"Congress - 14th Amendment 2nd section," 1902

    This 1902 political cartoon by Edward Windsor Kemble depicted Congress as a fat man asleep in a hammock labeled “Law Enforcement” while a broken gun labeled “14th Amendment, 2nd Section” laid below him. A young African-American boy stood nearby holding a drum, but an elephant in the background cautioned, “Don’t wake him up!”
    Courtesy of Library of Congress, Kemble, Edward W., "Congress - 14th Amendment 2nd section / Kemble," 1902

    Description

    This 1902 political cartoon by Edward Windsor Kemble depicted Congress as a fat man asleep in a hammock labeled "Law Enforcement" while a broken gun labeled "14th Amendment, 2nd Section" laid below him. A young African-American boy stood nearby holding a drum, but an elephant in the background cautioned, "Don’t wake him up!" The second section of the 14th Amendment provided for reducing a state's apportionment in Congress if the state prevented any male from voting for any reason other than participation in a rebellion or crime. Calls by African-American groups were made to enforce it, but no serious attempts by the Republican-led Congress were made.

    Source-Dependent Questions

    • What political symbols are included in the image that gives you insight into the artist's perspective on enforcing the 14th Amendment?
    • Using evidence from the cartoon and your understanding of its message, provide a title for it.

    Citation Information 

    Kemble, Edward W., "Congress - 14th Amendment 2nd section / Kemble," 1902. Courtesy of Library of Congress

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