Analyzing “Dark Artillery, or, How to Make the Contrabands Useful”

Unknown. Dark Artillery, or, How to Make the Contrabands Useful. 1861. Photograph. Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper. Library of Congress. Web. 12 January 2016.

Image Link

               I found this image by going onto the Humanities Core Image Gallery for Essay three under the gallery for “Emancipation and Black Soldiers.” This image caught my eye because of the title “Dark Artillery, or, How to Make the Contrabands Useful.” Looking closer at the image, I realized that it was not of a typical war scene portraying battle from both sides. Instead, this image was ridiculing the notion of black men being a part of the army. This depiction on how white Northerners viewed the possibility of blacks enlisting in the army at the time interested me and thus led me to select this image.

               According to the Library of Congress website, this medium of this image is print from a wood engraving. The artist of this image is unknown. The fact that the author is unknown could perhaps be an important detail as the artist may have wanted to stay anonymous. This image was created/published in the year 1861 and was illustrated in Frank Leslie’s illustrated newspaper. It was thus circulated to readers of the newspaper who were curious to learn about the Civil War which they were trying to vicariously live through.

“To the contemporary white audience, a black individual’s place in life was to be an inferior, submissive, dehumanized slave.”

               There are numerous details of this image that come together to exhibit the meaning. One of the most eye-catching details is the canons strapped on the backs of the Black soldiers. The canons on the backs of the soldiers of color symbolize how in the minds of the whites, blacks were deemed as property, whether they were slaves or not. In addition, the facial expressions of the black soldiers, especially of the man sitting down on the lower left with a grin on his face are also critical to notice as it is a great part of the semiotic scheme. The content, smiling faces of some of the black soldiers symbolize the notion of the white individual that blacks were submissive no matter which situation they’re forced to endure. Another important detail is the difference in uniforms between the black and white soldiers. The black soldiers are wearing ragged clothing, similar if not identical to their clothes as slaves and they do not have shoes on. On the other hand, the white soldiers are wearing more formal, official, and clean uniforms with shoes on. This detail in composition exhibits how according to white men, blacks would never be raised in status. While whites thought slaves in general were inferior in all aspects of life, regardless of gender differences (which were discussed in my previous blog post titled “Gender and Slavery,” this image emphasizes the inferiority of slave men because at that time, only men could be enlisted in the army. The artist chose to dress the black men in their usual slave attire to show that black men would never reach the status of white men. This distinction between soldiers of different color was vital in establishing a difference in social ranking and status that delineated that white soldiers were seen and treated as superior. Additionally, white soldiers were standing behind the black soldiers, many of whom were on their knees and sitting down—their bodies being used as artillery.

               This image reflects upon and critiques the fact that white Northerners ridiculed even the notion of black men joining the army. To the contemporary white audience, a black individual’s place in life was to be an inferior, submissive, dehumanized slave. The idea of them being a part of a critical institution of American life—war—was absolutely absurd to them. The Civil War website explicates, “White Southerners, though convinced of the African Americans inherent inferiority, were far less reluctant about putting the slaves to work militarily than were white Northerners.” For white Northerners, reluctance was an understatement in regards to their opinion on the possibility of blacks joining the army. As this image is trying to exhibit, white soldiers never dreamt that it could or would ever happen. This image delineates very clearly that to them, blacks were incompetent, and thus, the entire system would be nonsensical.

               This image presents insight not only on how black soldiers were seen in the eyes of the white Northerner, but also on the mentality that was instilled in the minds of the contemporary white audience during the Civil War. With this image, one can see how in the minds of the northern whites, the involvement of blacks in America’s political realm of war was an idea that was considered risible instead of possible. This image changed the way I saw the Civil War in that it opened my eyes to look beyond just the stereotypes held by white northerners at the time of the war, to see how in the minds of the whites, they were superior in all spheres of life, even the sphere that is a competition of bloodshed. This image delineates how to the white audience at the time, blacks were considered competent in one sphere of life—enslavement on the plantation. As illustrated by this image, even the thought of them being used as anything but slaves was hysterical.

Gender and Slavery

Crowe, Eyre. Slaves Waiting for Sale. Digital Image. TheRoot. TheRoot, 29 Jan. 2013. Web. 11 Jan. 2016.

               Oftentimes when the topic of America’s history of enslavement is discussed, slave men and slave women are categorized together and thought to have the same if not similar experiences. However, it is absolutely crucial to realize that while all slaves were united through their common struggle against slavery’s brutal hands, slave men and slave women’s treatment, mentality, and journey to freedom did indeed differ.

               Whipping, beatings, severe hunger, verbal and emotional abuse were common facets of the daily lives of both slave men and slave women. These horridities did not distinguish between the gender lines. However that is not to say that all treatment was uniform for slaves regardless of gender. Both men and women slaves were treated as the equivalent of animals, but slave women’s roles and identities differed as their bodies were often sexually exploited. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, a memoir and personal narrative Douglass wrote about the details of his life in enslavement and his journey to work towards liberation, exhibits the gendered difference of slavery. As Douglass describes in his Narrative, slave women were used as “breeding machines;” they were forced to have children with men who weren’t their husbands. Slave women were forced to use their own body against their wills simply because their masters desired to increase their slave population. A slave woman’s worth was measured in terms of if and how much she could breed and thus be of benefit to her master. A male slave’s manhood was degraded with every whip of the lash while a female slave’s womanhood was taken advantage of with every forced touch of her body.

“Females to this day are often thought of as “the more emotional” gender, and this held true for many slave women who took on maternal roles to other fellow slaves during enslavement”

               Not only did slave men and slave women differ in the way they were seen and treated, but they often shared different mentalities under enslavement. This distinction can be seen in Douglass’s Narrative by comparing Douglass to his grandmother. Douglass’s world was centered on his journey to attaining freedom, while his grandmother simply yearned to be with her family. Females to this day are often thought of as “the more emotional” gender, and this held true for many slave women who took on maternal roles to other fellow slaves during enslavement. In Douglass’s narrative, family and emotional bonds were emphasized more for female slaves while manly, aggressive, and heroic actions were more talked about in reference to male slaves. This is seen in Douglass reflecting on his first physical retaliation as a turning point in his slave career.

                In conclusion, it is critical to recognize the distinct experiences that male and female slaves faced under enslavement as well as their differences in the abolition movement. However, regardless of gender, the inexhaustible efforts and revolutionary works of writing of former slaves towards abolition led to a great historical reform in the nation.

Image: A look into the world of female slavery.

Works Cited:

Douglass, Frederick, William Lloyd Garrison, and Wendell Phillips. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.