Civil War Propaganda Scrapbooks
name: label: Donor
content: Campbell, Jean H.
label: Names
content: Davis, Jefferson, 1808-1889
label: Names
content: Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865
place: label: Place
content: United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
title: label: Topic
content: Military
topic: label: Topic
content: Propaganda
label: Topic
content: Flags -- United States
label: Topic
content: Patriotism
label: Topic
content: Executions and executioners
label: Topic
content: Devil
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Collection donated by Jean H. Campbell, 2016.
creator: label: Donor
content: Campbell, Jean H.
setName: label: See more items in
content: Civil War Propaganda Scrapbooks
abstract: label: Summary
content: This collection contains three scrapbooks filled with Civil War propaganda primarily from the North's perspective.  The scrapbooks include illustrated envelopes as well as clippings from envelopes, magazines, and almanacs.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: In the early years of the Civil War, pictorial envelopes were produced by printing companies, in both the North and the South. Other images came from sources such as almanacs and popular magazines.  Propaganda in general was used to enhance morale among the soldiers and citizens that lived in the North and South.  It helped spread the goals of both sides in simple terms that were exaggerated, dark, or even comical.

Northern printing companies created a profitable business, primarily printing envelopes that focused on preserving the Union.  In the South, the propaganda and envelopes centered around the Confederate flag and what it stood for, but this was not continued at a steady rate throughout the war.  Because they lacked manufacturing, the Confederacy was forced to import paper as well as ink from the North and England.  This became a large problem for them when the North established the blockade, isolating the South from their usual imports.  Ultimately, the North created more envelopes and designs than the South since it did not rely on imports to produce them.  

Veronique Greenwood, "Civil War Envelopes are Works of Art – And Propaganda," National Geographic, December 10, 2015. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/12/151210-civil-war-envelopes-art-propaganda-artifacts/.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 0.15 Cubic feet (1 box)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1861 - 1861
custodhist: label: Custodial History
content: The donor was unsure which side of her family the scrapbooks came from or who compiled them.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.1372
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Cartoons (humorous images)
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: Collection is arranged into one series.

Series 1: Scrapbooks, 1861
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection was processed by Rebecca Kuske, 2016.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Cartoons (humorous images)
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Three scrapbooks, into which propagandistic cartoons and images have been pasted. Many of the images are on envelopes, and the entire envelopes are pasted into the books. In other cases, images are clipped out and pasted in. With just three exceptions, the items in the scrapbooks are pro-Union and anti-Confederate. Few items are dated but the dates that are included are all 1861. Many of the items are patriotic, and contain images of the US flag, refer to the Constitution, praise Lincoln and various Union generals, or contain inspirational poetry. Most indicate confidence in an eventual Union victory, depict Lincoln, Union generals and Union soldiers as fearsome and heroic. Many others lampoon Jefferson Davis, with images depicting him, or Southerners in general, as the Devil or as one of various animals. Many violent images are included, some showing Jefferson Davis being executed.