Amos Announcing at the White House the Result of the N York Election
date: label: Date made
content: 1837
name: label: depicted
content: Van Buren, Martin
label: depicted
content: Jackson, Andrew
label: depicted
content: Kendall, Amos
label: maker
content: Swett, Moses
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: This print is a reference to the New York state election of 1837, where the Democrats lost to the Whigs. Democratic advisor, Amos Kendall is depicted holding an oversize copy of the newspaper, the “New York Courier and Enquirer,” with part of a headline visible and reading, “Whig Gain.” He reads the news to President Martin Van Buren, a native of New York who was heavily involved in state politics prior to ascending to the presidency, saying, “Oh Sir, we are undone. The Empire State is lost. We are routed in erry [sic] direction. The Whigs have 22,000 maj.” Van Buren who is seated and reviewing various reports on issues such as “Indian Treaties” and the “Treasury,” is visibly angry, holding a similar expression as former president, Andrew Jackson whose portrait he is sitting in front of. Instead of immediately addressing the electoral loss however, Van Buren runs through a list of other concerns, ending with “meanwhile, Blair must make the best of it.” That is a reference to Francis Preston Blair, the editor of the pro-Jackson newspaper, the “Globe.” This print serves to show that Van Buren had bigger things to worry about than the Whigs winning an election, though he should have been worried as he was defeated in the election of 1838 by Whig, William Henry Harrison.
label: Description (Brief)
content: The lithographer of this print is Moses Swett. He began his career in Boston around 1826, working with the Pendletons and Annin and Smith, and as the superintendent of the Senefelder Lithographic Co. from 1828 to 1829. In 1830 he moved to New York, and worked with George Endicott until 1836 when he moved to Washington.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: District of Columbia, Washington
label: depicted
content: United States: District of Columbia, White House
topic: label: Subject
content: Furnishings
label: Subject
content: Communication, newspapers
label: Subject
content: Economy
label: Subject
content: Exploration and Discovery
label: Subject
content: Political Parties
label: Subject
content: Communication, letter writing
label: Subject
content: Chronology: 1830-1839
label: Subject
content: Indians
label: Subject
content: Political Caricatures
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Domestic Life
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content: Clothing & Accessories
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content: Peters Political Prints
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content: Art
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content: Domestic Furnishings
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Harry T. Peters "America on Stone" Lithography Collection
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: DL.60.3400
label: catalog number
content: 60.3400
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Lithograph
label: Object Type
content: Lithograph
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: image: 10 3/4 in x 14 1/2 in; 27.305 cm x 36.83 cm