesbyH.J.Lewis.Hisdebut self portrait appears 13 July 1889 in The

Freeman, a black owned and operated illustrated newspaper.

It is very rare to see a portrait without captions but his portrait resembles a coat of arms.

He is dressed in a distinguished way, which suggests honor. The eagle above his head

represents the United States of America. These details are important because blacks were

not considered honorable citizens of the United States. The artist’s tools in the portrait

and the two books entitled Science of Fine Art and Science of Engraving lie below him.

His son and daughter are on either side of him. The tools and books show that Africans

were smart, talented, and literate. “The signs and symbols he employed tell us that he was

acutely aware of the role art played in the struggle towards progress” (Taylor 198). Art

can create and represent equality because the same tools can be used by everyone. During

slavery children were usually separated from their fathers.The children on either side of

him imply that just because H.J Lewis is a black man doesn’t mean that he has no

relationship with his children. He can help raise them, just like white families. Born a

slave, he was involved in a fire that maimed his left arm and blinded his left eye. His

portrait doesn’t show this as he faces the other direction. He doesn’t want to be

represented as half a man. Along with his self portrait he also talked about more issues

about African Americans during the Civil War. His untitled, undated and unpublished

work that appears in the DuSable Museum collection shows four southern democrats

turning the screw of a copy press that flattens a naked black man to the floor.

The black man stares straight at the viewer in order to make him or her feel sympathy and

guilt. The black man is larger than life so the viewer pays attention to the African

American who is shackled to the ground.

Imageswithwritingoftentimescancommunicatemorethanjusttext.Being

abletodeciphertheimagewasespeciallyimportantbecauseslaveswereforbidden

tolearnhowtoreadandwrite.Thepoliticalcartooncouldimpacteventhosewho

werenotveryliterate.Politicalcartoonsareimportantincreatingasenseof

community.Peoplereadingthemcanfeelliketheyarebeingridiculedortheycan

feelasiftheyagreewiththecartoonist.Laughteratacartoonhelpsforma

communityjustasgroupsofpeoplecanbeexcludedfromthejoke.Sometimesasa

MuslimAfricanAmericanboy,IcannotlaughatthejokesmadebyCharlieHebdo

thoughIdon’tbelieveinbombingthemeither.Beingmadefunofisdifferentfrom

beingonthesideofthosetellingthejoke.Butreadingacartoonallowsonetosee

throughtheeyesofotherpeopleasthecartoonreflectstheirpointofview.Andthis

helpsusunderstanddifferentpeople.ThisiswhythepoliticalcartoonsoftheCivil

Wararesoimportant.

AManKnowsAManisaverypowerfulpoliticalcartoonreferringtodisability

causedbycombatinthecivilwar.Thepointofviewofthiscartoonisfromawhite

veteran.Thewhiteveterangiveshishandtotheblackveteranandsaysitwasa

goodthingthattheyneverlostheart.Duringthisperioditwasarevolutionaryact

forawhitemantoshowrespecttoablackman.Ahandshakewasaformofrespect

yougavetoequals.TheAManKnowsAMancartoonisdrawnwithshadingonthe

outfitswhilethecomplexionoftheonemanismuchdarkerthantheotherman’s.

Themenshareonething,however,andthatistheirdisability.Theirdisabilitiesboth

resultedfromengagingincombatinordertoprotecttheunionandendslavery.

Bothmenhavedonesomuchtoprotecttheirvisionofdemocracybutonlythewhite

manisbeingprotectedbythecitizensheisprotecting.

Astimechangesopinionschange.Theopinioninthistimewasthatservicein

wargrantsyoucitizenship.Atfirstblackswerenotallowedtofightinthemilitary.

ButlaterinJuly1862LincolnallowedblackstofightintheUnionarmy.Blackand

whiteregimentsweresegregated,andatfirstblackswerepaidlessthanwhite

soldiersofthesamerank,sevendollarsamonthinsteadofthirteen.Formanyinthis

countrywarisseenasawayofturningboysintomen.Thecartoonistryingto

explainthatsincetheyhavebothexperiencedwarandhavebeenwounded,theyare

bothmen.Howeverwardoesn’tturnboysintomen.AfricanAmericanswerefully

humanandfullymenbeforecombatandwar.Todaytherearemenandwomen

combatants.Theadversitiesofdisabilitycausedincombataresharedbymenand

womentoday.WhiletherewerenofemalesoldiersintheCivilWar,blackwomen

werenurses,scouts,orspies,likeHarrietTubman,ascoutforthesecondSouth

CarolinaVolunteers.

Thiscartoonshowshowthesetwocharactershavelostsomuchfromtheir

injuriesbuttheyhavealsogainedfriendshipandequality.Thecartoonistclearly

thoughtthatwarandsufferingfromwarresultedinacommonhumanityandhe

wantedtoportraythispositiveaspectofwhatwasabrutalandverydifficultwar.

