A SCENE ON THE FRONTIERS AS PRACTICED BY THE HUMANE BRITISH AND THEIR WORTHY ALLIES!

Dateca. 1814

Artist/Maker L. G.

After work by William Charles (1776-1820)

OriginAmerica

MediumEtching and line engraving on laid paper with hand coloring

DimensionsOverall: 13 1/2 × 16 1/2in. (34.3 × 41.9cm)

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1999-24

DescriptionUpper Margin:
"A SCENE ON THE FRONTIERS AS PRACTICED BY THE HUMANE BRITISH AND THEIR WORTHY ALLIES!"

Lower Margin:
"Arise Columbia’s Sons and forward press,/ Your Country’s wrongs, call loudly for redress,/ The savage Indian with his scalping knife/ Or tomahawk, may seek to take your life,/

By Bravery aw’d, they’ll in a dreadfull fright/ Shrink back for refuge to the woods in flight,/ Their British leaders will then shake,/ And those wrongs shall restitution make."

British Officer to Indian: “Bring me the Scalps/and the King our Master will reward you!”

Sign on rifle: “Reward for 16 — Scalps”

Lower right corner: "L.G."
Label TextThis political print marked by the engraver “LG” is a copy of an engraving by William Charles (1776-1832), a Scottish engraver and political cartoonist known for his works of political satire produced during the War of 1812. ‘A Scene on the Frontiers’ was his earliest print in this category, circa 1813. This pirated copy of Charles’ print was cheaply made and slightly altered by “LG” who reproduced this version in reverse from the original.

The claim that the English incentivized scalps for weapons is unsubstantiated, but rumors were spread early during the War of 1812 that the English set up a system of payment with their Native American allies in return for American scalps. English military leaders, who thought of themselves as civilized and honorable combatants, assured their enemy that they prioritized the protection of American prisoners and wounded against Native violence. This American engraving parodied the perceived “humanity” of the British military by depicting an officer paying their allies in blood money and weapons in exchange for American scalps. Lying prone and dead on the ground are two American soldiers, one of whom is being scalped. The two Indian men bear arms and accoutrements marked ‘GR’ – the cypher of King George III – that imply these weapons were supplied by the British in return for scalps. In the background, two English officers dance with partially clad Native women around a fire, suggesting that the English are now complicit in Native “savagery.”

The accompanying text was designed to instigate and rally American support for the war and to fuel resentment toward both the English and the Native Americans. This print is representative of pro-war Republican propaganda which sought to cast the British as bloodthirsty hypocrites who were guilty of "uncivilized" warfare, while perpetuating myths about the “savagery” of Native Americans. The tactic of allying with Native Americans turned out to be beneficial to the British as the psychological threat of Native-inflicted violence paralyzed American troops and fascinated the public with fear. Both Indian and British soldiers understood how powerful the threat of Indian warfare was to Americans and utilized the mere possibility of Native troops to terrify American forces. Propaganda like this print only enhanced that fear and incited revenge by the American soldiers who in turn sought vengeance by scalping Native American dead.
InscribedReverse is signed on the exposed fold with pen and ink, "Andrew Kline." (Andrew Kline is presumably the owner of the print.)