Content note: Ethnic and racial caricature: an Irish second for Douglas and a kneeling Black man as Lincoln's second, in a pro-Breckinridge satire, shown as published. This object is shown as it was published. Why
"The undecided political prize fight" (anonymous, 1860)
Cartoon of Douglas and Lincoln as boxers in a ring before the White House. Douglas has an Irish second; Lincoln has a kneeling Black man with a basket of bottles as his second. LOC's summary describes Breckinridge in the background thumbing his nose and being cheered toward the house by men doffing hats; at this 640-px size those details cannot be confirmed from the image. Tells: transfer of stigma by pairing each rival with a caricatured group (an Irish second, a kneeling Black second); bandwagon in the cheering crowd behind the third candidate, on LOC's description.
- Date
- 1860
- Period
- Pre-1914
- Made by
- Unidentified publisher (LOC: Cincinnati?), pro-Breckinridge satire
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Cartoon
- Issuer type
- Mixed
- Regime
- Buchanan Administration
- Leader
- James Buchanan
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Persuade or win support
- Event
- 1860 US Election
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division (American cartoon print filing series), retrieved October 2, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain: published 1860, US. LOC reuse note: "No known restrictions on publication."
Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, "The undecided political prize fight" (anonymous, 1860)
Text on the object
THE UNDECIDED POLITICAL PRIZE FIGHT. [lettering on the White House frieze, illegible at this resolution]
Only the title is legible at the 640 px resolution available.
