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Cartoon, Consequences of a Successful French Invasion
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Cartoon, Consequences of a Successful French Invasion
Cartoon, Consequences of a Successful French Invasion, Me teach de English Republicans to work. Scene, A Ploughed Field. By James Gillray. Date: 1798
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Media ID 14230239
© The Sharp Illustration Collection / Mary Evans Picture Library
1790s 1798 Agricultural Agriculture Comment Consequences Criticism Gillray Hard Harsh Invasion Labour Labourer Labourers Manual Physical Ploughed Republicans Satire Satirical Successful Teach Whip Whips
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This satirical print by James Gillray, titled "Consequences of a Successful French Invasion: Me teach de English Republicans to work. Scene, A Ploughed Field," was created in 1798 during the height of the French Revolution and the subsequent fear of a French invasion of Britain. The cartoon depicts a French soldier, holding a large whip, teaching a group of disheveled and unkempt Englishmen how to work in a ploughed field. The caption above the scene reads, "Me teach de English Republicans to work." The image is a harsh criticism of the perceived laziness and lack of work ethic of the English Republicans, who were often portrayed negatively in political discourse of the time. The French soldier, with his military discipline and authority, represents the order and efficiency that the British elite believed the French brought with them. The Englishmen, on the other hand, are depicted as unwilling and unable to work, requiring the harsh discipline of the French soldier to get them to labor in the fields. The use of the whip and the image of the French soldier as a disciplinarian is a common theme in anti-French propaganda of the time, reflecting the fear and mistrust of the French Revolution and the perceived threat of a French invasion. The image also reflects the agricultural labor context of the time, with farming and agricultural labor being a significant part of the British economy and workforce. Overall, this cartoon is a powerful example of the political satire and harsh criticism of the time, reflecting the fear and mistrust of the French Revolution and the perceived threat of a French invasion, as well as the perceived laziness and lack of work ethic of the English Republicans.
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