Right to Petition Cane
date: label: Date made
content: 1844
name: label: associated person
content: Powell, Jay
label: associated person
content: Adams, John Quincy
notes: label: Description
content: Julius Pratt and Company presented John Quincy Adams with this ivory cane made from a single elephant tusk in recognition of his leadership against the Gag Rule. The cane was decorated with a gold-inlaid eagle holding a petition. On the band below the knob is inscribed “justum et tenacem propositi virum” (a man just and firm of purpose). When the rule was defeated on December 3, 1844, the date was added to the eagle’s wings.
topic: label: referenced
content: African American
label: general subject association
content: Slavery
setName: label: See more items in
content: Political History: Political History, Presidential History Collection
label: See more items in
content: Government, Politics, and Reform
label: See more items in
content: American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith
label: Exhibition
content: American Democracy
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: PL.016155
label: catalog number
content: 16155
label: accession number
content: 13152
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Cane
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal, gold (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: silk (tassle material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 91.3 cm; 35 15/16 in
label: Measurements
content: overall top: 2 5/16 in; x 5.842 cm