Figure 1.--The 1840s was a tumultous decade in Europe The Potato Famine (1845-48)in Irland devatated the British controlled island killing 1.5 million peole and driving more than a million into exile. Most came to America. The Revolutions of 1848 were a Continent-wide eruption. The revolutionaries succeeded in France, but failed elsewhere. The impact was increased emigration to America, especially from German. the resulkt was a rise of anti-immigrant. And the fact that many f the new immigrants, especially the Irish intensified anti-Catholic feeling which can be seen in this 1855 N. Currier cartoon, “The Propagation Society. More Free than Welcome." Pope Pius IX is depicted with a and a boatload of his bishops trying to ruin the United States, getting a foothold through Irish immigration. Notice the sprig of shamrock being used to anchor the Catholic boat. Probably drawn by Louis Maurer. Notice the evolving image of Uncle Sam, at the time also called Brother Johnathan. Click on the image for more information and the text of the bubble comments.

The 1840s was a tumultous decade in Europe The Potato Famine (1845-48)in Ireland devastated the British controlled island killing 1.5 million peole and driving more than a million into exile. Most came to America. The Revolutions of 1848 were a Continent-wide eruption. The revolutionaries succeeded in France, but failed elsewhere. In the case of Hungary, monly because of he intervention of the Tsarist Army. The impact was increased emigration to America, especially from German. the resulkt was a rise of anti-immigrant. And the fact that many of the new immigrants, especially the Irish intensified anti-Catholic feeling which can be seen in this 1855 N. Currier cartoon, “The Propagation Society. More Free than Welcome." Pope Pius IX is depicted with a and a boatload of his bishops trying to ruin the United States, getting a foothold through Irish immigration. Notice the sprig of shamrock being used to anchor the Catholic boat. Probably drawn by Louis Maurer. Notice the evolving image of Uncle Sam, at the time also called Brother Johnathan.

Historical Background

The 1840s was a tumultous decade in Europe The Potato Famine (1845-48)in Ireland devastated the British controlled island killing 1.5 million peole and driving more than a million into exile. Most came to America. The Revolutions of 1848 were a Continent-wide eruption. The revolutionaries succeeded in France, but failed elsewhere. In the case of Hungary, monly because of he intervention of the Tsarist Army. The impact was increased emigration to America, especially from German. the result was a rise of anti-immigrant sentimet. Images like this are common in American high school textbooks which is reasonable given the importance of immigration in American history and the strenhth of anti-immigrant feeling. What is often not reported is the reason why anti-Catholic feeling was so intense. It is basically depicted as irrational religious bigotry without any attention to the very real historical basis for religious conflict.

The Cartoon

And the fact that many of the new immigrants, especially the Irish intensified anti-Catholic feeling which can be seen in this 1855 N. Currier cartoon, “The Propagation Society. More Free than Welcome." Pope Pius IX is depicted with a and a boatload of his bishops trying to ruin the United States, getting a foothold through Irish immigration. Notice the sprig of shamrock being used to anchor the Catholic boat.

Propagation Society

This cartoon is both anti-Catholic cartoon and anti-immigrant. The focus is on Cathocism and the danger many Americans saw as posed by the expanding Roman Catholic influence resulting from Irish immigration and Catholic education. The "Propagation Society" probably refers to the Catholic proselytizing organization, the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. Venerable Pauline Jaricot founded the Society was founded in Lyon, France (1822). Money was collected to support the huge vast Diocese of Louisiana and the Two Floridas now part of Protestant United States. this was a huge area extended from the Florida to Canada. There were, however few Catholics in the area, except around New Orleans at the mouth of the Missippi. Much of the Spanish population of Florida left after the United States purchased Florida fom Spain (1819). The French population in New Orleans remained.

Scene

This Currier and Ives lithograph is entitled, "The Propagation Society--More Freedom than Welcome." On a shore marked "United States," Brother Jonathan (the Uncle Sam character)is whittling, leans against a flagpole flying the stars and stripes. Young America, a boy in a short coat and striped trousers, stands at left, holding out a Bible toward Pope Pius IX. Protestants place more empasis on reading the Bible than Catholics. It was one of the issues ppawning the Reformation. The Pope is stepping ashore from a boat. The Poper holds aloft a sword in one hand and a cross in the other. Still in the boat are five bishops. One holds the boat to the shore with a crozier hooked round an irish shamrock.

Bubble Comments

The Pope says, "My friend we have concluded to take charge of your spiritual welfare, and your temporal estate, so that you need not be troubled with the care of them in future; we will say your prayers and spend your money, while you live, and bury you in the Potters Field, when you die. Kneel then! and kiss our big toe in token of submission." Brother Jonathan (Uncle Sam) says, "No you dont, Mr. Pope! your'e altogether too willing; but you cant put 'the mark of the Beast' on Americans." The boy labeled as Young America says, "You can neither coax, nor frighten our boys, Sir! we can take care of our own worldly affairs, and are determind to 'Know nothing' but this book, to guide us in spiritual things." The 'Know nothing' comment is a double entendre, refering to the anti-immigrant nativist political American Party whih became best known as the Know Nothngs. The first bishopsays, "I cannot bear to see that boy, with that horrible book." The second bishop says,"Only let us get a good foot hold on the soil, and we'll burn up those Books and elevate this Country to the Same degree of happiness and prosperity, to which we have brought Italy, Spain, Ireland and many other lands." Of course these are also poor countries compared to the riding American republic. The third bishop says, "Sovereign Pontiff! say that if his friends, have any money, when he dies; they may purchase a hole, for him in my cemetery, at a fair price." The fourth bishop says, "Go ahead Reverend Father; I'll hold our boat by this sprig of shamrock.""

Louis Maurer (1832-1932)

Thev cartoon here was probably drawn by Louis Maurer. Interestingly, he was a German immigrant. Hr was an important 19th century illustrator and lithographer. He was born in Biebrich, Germany. This was part of Hesse in western Germany. He studied anatomy, mechanical drawing, and lithography in Mainz before emigrating to America as a young man (1851). He got a job working as a lithographer at the firm of T.W. Strong, but also began working with Currier and Ives, the most important producer of lithographic images in America (1852). He is believed to have done the lithograph here a few years later (1855). Many of his images depict heroic images and Americana. During the American Civil War, Maurer worked as a shooting instructor in Palisades Park. After the War, he was later a partner in the lithography firm of Heppenheimer & Maurer until his retirement (1884). A bout this time, he began to study art in an academic setting at the age of 50 years. He began at the Gotham Art Academy and later at the National Academy under William Merritt Chase. He was the father of the American painter Alfred Henry Maurer, no particular succesful at the time, but highly regarded by modrn critics.

Uncle Sam

The Uncle Sam was a image that evolved out of the War of 1812. A similar figure was Brotyher Hohnathan. The modern image of Unvcle Sam was not yet ully formed. Notice the evolving image of Uncle Sam, at the time also called Brother Johnathan. There was a smoetimes a difference seen between the two. But in the minds of many at the time, they were inter-changeable.

Created: 4:05 AM 3/15/2019
Last updated: 4:39 AM 3/15/2019