The Rats Caught
date: label: Date made
content: 1831
label: Date made
content: 1831-05-14
name: label: depicted
content: Jackson, Andrew
label: depicted
content: Van Buren, Martin
label: depicted
content: Branch, John
label: depicted
content: Ingham, Samuel D.
label: depicted
content: Eaton, John Henry
label: depicted
content: Green, Duff
label: maker
content: Imbert, Anthony
notes: label: Description
content: This popular black and white print refers to the break-up of President Andrew Jackson’s cabinet that happened in 1831. This breakup of the so-called Kitchen Cabinet was highly unusual, as it was personal disputes amongst the wives of politicians rather than political ones that upset the cabinet. Known as the Petticoat Affair, this dispute centered on Margaret Eaton, the wife of the Secretary of War, John Eaton. Other cabinet wives like Second Lady Floride Calhoun, and Jackson’s niece and official White House Hostess, Emily Donelson, felt that Eaton was not a proper lady and lacked the moral standard needed to be married to a cabinet member. This questioning of her character stemmed from her marriage to Eaton, deemed hasty and drenched in controversy due to rumors that they had an affair before her first husband had passed. Jackson sympathized with the Eatons and supported them, as he felt that the death of his beloved wife, Rachel was due to the stress of intense campaign trail speculation that her marriage was not legal. After years of tension, Jackson called for the resignation of anti-Eaton cabinet members, with only Eaton aligned Secretary of State, Martin Van Buren and Postmaster General, William T. Barry staying on. In this print, Jackson is looking through a kitchen window at three rats caught in traps. Each rat has the head of a resigned cabinet member, including Secretary of War John Eaton, Secretary of the Navy John Branch, and Secretary of the Treasury Samuel D. Ingham. Martin Van Buren, labeled “The Magician,” is looking through the door. In the right corner is Duff Green, editor of the United States Telegraph, operating a telegraph, and complaining that there will be "no more public printing" in reference to losing the government printing jobs after his break with Jackson over the Eaton affair.
label: Description
content: The lithographer of this print is Anthony Imbert. Imbert is considered a pioneer of American lithography, but he got his artistic start painting marine scenes inspired by his long imprisonment in England as a naval officer. Upon arriving in America, he was commissioned to prepare lithographic plates for illustration, leading to a long career in lithography. He captured life in New York City, and many of his prints are important for historical documentation of the city. Anthony Imbert died around 1838 as his wife, Mary Imbert is listed as a widow in that year’s city directory.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York, New York City
topic: label: Subject
content: Economy
label: Subject
content: U.S. National Government, executive branch
label: Subject
content: Chronology: 1830-1839
label: Subject
content: Political Caricatures
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Domestic Life
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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.60.3435
label: catalog number
content: 60.3435
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Lithograph
label: Object Type
content: Lithograph
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: image: 10 3/8 in x 8 3/4 in; 26.3525 cm x 22.225 cm