Seventh Ward Beggars.
date: label: Date made
content: n.d.
name: label: depicted
content: Jackson, Andrew
label: maker
content: Robinson, Henry R.
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: In this undated caricature, President Andrew Jackson is depicted holding a scepter and a sack of $100,000, while seated upon sacks of money labeled “Surplus Fund.” A horde of bankers are shown kissing his feet and begging for “a portion of your fiscal patronage,” because they are “friends of the administration.” This is in reference to Jackson’s decision to redistribute the money from the Second National Bank to smaller local banks. The Seventh Ward Bank pictured in the back of the image was one of those local banks hoping to receive Federal funds, and additional dialog and phrases appear in the print in reference to the thousands of shares that were distributed to over 100 NY office holders to obtain the Seventh Ward Bank Charter. This cartoon is a critique of Jackson’s distribution methods—seen as undemocratic by his critics, as he favored those who supported him and his interests. Jackson tells the bankers, “such beggars should have their share, but first go and pay honest Reuben M. Whitney.” Whitney was the former U.S. Bank Director and a member of Jackson’s “Kitchen Cabinet” of favored personal advisors. He was known for helping distribute funds to pet banks during the so called Bank War, and for testifying against President of the Second National Bank, Nicolas Biddle and chartered banks. In the background of the print is a reporter from the “Courier and Enquirer,” a Whig aligned newspaper, labeled as a “Spy in Washington,” thus solidifying this print as Whig aligned.
label: Description (Brief)
content: The lithographer of this print is Henry R. Robinson (1827-1877). Robinson worked in New York, and had a store to sell his prints. In 1842, he was arrested for selling obscene pictures and books leading to the September 28, 1842 court case, People vs H. R. Robinson found in the District Attorney Indictment Papers, Municipal Archives. He was politically affiliated with the anti-Jackson Whig party which was made obvious by the wig silhouette used in 1838 as an advertising logo for his shop.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York, New York City
topic: label: Subject
content: Architecture, Commercial Buildings
label: Subject
content: Communication, newspapers
label: Subject
content: U.S. National Government, executive branch
label: Subject
content: Political Caricatures
label: Subject
content: Economy
label: Subject
content: Economy
label: Subject
content: Glasses
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.60.3342
label: catalog number
content: 60.3342
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Lithograph
label: Object Type
content: Lithograph
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: image: 9 7/8 in x 14 1/2 in; 25.0825 cm x 36.83 cm