illustrating war and race: political cartoons and the ... · illustrating war and race: political...
TRANSCRIPT
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.
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Sachsman,DavidB.,S.KittrellRushingandRoyMorrisJr.SeekingaVoice:
ImagesofRaceandGenderinthe19thCentury.WestLafayette:Purdue
UniversityPress,2009.
Taylor,GarlandMartin.“OutofJest:TheArtofHenryJacksonLewis.”Critical