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Abraham Lincoln: Devil or Saint?
Although every American president has been a popular target for political cartoons, Abraham Lincoln was particularly suited for caricature. His controversial and widely disputed policies as well as his physical appearance were virtually made for the pens of caricaturists. His tall and gangly stature is exaggeratedly depicted in every cartoon.
A. Lincoln was a polarizing figure in the era leading up to and during the Civil War. Being a firm believer in the importance of the Union, and vowing to defend the United States against any attempt at secession by state's rights advocates made Lincoln a very controversial figure, especially in the South.
Caricatures of Lincoln reflect these differing views surrounding his policies and action. Perhaps no caricature expresses graphically these divergent opinions of Lincoln as clearly as Thomas Nast's first published political cartoon "President Lincoln's Inaugural" from the New York Illustrated News, March 9, 1861. Nast shows Lincoln perceived in the North as fair-minded, moderate, open to compromise, and desirous of peace. He shows Lincoln in the South seen as a conquering subjugator determined to make war and trample individual rights.
The South's view of Lincoln is best expressed in Volck's "The Emancipation Proclamation." Lincoln at his desk is shown surrounded by demonic imagery: goats' heads, vultures and a little devil holding an inkwell. By depicting Lincoln as in league with the devil, Volck engages in strong war propaganda.
In contrast, Nast idealized Lincoln throughout the Civil War as the savior of the Union. After Lincoln's assassination, he even went so far as to portray him as a holy martyr and saint who had given his life for a noble cause.
Far beyond the Civil War era, Abraham Lincoln has remained a symbol in political cartoons. According to Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer, there is "nothing mroe enduring [than Lincoln' in the pantheon of American cartooning." |