Emancipated Blacks in the United States, from "Le Journal Illustré"
Engraver Amand Jacob French
After Frédéric Lix French
Not on view
Roughly one month following the end of the American Civil War, "Le Journal Illustré," a French weekly newspaper, published this wood engraving that illustrated the stakes of the Union victory. Although Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, it was not until 1865 that the congress passed the Thirteenth Amendment and the abolition of slavery was assured nationwide. While the image conveys a jubilant celebration of newfound freedom, the commentary that accompanied it was more pessimistic. The text asks what these men and women will do next for work and describes victims of starvation left in the path of triumphant processions such as this.
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