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The Monkey System or "Every One for Himself at the Expense of His Neighbor!!!!!!!!"

The economic plan known as the "American system" is caricatured in this lithographed political cartoon. The American system is depicted as a menagerie consisting of four cages of monkeys (including one mandrill) who reach between the bars to steal food from other cages. The cages are label...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Edward Williams Clay, 1799-1857 (Creator)
Collection:Historical Society of Pennsylvania cartoons and caricatures collection (#3133)
Date:1831
Alternate Date:1831
Extent:1 loose sheet
Box Number:Box 3
Folder Number:Folder 1
Format: Electronic
Language:English
Published: Edward Williams Clay, 1799-1857
Subjects and Genres:
Lithograph
Political cartoons
Copyright:Please contact Historical Society of Pennsylvania Rights and Reproductions (rnr@hsp.org)
Online Access:https://digitallibrary.hsp.org/index.php/Detail/objects/12341
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id dc-12341
recordtype Dc
hierarchy_top_id rs-4
hierarchy_top_title Digital Records
is_hierarchy_id 0
is_hierarchy_title 0
database_name_str_mv Digital Records
format Electronic
title The Monkey System or "Every One for Himself at the Expense of His Neighbor!!!!!!!!"
spellingShingle The Monkey System or "Every One for Himself at the Expense of His Neighbor!!!!!!!!"
Edward Williams Clay, 1799-1857
title_sort The Monkey System or "Every One for Himself at the Expense of His Neighbor!!!!!!!!"
title_txt_mv The Monkey System or "Every One for Himself at the Expense of His Neighbor!!!!!!!!"
date_txt_mv 1831
year_str_mv 1831
display_date_txt_mv 1831
creator_txt_mv Edward Williams Clay, 1799-1857 (Creator)
author Edward Williams Clay, 1799-1857
author_facet Edward Williams Clay, 1799-1857
author_role Creator
author_sort Edward Williams Clay, 1799-1857
publisher_txt_mv Edward Williams Clay, 1799-1857
publisher Edward Williams Clay, 1799-1857
genre Lithograph
Political cartoons
extent_txt_mv 1 loose sheet
description The economic plan known as the "American system" is caricatured in this lithographed political cartoon. The American system is depicted as a menagerie consisting of four cages of monkeys (including one mandrill) who reach between the bars to steal food from other cages. The cages are labeled "Home," "Consumption," "Internal," and "Improvement." In front of the monkey cages, at far right, stands Henry Clay, a proponent of the economic plan, who calls out "Walk in! Walk in! and see the new improved grand, original American system!" At left, Daniel Webster sits by the door of the menagerie, grinding an organ and singing "Hail Columbia! happy land!" At far left, a man walks into the menagerie and declares "What a humbug!" Historian Frank Weitenkampf identifies this man as Andrew Jackson. This seems unlikely, as most cartoons of Jackson depict the president with unruly white hair and wearing glasses, whereas this man appears younger and has dark hair.
language English
rights_statement_txt_mv Please contact Rights and Reproduction for more information.
collection Historical Society of Pennsylvania cartoons and caricatures collection
collection_number_str_mv 3133
box_number_str Box 3
folder_number_str Folder 1
url https://digitallibrary.hsp.org/index.php/Detail/objects/12341
_version_ 1628355735163240448
score 13.072028

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