The Wasp — 1890 — page 17: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon depicts Uncle Sam (the bearded figure on the right, wearing stars-and-stripes clothing) addressing what appears to be formerly enslaved people or Black Americans in the South. The caption "Uncle Sam to Solid South" references the post-Reconstruction political period when Southern states voted as a bloc ("Solid South") for the Democratic Party. The cartoon critiques the federal government's relationship with the South regarding racial politics and Reconstruction policy. The kneeling/subordinate postures of the Black figures suggest commentary on their political vulnerability or the failure of federal protection after Reconstruction ended. This likely satirizes either the withdrawal of federal troops from the South or broken promises of civil rights protections.