Bunkers Hill or America’s headdress
“Bunkers Hill or America’s headdress,” (London: Published by Matthew Darly 39 Strand, 1776). Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Washington, D.C.
A society of patriotic ladies, at Edenton in North Carolina
Philip Dawe, “A society of patriotic ladies, at Edenton in North Carolina,” (London: Printed for R. Sayer & J. Bennett, 1775). Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Washington, D.C.
The Female Combatants, or Who Shall.
The Female Combatants, or Who Shall, January 26, 1776. Yale University Library.
Background
The events of the American Revolution took place just when political cartoons became very popular in England. People gathered every day at print shops in London to learn the news and see the latest cartoons mocking the events of the day. Politicians quickly learned the power of a good cartoon. There is even evidence that some English politicians hired artists to mock their enemies and improve their own standing.
About the Resources
These three cartoons show how women were portrayed in political cartoons about the American Revolution. “A society of patriotic ladies, at Edenton in North Carolina” is a cartoon about a real event. The women in the cartoon are presented as ugly, immoral, and neglectful of their duties as wives and mothers. The artist drew them this way because he thought it was unnatural for women to publicly share their political opinions. The cartoon also mocks the British government by showing that they have managed the colonies so badly that even women feel like they can openly rebel.
The cartoon “Bunkers Hill or America’s head dress” does not show a real woman. Instead, a woman is shown as a symbol to make a larger point. The woman’s extreme hair style is poking fun at fashions popular with upper-class English women in the 1700s. Placing the Battle of Bunker Hill in the hairdo mocks both the latest fashions and how much trouble the colonial rebellion was causing the British government. This cartoon was produced by a husband-and-wife team named Matthew and Mary Darly. Mary was a master caricaturist who wrote a book on drawing funny caricatures in 1762. Her book was called A book of Caricaturas with ye Principles of Designing in ye Droll and Pleasing Manner.
“The Female Combatants” was created on January 27, 1776. It depicts a fight between a mother and daughter, meant to symbolize the conflict between Great Britain and the North American colonies. The daughter is drawn as an Indigenous woman. Indigenous women were common symbols of the Americas in the colonial period because their cultures were unique to the continents. This choice is also intended to emphasize the wild behavior of the daughter compared to the more genteel English style of her mother. The untamed nature of the daughter also signifies her commitment to “Liberty” and her desire to break free. The tree on the mother’s side has begun to wither, while the tree on the daughter’s side is just beginning to sprout, suggesting the end of one era and the beginning of another. No one knows what the artist was trying to say with this cartoon, so it is open to interpretation. It could be showcasing a need for Britain to tame their wayward colonists, or it could show how the colonists must fight against the tyranny and oppression of their rulers to gain their independence.
Vocabulary
- Battle of Bunker Hill: An American Revolution battle that took place during the Siege of Boston on June 17, 1775.
- caricature: An exaggerated drawing meant to make something or someone look ridiculous.
- engraver: A person who makes printed images from metal plates.
Discussion Questions
- How are women portrayed in “A society of patriotic ladies, at Edenton in North Carolina”? What does this tell us about the artist’s attitudes toward politically active women?
- Why do you think the artists of “Bunkers Hill or America’s head dress” and “The Female Combatants” chose to use women to represent the colonies?
- Based on these three cartoons, how were the colonies being portrayed in England during the American Revolution?
Suggested Activities
- APUSH Connection: 2.7: Colonial Society and Culture
- Combine “A society of patriotic ladies” with the Edenton Tea Party statement for a lesson about women’s political action and public response.
- For a discussion of the many ways women expressed their political opinions during the American Revolution how their actions were received, pair this resource with any or all of the following:
- Challenge students to make their own political cartoon in support of women’s activism during the American Revolution.
- Invite students to study samples from Mary Daly’s A book of Caricaturas with ye Principles of Designing in ye Droll and Pleasing Manner, and devise their own 1700s-style caricatures lampooning figures of the American Revolution.
- Pair “The Female Combatants” image with the Princess Dawn Mist image. How have depictions of Indigenous American women been used to promote a particular vision of American identity? How did this practice contribute to the perpetuation of racist stereotypes of Indigenous Americans?
Themes
POWER AND POLITICS; ACTIVISM AND SOCIAL CHANGE
The New York Historical Curriculum Library Connections
- For resources relating to the American Revolution in New York, see The Battle of Brooklyn.
