Endlich: Ein energischer Berfuch, england's Übermacht im Welthandel zu brechen und den Ber. Staaten eine Chance zu geben [At last: A Determined Effort to Break England's Hold on the Commerce of the World and Give America a Chance]
Endlich: Ein energischer Berfuch, england's Übermacht im Welthandel zu brechen und den Ber. Staaten eine Chance zu geben [At last: A Determined Effort to Break England's Hold on the Commerce of the World and Give America a Chance]
Alternate Title:
A Determined Effort to Break England's Hold on the Commerce of the World
This satirical map relates to the central issue of the 1888 Presidential campaign. It appeared a few weeks after President Cleveland's proposal in December 1887 for a dramatic reduction in tariffs, which he argued would reduce the costs of average Americans. It supports Cleveland, showing him and his allies pulling the British lion by his tail off the map of the world, his claws digging into the U.S. and Canada. The American eagle stands menacingly over the lion, with a sack of "Commerce" on his back. Behind the Cleveland officials are a large crowd with signs calling for "Free Raw Materials" and "Reduction of the Tariff on Necessaries." A buoy in the harbor bearing the American flag is labelled "Protected to Death."
In fact, Britain was the leading force at the time in support of free trade, and Cleveland's Republican opponents argued that reduced tariffs would allow Britain to undercut American manufacturers with lower-priced products. The Cleveland proposal was the basis for legislation introduced by Congressman Roger Mills of Texas, which narrowly passed the House of Representatives and died in the Senate. In the Fall, the Republicans made opposition to the Mills' Bill a centerpiece of their Presidential campaign, in which protectionist Benjamin Harrison won a narrow electoral college victory over Cleveland (despite losing the popular vote).
For other maps in the collection related to this issue, Search > Free Trade 1888."
