55th Congress
date: label: date made
content: 1897-1898
label: Associated Date
content: 1897-1899
name: label: referenced
content: House of Representatives
label: maker
content: Berryman, Clifford
notes: label: Description
content: This object is an original pen and ink political cartoon hand drawn on white paper by Clifford Berryman circa 1897-1899 in Washington, D.C. It depicts Thomas Brackett Reed (Speaker of the House and of the Republican Party) standing beside a small picket fence enclosure inscribed 55th Congress. The fence traps men inside in a cramped, overly crowded manner, with several men holding signs. One sign reads "Here We Are." William Sulzer (of New York, also in the 55th Congress and supporter of Cuban independence from Spain) holds a scroll that reads "I can't get this Cuban Resolution in." One man has a tag inscribed "I'm dead" tied around an ankle. Still another has a tag hanging from a leg that reads "I'm mad." It is signed "Berryman" in the lower left area of the illustration. A newspaper clipping is glued to the upper left-hand corner reading: “Tom Reed's reconcentrados continue to mutter, but so far they have refrained from jumping the fence." This cartoon illustrates the difficulties and differing perspectives of the members of the 55th Congress in seeking resolution for Cuba during the time of the Spanish American War. The reference to reconcentrados in the clipping is taken from the term used at the time to describe Cubans forcibly “reconcentrated” from their homes in the rural areas to detention camps run by Spanish military authorities who subjected them to disease and starvation. From this usage, we can interpret that the members of the 55th House who were held captive in the fenced enclosure were opposed to Reed, who appears larger than life outside the enclosure. President McKinley initially sought to avoid war with Spain, but then changed his mind and supported Cuban freedom. Reed disagreed with the President’s decision to engage in war with Spain, resigned from his position as a result of the decision, and returned to private law practice.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: District of Columbia
label: associated place
content: Cuba
topic: label: general subject association
content: Spanish-American War
label: decorative motif
content: Political Caricatures
label: used
content: Satire
label: used
content: Humor
label: related event
content: Spanish-American War
setName: label: See more items in
content: Political History: Political History, Campaign Collection
label: See more items in
content: Government, Politics, and Reform
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Miss Florence S Berryman
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: PL.322733.009
label: catalog number
content: 322733.009
label: accession number
content: 322733
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Cartoon
label: Object Name
content: political cartoon
label: Object Type
content: Drawing
label: Object Type
content: cartoons
label: Object Type
content: editorial cartoons
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: ink (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: pencil (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: hand-drawn (overall production method/technique)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 15 1/8 in x 13 3/8 in; 38.41826 cm x 33.97479 cm