The peoples line--Take care of the locomotive

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The peoples line--Take care of the locomotive

The peoples line--Take care of the locomotive. Incumbent President Martin Van Buren drives Uncle Sams Cab, a carriage pulled by a blindered horse, which wrecks on a pile of Clay. The carriage founders in the path of a locomotive, really an assemblage of a Hard Cider barrel, a log cabin, and the head of Whig presidential candidate William Henry Harrison on wheels. Like The Political Dancing Jack (no. 1840-27), another crude but boldly designed woodcut, The Peoples Line was probably published by Huestis and Company and Robert Elton. Its imprint lists the two addresses used by these publishers on other prints during the 1840 campaign. Date 1840. The peoples line--Take care of the locomotive. Incumbent President Martin Van Buren drives Uncle Sams Cab, a carriage pulled by a blindered horse, which wrecks on a pile of Clay. The carriage founders in the path of a locomotive, really an assemblage of a Hard Cider barrel, a log cabin, and the head of Whig presidential candidate William Henry Harrison on wheels. Like The Political Dancing Jack (no. 1840-27), another crude but boldly designed woodcut, The Peoples Line was probably published by Huestis and Company and Robert Elton. Its imprint lists the two addresses used by these publishers on other prints during the 1840 campaign. Date 1840

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EDITORS COMMENTS
is a powerful political cartoon from the 1840 presidential election in the United States. This woodcut image, created around the date of 1840, depicts a chaotic scene of incumbent President Martin Van Buren losing control of his carriage, "Uncle Sam's Cab," as it careens towards a wreck. The horse pulling the carriage is blindfolded, symbolizing the blind faith some Americans had in Van Buren's leadership. In the path of the runaway carriage lies a pile of clay, representing the Whig Party's candidate, William Henry Harrison. The locomotive, symbolizing the new industrial age and progress, looms ominously in the background. However, this locomotive is not a real machine but an assemblage of a Hard Cider barrel, a log cabin, and Harrison's head on wheels. This crude representation highlights the Whigs' association of Harrison with the common man and the rural, agrarian values of the time. The cartoon's title, "Take Care of the Locomotive," is a playful reference to the Whigs' campaign slogan, "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too," which was often shortened to "Tippecanoe." The phrase "take care of the locomotive" was a response to the Democrats' claim that the Whigs would neglect the country's infrastructure and focus solely on their candidate. This woodcut, which probably originated from Huestis and Company and Robert Elton's publishing house, is a testament to the political satire and visual storytelling that characterized the 1840 presidential campaign. Its bold design and clever use of symbolism continue to captivate historians and political observers today.

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