Image
Description
This August 5, 1865, image by Thomas Nast contrasted Confederate politicians and generals begging and pleading for pardons (among them Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens, Congressman Robert Toombs, Admiral Raphael Semmes, Generals Robert E. Lee, Richard Ewell and John Bell Hood) with an African-American Union veteran who lost a leg in service to his country, but does not have the right to vote. Columbia, representing the United States, asks herself, "Shall I trust these men and not this man?"
Source-Dependent Questions
- What are the definitions of the words "Pardon" and "Franchise" in this historical context?
- How did the artist portray the Confederate politicians and generals? How did he portray the African-American Union soldier?
- What type of emotional response was this image intended to bring about? How did the artist structure and draw his image to try and achieve it?
- Given the structure and imagery, how did the author want his audience to answer the question that Columbia posed, which is " Shall I trust these men, and not this man?"
Citation Information
Nast, Thomas, "Pardon. Franchise Columbia. -- "Shall I trust these men, and not this man?" / / Th. Nast.," Harper's Magazine Co., 5 August 1865. Courtesy of Library of Congress