'After the Morrill Tariff'

'After the Morrill Tariff'

Part of an April, 1861 take on British reactions to the passage of the Morrill Tariff by Congress the month before, printed by the U.S. publication Harper's Weekly.

The second of a pair of images printed by Harper's Weekly concerning the British response to the Morril Tariff's passage. This illustration reflects the aftermath of the Tariff, in which the economic interests of the United Kingdom have usurped the care they had shown the enslaved in the first illustration. The lion-headed John Bull now sides with the Southern slave master, caring for his wellness while berating, demeaning and vilely cursing the slave he once protected, a complete tonal shift from the characteristics and demeanor of his prior appearance.

The transition between the two images is indicative of the northern concern that Britain's economic needs would drive up sympathy for the Southern cause in the war, overcoming their by-then traditional stance against the institution of slavery so widespread throughout the South. The fear lay in the potential that such feelings would lead to greater support for, or an intervention on behalf of, the Confederacy.

Special Collections and College Archives, Musselman Library, Gettysburg College

April 20, 1861

Public Domain

'Before the Morrill Tariff,' the first image of the pair.

English

Still Image, Text

Political Cartoon