I’mSorryIhavetoDropYouSamboisanothercartoonthattellsusagreat

dealabouttensepoliticalclimatesandhowpeopleexpressedtheirpoliticalviewsof

theCivilWarinwaysthatcouldreachmanyreaders.I’mSorryIhavetoDropYouis

fromtheviewofapersoncritiquingtheNorthandAbrahamLincoln’sclaimsabout

endingslavery.ThestyleofthedrawingsharessomesimilaritieswiththeAMan

KnowsofMancartoon.Theybothhavedetailedshadinganddifferentdepthsand

contoursintheocean.ThecartoondepictstheEmancipationProclamationasaship

thatisquicklysinking.“Sambo”andLincolnabandontheshipbutLincolndecides

thathecan’tsurviveifhehastohelp“Sambo”.Theunionlifebuoycanonlysave

onepersonsoLincolnpushes“Sambo”intothewater.Hetriestodrowntheblack

maninordertosurvive.Lincoln’stophatisfloatingbesidehimandinsideitisthe

Fremont’sEmancipationProclamation.MajorGeneralJohnC.Frémontissuedthis

proclamationinAugust301861inSt.Louis,Missouri.Theproclamationdeclared

thatallthepropertyofthosecarryingweaponsinrebellion,includingslaveswould

betakenaway.Theconfiscatedslaveswouldbedeclaredfree.Giventhatthe

cartoonistshowstheproclamationfloatingaway,thepossibilityofslavesbeingset

freefromtheirrebelmastersisdriftingaway.Tryingnottobedrownedatseais

ironicforAfricanAmericanswhosurvivedtheMiddlePassageandnowweregoing

tobedrowned.Insteadoftwomenbeingdepictedonequalfooting,I’mSorryIhave

toDropYoushowsaworldwhereonlyonegroupofpeoplecansurviveandtheydo

thisattheexpenseofothers.

Theimagesusedinthiscartoonwouldnotmeanthesamethingtodayas

theydidduringtheCivilWartimeperiod.ThecaricatureofSamboisnotcommonly

usedtodayinmoderndaycartoonsthoughtherearesomeexceptions.Samboisa

racistcaricatureofblackpeoplewheretheyarenotconsideredpeoplebutilliterate

animalswithpuffy,biglips,inkblackskinandbulgingwhiteeyes.Thecartoon’suse

oftheword“Sambo”suggestsaracistcaricaturebutthedrawingisless

stereotypical.Weseethemuscularbackandarmsofablackpersontryingnotbebe

pushedunderbyAbrahamLincoln.Notmanypeopletodaywouldknowwhat

Frémont’sEmancipationProclamationrepresents.

TheAtTheSouthcartoonsupposedlyrepresentsablackwoman,amother,talkingto

herchild.Theviewpointsherepresentsisoneofawhitesoutherner.Shethreatens

herchildwiththe‘bigoleBobolitionist’andnottheboogieman,tellingJuliusthatif

hedoesn’tbehavesheisgoingtocallthe“Bobolitionist”andlethimtakeherson.

Thewoman’shomeseemscleanandwelltakencareof.AfricanAmericancultureis

representedbythebanjohangingonthewallwhichAfricanslavesbroughtto

America.Thereisnofatherinthehouseexceptforapossibleimageonthewall

whichrelatestohowblackfathersweretreatedduringslavery.However,the

mother’snicedress,thechairandtablewithaclothoveritseemtotellusthat

slaveshavebetterlivesunderslaverythantheydowhentheyarefreeintheNorth.

Themoststereotypicalpartofthecartoonisthewaythemotherspeaks.The

cartoonistwritesheraccentinawaythatmakesherseemignorant.Shecan’teven

sayabolitionistcorrectlybutinsteadcallsthemBobolitionists.Thiscartoon

supportstheSouth’sclaimsthatslaveswerehappyintheSouthandwerebeing

trickedandforcedintofreedombynorthernabolitionists.Itshowsthemothertobe

justaseasilyfooledasthechild.Thechildisnotjustachildbuthealsorepresents

theSouthandchild‐likeSouthernblackswhoneedtobeprotectedagainsttheNorth

andfreedom.

Politicalcartoonsallowusauniqueopportunitytoseepoliticalmomentsand

divisionsthroughtheeyesofthepeoplelivingthroughit.Politicalcartoonswere

monumentalintheshapingofmanyopinionsandalsotheshapingoftheCivilWar.

ThecartoonsoftheCivilWareraprovidesuswithvaluableinformationintohow

cartoonscanexpresstheracismofsocietyaswellastheangeratthatracism.For

example,H.J.LewissharedauniqueinsightonanAfricanAmericansasmost

cartoonistswerewhite.Cartoonistsallowustocriticizethewaysocietyworksby

pokingfunatitandtheyalsoexpresshopefornewwaysofthinkingandlivingwith

religious,racialandpoliticaldifference.

Bibliography

PrimarySources:

“AttheSouth.”Harper’sWeekly28January1860.“AManKnowsaMan.”Harper’sWeekly22April1865.“I’mSorryIHavetoDropYouSambo.”Harper’sWeekly12October1861Jennings,John.PersonalInterview.13January2016.Lewis,HenryJackson.“SelfPortrait.”TheFreeman13July1889.‐‐‐.“Untitled.”UnpublishedCartoon.1889‐91.DuSableMuseumofAfrican

AmericanHistory,Chicago.

SecondarySources:

Edwards,Rebecca.“PoliticsasSocialHistory:PoliticalCartoonsintheGilded

Age”.OAHMagazineofHistory13.4(Summer1999):11‐15.

Goldner,EllenJ.“TheArtofIntervention:TheHumorofSojournerTruthand

theAntebellumPoliticalCartoon”.MELUS37.4(Winter2012):41‐67.

Jeter,MarvinD.,andMarkCervenka.Common‐Place.org.7.3(April2007):

http://www.common‐place‐archives.org/vol‐07/no‐03/jeter‐cervenka.

Lewin,J.G.andP.J.Huff.LinesofContention:PoliticalCartoonsoftheCivilWar.

NewYork:HarperCollins,2007.

Sachsman,DavidB.,S.KittrellRushingandRoyMorrisJr.SeekingaVoice:

ImagesofRaceandGenderinthe19thCentury.WestLafayette:Purdue

UniversityPress,2009.

Taylor,GarlandMartin.“OutofJest:TheArtofHenryJacksonLewis.”Critical

Inquiry40.3(Spring2014):198‐202