Shooting the Christmas Turkey

Object Details

Description (Brief): This print refers to the election of 1848. This election featured Martin Van Buren running as a third party candidate for the Free Soil Party, and the main fear of the Whigs and Democrats was that he would split the vote and steal the presidency from them. That fear is captured in this print. On the left, Democratic candidate Lewis Cass and Whig candidate Zachery Taylor argue over the best way to kill a turkey, while Van Buren depicted as a fox, sneaks from behind and steals the prize. Whig Vice Presidential candidate Millard Fillmore witnesses the theft, saying “I thought the informal fox [Van Buren] was dead, but he has come out of his hole and carried off the prize while we were disputing about the preliminaries.” David Wilmot is standing behind Van Buren holding a copy of the Wilmot Proviso raising his arms in victory. Abolitionist editor Horace Greeley, who had been keeping tally for Call and Taylor, gleefully thumbs his nose at the candidates, making his support of Van Buren known.; The lithographer of the print is James S. Baillie. He was active in New York from 1838 to 1855, and known for his hand coloring as well as lithography. Baillie worked as a colorist for Courier and Ives, but is well known for his own work, including many prints depicting the Election of 1848.
Location: Currently not on view

depicted: Van Buren, Martin; Taylor, Zachary; Fillmore, Millard; Cass, Lewis
possibly depicted: Wilmot, David
depicted: Greeley, Horace
maker: Baillie, James S.

See more items in: Home and Community Life: Domestic Life; Clothing & Accessories; Peters Political Prints; Art; Domestic Furnishings

Subject: Christmas; Wild Animals; Chronology: 1840-1849; Political Parties; Political Caricatures; Birds; Uniforms, Military; Turkeys; Holidays and Celebrations, general; Hunting