Alexander Somers History 21 November 17, 2017 “Things are happening so fast:” The Devil and Jefferson Davis April 12, 1861. The brewing of war was on the brink. The silence may have been maddening for some. It would be too soon before the first shots by the Confederacy would take over the northern controlled Fort Sumter. The history of the United State would be changed forever and the path to peace seemed to be less than possible. The onset of the Civil War will never be forgotten; however, the administration leading to those first shots on that early spring morning are what set the tone forever. Jefferson Davis, the elected president of the Confederacy, will forever be known for “[leading] a cause that went down to a disastrous defeat …show more content…
This well known newspaper, published during the Civil War, provided readers with in-depth analyses of the war. Though the original artist of the cartoon is unreadable, the newspaper cartoon has several distinguishing characteristics that makes it a powerful statement during such an unstable time. To begin, the cartoon is a caricature of President Jefferson Davis who is drawn to resemble the devil. He sits on a book titled, The History of the Southern Confederacy. Attached to his devil’s tail is a flag including the skull and crossbones. However, what is draw and even more powerful than the the visualization of the devil is the activity he is working on: warming his hands over a bucket that includes the burning city of Charleston. The smirk that resonates off of Davis’ face provides newspaper readers with a chilling reality of the satisfaction that the Confederate president had in relation to the war beginning in Charleston (“King Jeff the First” …show more content…
Having heard a great deal about Jefferson Davis and the 21st century uses of the Confederate flag and the controversy around the meaning of these flags along with statues and other monuments remembering the “heroes” of the south. The debate among many in our country was triggered when Dylan Roof attempted to start a “race war” when he killed nine African-Americans in South Carolina. More unrest occurred when many protestesters fought for a statue of Robert E. Lee to come down in Charlottesville, Virginia (Criss and