Description:
This cartoon lampoons the Tea Act, enacted by Lord North’s ministry in Spring of 1773. The Act retained an existing tax of three pence per pound on tea imported into America and permitted the East India Company for the first time to sell tea directly to merchants in the colonies. Though it had the net effect of reducing the price of tea, the Sons of Liberty rejected it out of hand with the familiar protest against “taxation without representation.” The Ministry persisted, and in the Fall of 1773 ships carrying East India Company tea set out for Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Charleston. Mass protests in those port cities ensured that the cargoes were never delivered, most famously in Boston, where on December 16 the Sons of Liberty disguised themselves as Indians, boarded the ships and dumped the tea in the Harbor. The Ministry retaliated with the so-called “Intolerable Acts” which closed the Port of Boston, all but ended local self-government in Massachusetts, and imposed other penalties. However the Acts only encouraged solidarity among the colonies, catalyzed the First Continental Congress, and accelerated the descent into revolution. Print illustrates the Boston Tea Party that took place on the night of December 16, 1773, when 342 chests of tea belonging to the East India Company were thrown into Boston harbor by patriots. The action takes place on a map, with the coast of North America to the right and England on the left. Britannia, at upper left, is saddened by the conduct of the rebellious colonists, and voices her distress to the genis of Britain, a winged figure with a spear, standing to her right. Beneath her feet are two groups: to the right are her ministers, chained and led by the all-powerful Lord North who is dominated by the devil; and to the left the East India Company merchants complaining about the destruction of their tea. On the other shore is America, represented as an Indian princess, armed with bow and arrow, supported by her braves, representing the Sons of Liberty. Below them are a group of Tories, who lament the loss of their income and political influence as a result of the boycott of British goods. At the top right, the Goddess of Liberty, holding a pole topped with a liberty cap, discusses the ardor of the colonial efforts with the figure of Fame, sitting on a cloud. Henry Dawkins (fl. 1753-ca. 1786) was born in England and originally trained as a silversmith. He took up engraving before emigrating to New York City in 1754. Dawkins found work engraving book-plates, certificates, trade cards, caricatures, book illustrations, maps, and music first in New York City, then Philadelphia, and again in New York. Dawkins was arrested there in 1776 for counterfeiting paper money, and is last heard of as petitioning Congress for release from jail. The rather crude execution, the complex composition featuring multiple large groups of figures, and the treatment of speech “bubbles” are all consistent with his other large-format political cartoons, though those date to the mid-1760s. This example exhibits hand coloring and is trimmed within the plate margin.
Label Text:
Recto: Inscribed in printed ink, above plate, center: LIBERTY TRIUMPHANT: or the Downfall of the OPPRESSION./ Recto: Inscribed in printed ink, in plate, throughout [in numbered speech bubbles]:
1. Lord N--th. says “We must manage this business with a great deal of Art [skill/finesse]; Or I see we shall not succeed.”/ 2. Lord B—te. says “God’s curse, Mon, ye mon act wie meikle Spirit upon this occasion, or ane’s lost I assure ye.”/ 3. An East India Director says “I wish we may be able to establish our Monopoly in America.”/ 4. The infamous K…y says “Gov T…n will cram the Tea down the Throat of the New Yorkers.”
5. Belzebub, the Prince of Devils, whispering to K--y,” Speak in favor of ye [the] Scheme Now’s the time to push your fortune.”/ 6. The writer of the Papers (signed Poplicola) in favor of the Tea saying “I have prostituted my reason and my Conscience to serve You, and am therefore entitled to some reward.”
7. The Chairman of the India Company replies “If we had succeeded, you should have been provided for.”
8. A Group of India Directors say, “We have just now received the disagreeable intelligence [news] that the Bostonians have destroyed the Tea”; “and that the Philadelphians have compel’d the Ship for their Port to return with the Tea”; “and likewise that the People of New York, are determined to act in the same spirited manner.” . . ./ 9. The Patriotic Duke of Richmond “Had my advice been follow’d, you would not have met with this loss and disappointment.”/ 10. The Genius of Britain asks “Britannia why so much distress’d”/ 11. Britannia replies, “The conduct of those my degenerate Sons will break my Heart.”/ 12. America represented by a Woman, “aid me my sons, and prevent my being Fetterd”/ 13. The Sons of Liberty, represented by the Natives of America,“We will secure our freedom, or die in the Attempt”: “ Lead us to Liberty or Death”; “Lead on, Lead on.”/ 14. The Goddess of Liberty addressing herself to Fame and pointing to her Sons, “Behold the Ardor of my Sons and let not their brave Actions be buried in Oblivion.”/ 15. Fame, “I will trumpet their Noble Deeds, from Pole to Pole.”/ 16. A View of the Tea Ships in the Harbour of Boston/ 17. Capt. Loring’s Vessel with the Tea, Shipwrecked on Cape Cod/ 18. A Group of Disappointed Americans, who were for landing the Tea; in hopes of sharing in the Plunder of their Country./ – The first, at the left laments, “The People have discovered our design to divide them, & we shall never be able to regain their confidence.”/ – Next to him stands a two-faced man, saying, “I am ready to die with grief and vexation, at our Disappointment, As it will blast my hopes of preferment.”/ – The third man exclaims, “Damn the Bostonians, they have been a great means of frustrating our design.” Finally there are a group of four./ – The first says, “We must now make a Virtue of necessity & join against landing the Tea.”/ – His companion answers, “I approve of your Scheme as it will save appearances with the people who are easily deceived.”/ – “Agreed.” “Agreed” say the last two.
Recto: Inscribed in ink, below plate: [List 1-18 identifying numbers within plate]
Subjects:
Engraving; Watercolor painting Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2024.17 |
