The Wasp — 1877 — page 20: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical page depicts "The Effect of the Presidential Election—News Upon Both Parties." The four caricatures use racist imagery to show contrasting reactions to election news about Rutherford B. Hayes becoming the next president. The top two panels labeled "South" show Black figures allegedly receiving the news—one happy, one distressed. The bottom two panels labeled "North" show what appear to be white working-class figures with opposite reactions. The satire targets post-Reconstruction politics: Southern white opposition to Republican rule contrasts with Northern Republican support. The racist caricatures reflect the magazine's prejudiced perspective while commenting on sectional political divisions following the 1876 Hayes-Tilden election dispute.