Spirit of the Times.
date: label: Date made
content: 1836
name: label: depicted
content: Jackson, Andrew
label: depicted
content: Louis Philippe King of France
label: maker
content: Desobry, Prosper
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: This 1836 print is a response to President Andrew Jackson’s mission to claim the twenty five million francs owed to the United States as payment for French spoliation during the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815). During the Napoleonic Wars (1803 to 1815), France, ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, and their allies, engaged in a series of major conflicts as an extension of the French Revolution. The main target of these conflicts was Great Britain and their allies, but American merchant ships were often damaged by the French Navy. Negotiations to ratify these marine losses began during the war, but rather than helping, they are partially to blame for the War of 1812 as they aggravated the British. Dealings with France regarding this issue were at a stalemate, but early in his first term Jackson proposed the Franco-American Treaty of 1831, calling for France to pay twenty five million francs to the United States to cover the spoliation claims from American merchants. France led by King Louis Phillipe paid European claims, but ignored those of the United States. This angered Jackson, and he threatened military intervention if France did not pay. The threats frustrated France, but they agreed to pay if Jackson apologized. When he refused, payment was again taken off the table. In this print, King Louis is represented by a crow wearing a crown, and Jackson is personified as an eagle perched over a nest of eaglets tucked in an American flag. They are exchanging words across the Atlantic Ocean. Jackson threatens damage to France if King Louis doesn’t “pay the Debt you justly owe,” and Louis retorts that he will only pay if Jackson apologizes. In the middle of the print, is “John Bull,” the personification of Great Britain, crossing the Atlantic “to baulk the cock of all his boasted pride and Eagle’s passion to subside.” In 1836, Jackson finally conceded to France’s desire for an apology, and Great Britain stepped in to help negotiate payment between the United States and France.
label: Description (Brief)
content: The lithographer of this print is Desobry Prosper. He was active in New York from 1824 to 1844, working with the Chanou and Desobry.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York, New York City
topic: label: Subject
content: Patriotism and Patriotic Symbols
label: Subject
content: Chronology: 1830-1839
label: Subject
content: Diplomacy
label: Subject
content: Birds
label: Subject
content: Turkeys
label: Subject
content: Political Caricatures
label: depicted
content: John Bull
label: depicted
content: Eagles
label: depicted
content: Flags
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.60.3346
label: catalog number
content: 60.3346
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Lithograph
label: Object Type
content: Lithograph
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: image: 11 1/8 in x 19 1/2 in; 28.2575 cm x 49.53 cm