British Lion Disarmed. The,

• Price: $75.00
  

  SKU: 91410

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• ARTIST: Thomas Nast

• PUBLISHER: Published by Harper's Weekly. August 1, 1868.

• MEDIUM: Engraving,

  DATE: 1868.

• EDITION SIZE: Image size 8 7/8 x 13 11/16" (22.5 x 34.8 cm).

• DESCRIPTION: Below the title, a quote from the Prince of Wales reads: “The United States and England are united by too many bonds to make war possible; but for myself I am anxious to have every point in dispute amicably settled, and the two countries may then become one in policy, as they already are, I firmly believe, in sentiment and origin.” These remarks, made to the artist Albert Bierstadt, frame the hopeful tone of the cartoon. <br><br> At the center of the image, Columbia—America’s national personification—boldly clips the claws of the British lion with a tool labeled Alabama Claims. To the left, American naval ships engage in wartime battle, while on the right stands a British fort, symbolizing the international tension. <br><br> The cartoon refers to the U.S. demand for reparations from Britain after the Civil War. Several Confederate warships, including the notorious CSS Alabama, had been built and launched from British shipyards, despite Britain’s official neutrality. The United States claimed these actions had prolonged the war and demanded compensation. <br><br> Though the actual settlement wouldn’t come until 1872—when Britain agreed to pay the U.S. $15.5 million in damages—this cartoon reflects Thomas Nast’s confident view that justice would prevail. In his eyes, Columbia's steady hand and resolve signaled that America would hold Britain accountable, peacefully but firmly.

• ADDITIONAL INFO:

• CONDITION: Good condition.

• REFERENCE:

• CATEGORIES: 18th-19th Century Subjects , Caricatures and Satirical , Thomas Nast