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A striking example of this is cartoon from 1868, entitled “This is a white man's government"5 "We regard the Reconstruction Acts (so called) of Congress as usurpations, and unconstitutional, revolutionary, and void" - Democratic Platform” by Thomas Nast. It portrays an African American soldier being stepped on by three men who make up the majority of American society. There is the southerner with a belt buckle with a confederate emblem, a rich northerner with a 5th avenue pin, and an immigrant depicted as a stereotypical Irishman. Each of them wields their votes over the soldier while a black orphanage burns in the background. This cartoon shows the various ways that voters were intimidated. It shows the individual being harassed, in this case by the Democratic Party, as well as attacks directed towards the
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It was often referred to as the military arm of the Democratic Party. One of the first political cartoons after the 15th amendment that shows the disenfranchisement of Black voters is "Everything points to a Democratic victory this fall - Southern Papers.”9 This cartoon shows a polling station controlled by the White League. Through one door, enters a string of similar looking white men, all voting for same person while a group of black men peer through a window on the side of the polling station that has a clear sign saying “No nigger votes here.” If that wasn’t enough, the person in charge of the polling station has a pistol pointed casually at the black me through the window. This cartoon clearly shows how the White League used force and violence to dissuade blacks from voting, though it is not until four years after the ratification of the 15th amendment. The 15th amendment provided a ray of hope to ex-slaves and their desire for equal rights in a racially unequal country. However, because of its passing, the 15th amendment also spurred racial sentiments even more then before 1870. Because of the new amendment, many whites saw there positions of power being threatened. What seemed at first a new found sense of belonging, quickly transformed to an increased sense of alienation and political
It was often referred to as the military arm of the Democratic Party. One of the first political cartoons after the 15th amendment that shows the disenfranchisement of Black voters is "Everything points to a Democratic victory this fall - Southern Papers.”9 This cartoon shows a polling station controlled by the White League. Through one door, enters a string of similar looking white men, all voting for same person while a group of black men peer through a window on the side of the polling station that has a clear sign saying “No nigger votes here.” If that wasn’t enough, the person in charge of the polling station has a pistol pointed casually at the black me through the window. This cartoon clearly shows how the White League used force and violence to dissuade blacks from voting, though it is not until four years after the ratification of the 15th amendment. The 15th amendment provided a ray of hope to ex-slaves and their desire for equal rights in a racially unequal country. However, because of its passing, the 15th amendment also spurred racial sentiments even more then before 1870. Because of the new amendment, many whites saw there positions of power being threatened. What seemed at first a new found sense of belonging, quickly transformed to an increased sense of alienation and political