Object types
satirical print (scope note | all objects)
print (scope note | all objects)
Title (object)
The flight of the Congress
Materials
paper (all objects)
Techniques
etching (scope note | all objects)
Production person
Published by William Hitchcock (biographical details | all objects)
Production place
Published in London (scope note | all objects)
Date
1777
Schools /Styles
British (all objects)
Description
Animals in a wooded landscape with a mountainous background. Howe, as a lion, chasing (left to right.) the American leaders in the shape of different animals. The scene is in front of a wooded mound in which is a cave inscribed "Cave of Rebellion. Resolv'd, nem: con never to run away". On the mound grows 'Liberty Tree', a tree inscribed "Liberty"; a squirrel sits on a branch scattering papers, inscribed "Paper Currency", "30 dollers", "100 dollers", &c. An opossum is climbing up the trunk. A roaring lion advances into the picture, his breath inscribed "How"; one paw is on a squared sheet of paper, inscribed "Philadelphia, Delawar ..." The animals he chases are: an ass with a lion's skin on its back, inscribed, "I. Hancock Pres"; a tiger, "Laurens"; an armadillo, "Washington"; two foxes with collars round their necks, inscribed respectively "Adams" and "[A]dam[s]", evidently intended for John and Samuel Adams; a pig or wild boar is "Putnam"; a wolf is "Lee"; a stag whose collar is inscribed "V... D". (? Francis Van Dyke, a New York patriot); a puma and a badger (?) without names. In the air (left) an eagle clutches in beak and claws a rattlesnake inscribed "Independence"; and (right) an owl flies away holding a paper, inscribed "Louis Baboon a Paris". In the background (left) is sketched a ship in full sail. Beneath the design verses are engraved:
"Impatient of Imperial sway,
The Wild Beasts of America,
In Congress met, disclaim'd allegiance.
And to the Ass profess'd obedience,
With such New Leader; feeling bold,
No wonder they disdained the Old.
Resolving roundly, one and all,
In the good cause, to stand or fall,
Then herding, underneath the Tree,
Of Treason, alias Liberty;
They boast the Baboon King's alliance,
And at their own, hurl mad defiance.
Their foul revolt, their Monarch hears,
And strait upon the plain appears,
Aloud the British Lion roars,
Aloft the German Eagle soars;
When, Lo! 'midst broken Oaths and curses,
The Rebel rout at once disperses." 20 November 1777
Etching
Inscriptions
Inscription Content: Lettered: "Publish'd Nov 20 1777 by Wm Hitchcock, N° 5 Birchin Lane."
Dimensions
Height: 252 millimetres
Width: 355 millimetres
Curator's comments
(Description and comment from M.Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', V, 1935)
This represents the occupation of Philadelphia by Howe in Sept. 1777 after the victory of Brandywine. In November there were reports in England of great successes over Washington which were not confirmed, Howe failing to bring him to a general action. In the meantime the surrender of Burgoyne at Saratoga, 17 Oct. (see BMSat 5470), had disastrously altered the situation, but news of this did not reach London till 2 Dec. (see BMSat 5408). The owl flying to Louis XVI probably represents Benjamin Franklin's mission to France, where he arrived at the end of 1776. The 'baboon king' is the king of France, 'Lewis Baboon' of Arbuthnot's 'Law is a Bottomless Pit', 1712, but the alliance was not decided on until Dec. 1777 and not signed until 6 Feb. 1778. Lafayette had sailed for America in Apr. 1777 without the formal consent of the French Government. The rattlesnake was an emblem of the colonies and was on the earliest naval flag of the Americans, see BMSat 5336, 5973, &c. One of the few satires hostile to the Americans, cf. BMSat 5329, 5482, 5704, 5853, 6288.
Reproduced, 'Propylaën-Weltgeschichte', ed. W. Goetz, vi. 481; S. G. Fisher, 'True History of the American Revolution', 1902, p. 346.
Subject
satire (scope note | all objects)
Associated names
Representation of Charles Lee (biographical details | all objects)
Representation of John Adams (biographical details | all objects)
Representation of George Washington (biographical details | all objects)
Representation of Samuel Adams (biographical details | all objects)
Representation of Henry Laurens (biographical details | all objects)
Associated with General Israel Putnam (biographical details | all objects)
Associated with William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe (biographical details | all objects)
Associated with Benjamin Franklin (biographical details | all objects)
Associated with John Hancock (biographical details | all objects)
Associated with Louis XVI, King of France (biographical details | all objects)
Associated with Francis Van Dyke (biographical details | all objects)
Acquisition date
1868
Acquisition name
Purchased from Edward Hawkins (biographical details | all objects)
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