Civil War Cartoons

Civil War Cartoons are satirical engravings that capture an artist's response to current events, often influencing its viewing public. They were published in illustrated newspapers and magazines through most of the 1850's and 1860's. These caricatures aimed to poke fun at anyone and anything related to the Civil War. Included are topics such as Secession, Jefferson Davis, race relations, Uncle Sam, relations with England, battle scenes, and well-known politicians.

The American Antiquarian Society's collection of Civil War Cartoons includes over 600 items. They were extracted from the pages of illustrated journals, periodicals, and newspapers such as Frank Leslie's Budget of Fun, and The Comic Monthly.

The collection was donated by Dr. Samuel B. Woodward of Worcester in 1934, and is housed in four boxes. Boxes one and two are the "Humors of war," and are sorted by date. The second two boxes of "American Caricatures" are sorted by topic. A collection inventory is available online.

-Terri Tremblay, Assistant Curator of Graphic Arts