The Wasp — 1877 — page 158: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page presents a six-panel satirical sequence titled "The Nigger in the Past, Present and Future," depicting racist caricatures across different historical scenarios. The panels show: 1. Enslavement and forced labor 2. A figure being "brought to market" 3. Hard labor conditions 4. Maritime/colonial exploitation ("gets his liberty") 5. A caricatured figure at the Capitol building (labeled "Senator") 6. A carriage scene labeled "Our Next President" The cartoon's apparent satirical argument—likely from the Reconstruction era or later—mocks the idea of Black political participation and elevation. It uses dehumanizing racist imagery to argue against Black suffrage, political office, and presidential candidacy, presenting these developments as absurd progressions from slavery. This represents the deeply racist content common in 19th-century American satire.