1-150-261 - The Cartoon Collector/Heritage-Images

'Cæsar et Imperator', 1861. It was reported on the 10th July 1861 in The Times that the Emperor Napoleon 'puts down the Slave trade carried on on the coast of Africa by French agents under the pretext of hiring and service'. Here, this news is greeted by the stereotyped and childlike African native who grasps Napoleon's hand warmly and greets him as a brother. The British public were quite solidly against the rights of the Southern States to own slaves. However, this cartoon does display some signs of contemporary views of African features as can be seen in the 'tribal' dance and the almost prehensile toes, especially on the left foot. The condescending attitude to blacks is also evident in the speech, including a parody of the abolitionist slogan, 'Am I Not a Man and a Brother?' From Punch, or the London Charivari, July 20, 1861.