“Before Election / After Election” — Anti-McClellan Political Cartoon Broadside
Circa 1864 - Frame: 9 x 4¼ inches; sight: 7¾ x 3 inches
 
A scarce Civil War–era political cartoon broadside satirizing Democratic presidential candidate General George B. McClellan during the election of 1864, presented here in a period-style frame. The vertically arranged sheet contrasts scenes titled “Before Election” and “After Election,” employing visual satire to mock the expectations of McClellan’s supporters and the anticipated collapse of their platform.
 
The upper vignette depicts members of the “Sons of Liberty”—a Northern anti-war organization frequently associated with Democratic opposition to the Lincoln administration—confidently anticipating victory. Beneath, an eagle appears above the caption “Cessation of Hostilities — Our Platform,” alluding to the Democratic peace platform advanced during the campaign.
 
The lower vignette, titled “After Election,” shows “Little Mac” badly defeated, with the text humorously describing the candidate and his followers retreating after the anticipated electoral loss. Such printed political satires circulated widely during the heated 1864 contest between Abraham Lincoln and George B. McClellan, a campaign that unfolded amid the ongoing Civil War and intense national debate over the conduct and continuation of the conflict.
 
Political caricatures of this type formed an important component of Civil War campaign propaganda, offering vivid insight into the partisan rhetoric and popular visual culture of the period.
 
Condition: Very fine, with light toning consistent with age