American Civil War Political Cartoons
Political Cartoons in History

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During the American Civil War, political cartoons were used by both abolitionists and proponents of slavery to persuade Americans to support their cause. Some of these cartoons mocked prominent figures such as Jefferson Davis or Abraham Lincoln, while others simply offered up their opinion of what life in post-civil war America would be. To abolitionists, this meant an utopia where whites and blacks could peacefully coexist. To Democrats (in the South and the North) this meant painting a racist picture of blacks poisoning society.



'A Man Knows a Man,' Harper's, 22 April 1865.

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"LONG ABRAHAM LINCOLN a Little Longer," by Frank Bellew, 1864.

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"Passage Through Baltimore," by Volck. This print from 1863 mocks Lincoln, who was fearful of being assasinated while travelling to Washington to assume the Presidency.

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"Northern Coat of Arms." This political cartoon is meant to indicate that freedom is too great a responsibility for African-Americans.

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