Puck — August 29, 1877 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of Puck Magazine Cover, August 29, 1877 This satirical cartoon contrasts two time periods—1868 and 1877—with the Latin caption "Tempora mutantur etc. etc." ("Times change, etc."). The left panel (1868) depicts chaos and violence, likely referencing Reconstruction-era turmoil following the Civil War. The right panel (1877) shows a well-dressed gentleman in a top hat conversing with a military officer, suggesting order and reconciliation have been restored. The joke appears to criticize the dramatic shift from violent upheaval to peaceful accommodation—implying that nine years brought superficial civility while underlying problems remained unresolved. This likely comments on the Compromise of 1877, which ended Reconstruction by withdrawing federal troops from the South, effectively abandoning formerly enslaved people to white Southern control.