"Old Jack, the famous New Orleans mouser" (pro-Jackson print, 1832)
Andrew Jackson, drawn as a large cat (the title calls him 'the famous New Orleans mouser'), pins named opponents drawn as rats on the floor of 'Uncle Sam's Barn', while three onlookers cheer him on. Tells: the animal metaphor (opponents shown as vermin, labelled 'Bank and Clay Rats') is name-calling, and the title blames those rats, which 'burrow'd through the floor', for the threat to the 'capital Corn Crib', which is scapegoating.
- Date
- 1832
- Period
- Pre-1914
- Made by
- Michael Williams, lithographer, New York
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Cartoon
- Issuer type
- Individual
- Regime
- Jackson Administration
- Leader
- Andrew Jackson
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Persuade or win support
- Event
- 1832 US Election
- Techniques
- Name-callingScapegoating
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, retrieved October 2, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain: published in the U.S. in 1832; LOC rights information: "No known restrictions on publication."
Michael Williams (del. et lith.), 'Old Jack, the famous New Orleans mouser, clearing Uncle Sam's barn of bank and Clay rats', New York, 1832; Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-USZ62-55185
Text on the object
Brave, my Boys! keep him in the Barn; and no doubt, but he will keep the Rats away. [speech balloon, left onlooker] What a tail he carries! I guess he is of the Kilkenny breed. [speech balloon, right onlooker] How he nicks them. [speech balloon, right onlooker] I keep in my hole whilst he's in sight. [speech balloon, rat in hole at left] My Cloak does not cover me, as well as I could wish, but this Book with it, will be a good passport to the Corn Crib. [speech balloon, rat in cloak at lower left; the book beside it is labelled BIBLE] My case is desperate [label beside the rat in the cat's mouth] Them d'd Clay-Bank Rats brought me to this. [label beside the rat under the cat's paws] The US Bank Rats are very liberal to us Editor Rats, we must stick to them at all risks. [speech balloon, rat at right] No chance for me whilst he's in the Barn. [label beside rat at lower right] Williams Del et Lith 44 Canal Street N.Y. Copyright secur'd. Old Jack, the famous New Orleans mouser, clearing Uncle Sam's Barn of Bank and Clay Rats, which had burrow'd through the floor, to get at his capital Corn Crib: While Uncle Sam, and his active laborers, stand at the door, enjoying the sport.
Read from a 1280 px conversion of the LOC master TIFF. The dash in 'd'd' is printed as an apostrophe. The cat's tail may carry a printed label that is not legible at this size, so none is transcribed.
