The election, a medley, humbly inscribed to Squire Lilliput, professor of scurrility

Cartoon shows the old courthouse in Philadelphia during the October 1, 1764 election where a line of men wait at the steps on the right to enter the courthouse and cast their votes; in the foreground, many men, several clergymen and one female slave among them, comment on the candidates and their parties, politics, and religion, as well as referencing current events and social or political organizations, such as the "White Oaks." A black servant reassures his master that he will take care of his "toes", and two black boys converse together. Includes a lengthly "medley" of verses sung to a variety of tunes popular at the time.

This pro-Benjamin Franklin cartoon is one of the earliest American-created pictures of voting. Henry Dawkins, to whom this work is attributed, created satirical images for opposing sides of the hotly contested 1764 Pennsylvania election in which Presbyterians unseated Benjamin Franklin (in the only election he ever lost) and the Quaker Party with which he was affiliated.

Purchase; William Reese Company; 2010; (DLC/PP-2010:080).

Exhibited in: "Creating the United States" at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., 2010-2011.

dove david james franklin benjamin political activity voting pennsylvania philadelphia political elections courthouses men songs broadsides engravings american political cartoons election medley squire lilliput squire lilliput professor scurrility history of philadelphia vintage images 1764 race relations slavery slaves 18th century black history cartoon prints american henry dawkins ultra high resolution high resolution scientists founding fathers benjamin franklin publishers engraving library of congress

01/01/1764

Library of Congress

http://www.loc.gov/

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