The American Rattle Snake

The American Rattle Snake is a political cartoon drawn by James Gillray and published by William Richardson on April 12, 1782. One of Gillray's earliest prints, it depicts a rattlesnake, symbolizing America, coiled around some British units. It was donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art by William Henry Huntington in 1883 but is not available to be viewed.[1]

The American Rattle Snake
ArtistJames Gillray
Year1782
MediumEtching
SubjectRattlesnake
Dimensions8.5 by 12.5 in (22 by 32 cm)
LocationMetropolitan Museum of Art

Description

The cartoon describes the Siege of Yorktown in 1781, where American and French troops surrounded the British Army, causing generals John Burgoyne and Charles Cornwallis to surrender. The snake symbolizes America and France, as they had previously used the reptile on the Gadsden flag, making it an early emblem of the country.[2][3]

Text on the snake's tongue states "Two British Armies I have thus Burgoyn'd, And room for more I've got behind." Its tail holds up a sign saying "An Apartment to lett for Military Gentlemen."

See also
  • Join, or Die, a political cartoon that also features a rattlesnake

References
  1. "Attributed to James Gillray - The American Rattle Snake". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  2. "Prints & Photographs Online Catalog". Library of Congress. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  3. "British cartoons on Britain's defeat in the war, 1782" (PDF). America in Class. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
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