What They Say of Us & What We Are
William Newman
The public perception of soldiers during the American Civil War was greatly influenced by information released from publications that were often shaded with personal biases. This cartoon by William Newman shows how Northerners felt there was a misperception of how Union soldiers acted and fought. Southerners viewed Northern soldiers as careless and apprehensive as soldiers, and thus they are shown with broomsticks as weapons. In contrast, this cartoon also shows how the Union soldiers viewed themselves as powerful, fearless soldiers willing to viciously fight for their cause. How the public viewed these biased comparisons impacted how they viewed the political issues of the time.
Betsy Hart