1774 Henry Dawkins Satirical Cartoon Map of New England after Boston Tea Party

An iconic 1774 American political cartoon by Henry Dawkins lampooning the Tax Act and the Boston Tea Party. This is likely the most important political cartoon issued in the lead-up to the American Revolutionary War (1775 - 1783). It was published after the Tea Party but before the Intolerable Acts. The image is innovative in its use of cartographic imagery, larger-than-life representations of key political figures, and use of allegory. Moreover, it stands out for its remarkable encapsulation of the complex pre-Revolution political environment.

Describing the Cartoon

Joan D. Dolmetsch, in Rebellion and Reconciliation (page thirty-one) provides a useful introduction to the piece:

The action takes place on a map, with the coast of North America to the right, and England to the left. In the upper left a crestfallen Britannia tells the genius of Britain, a winged figure with a spear, that she is distressed by the conduct of her degenerate sons, the colonies. Just below her are two groups, the one to the right representing the chained ministers led by the all-powerful Lord North, dominated by the Devil. To the left are East India Company merchants who complain that the American treatment of their goods, particularly the destruction of the tea at Boston and the general refusal of their goods by other colonies, is ruinous to them.

On the other shore Indian Princess America, armed with bow and arrow and supported by her braves, protects the country. Below her a group of Tories lament the loss of their income and political influence as a result of the boycott of English goods. Top right the Goddess of Liberty, holding her pole and liberty cap, and the winged figure of Fame discuss the ardor of Liberty’s brave sons, the colonies.

The political imagery overlays a vague map illustrating New England and the Atlantic. The map is oriented to the west, with North America in the upper right. Coverage embraces roughly from Delaware Bay to Boston, with New York, Long Island, Cape Cod, and Boston recognizable - thus covering the financial heart of British America. The north shore of Massachusetts Bay is massively exaggerated to accommodate the political imagery in the lower right. The Atlantic Ocean occupies the center, and England is at the bottom left, with the Thames River labeled - if curiously flowing into the Atlantic. East India Company ships of trade carry goods from New York and Philadelphia.

Historical Context - The Boston Tea Party

By early 1773, the British East India Company (EIC) was in dire financial straits, partially due to competition from the Dutch, and partially due to poor governance. Many of its directors were political appointees with little aptitude for business making them capable of mismanaging even a monopoly. Its investor rolls nonetheless consisted of the upper crust of British society, including various lords and members of Parliament. In order to shore up the EIC and protect their own finances, guided by Lord Frederick North and inspired by the earlier political maneuvers of John Stuart (Lord Bute), Parliament passed the May 10, 1773 Tea Act.

The Tea Act was reasonable from a purely business perspective. It allowed the EIC, which already had a monopoly on tea, to sell directly to the colonists without the necessity of a middleman. This theoretically meant that the tea could reach the consumer at a lower price. Except, the Tea Act also included an additional mandatory tax, which in the end raised the price. The colonial populace, already frustrated by the Stamp Act (1766), the Townshend Acts (1767), and the Boston Massacre (1770) responded with widespread protest, particularly in New York, Philadelphia, and Boston. They considered the Tea Tax, combined with the monopoly already established by the Townshend Acts, a forced taxation unbefitting their status as British citizens or, as it became known, 'Taxation without Representation'.

In Boston, the protest took the form of the December 16, 1773 Boston Tea Party - somewhat illustrated here. In that event, a group of patriots known as the Sons of Liberty, dressed as Mohawk Indians, raided EIC ships, dumping 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor. The British considered it an act of treason, escalating already high tensions, which culminated in the American Revolutionary War (1775 - 1783). In the words of John Adams,

This is the most magnificent Movement of all. There is a Dignity, a Majesty, a Sublimity in this last Effort of the Patriots that I greatly admire. This Destruction of the Tea is so bold, so daring, so firm, so intrepid, and so inflexible, and it must have so important Consequences and so lasting, that I cannot but consider it as an Epocha in History.- John Adams, December 17, 1773

American as an American Indian Woman

It is not by chance that the Sons of Liberty dressed as Mohawk Indians to commit the Boston Tea Party, nor is it chance that an American Indian princess is chosen to represent the colonies in general. America was allegorized as such throughout the 18th century and indeed, the roots of this tradition can be traced to the early 16th century revised Ptolemaic cartography of Martin Waldseemüller's Cosmographiae. Moreover, while often at odds with indigenous Americans, most colonials idealized the 'American Indian' as a 'noble savage' resistant to tyranny and always in pursuit of liberty. This concept is underscored here with the caption, 'The Sons of Liberty represented by the Natives of America, in their Savage Garb'.

Publication History and Census

This image was a separate issue political cartoon. There is no evidence it was intended for magazine publication, rather, it was distributed as a broadsheet in colonial clubs and bars to help foment revolutionary sentiment. It is undated and unsigned, but it is generally attributed to Henry Dawkins, a colorful character who operated on the edges of the law. It was issued after the Boston Tea Party, but before the retaliatory 1774 Intolerable Acts. Like much of Dawkins' other work, the image is crudely executed, suggesting a combination of engraving and etching (note the blunted lines). It is nonetheless bold in concept, and novel in its use of cartographic imagery superimposed with larger-than-life representations of key figures.

All examples are today scarce and most exhibit considerable restoration. We note examples at the American Antiquarian Society, Brown University, the University of Michigan's Clements Library, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, the Library of Congress, Colonial Williamsburg, and the Massachusetts Historical Society.