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Cradle of Liberty Out of Danger

Cradle of Liberty Out of Danger
Artist
Thomas Nast, 27 Sep 1840 - 7 Dec 1902
Sitter
Ulysses Simpson Grant, 27 Apr 1822 - 23 Jul 1885
Benjamin Franklin Butler, 5 Nov 1818 - 11 Jan 1893
Date
May 16, 1874
Type
Print
Medium
Wood engraving on paper
Dimensions
Image: 36.5 × 23.1 cm (14 3/8 × 9 1/8")
Sheet: 42.9 × 28.9 cm (16 7/8 × 11 3/8")
Topic
Printed Material\Newspaper
Container\Bottle
Imaginary
Newspaper
Cartoon\Political
Home Furnishings\Furniture\Cradle
Benjamin Franklin Butler: Male
Benjamin Franklin Butler: Law and Crime\Lawyer
Benjamin Franklin Butler: Politics and Government\Presidential candidate
Benjamin Franklin Butler: Politics and Government\US Congressman\Massachusetts
Benjamin Franklin Butler: Politics and Government\Governor\Massachusetts
Benjamin Franklin Butler: Military and Intelligence\Army\Officer\Civil War\Union Army
Benjamin Franklin Butler: Politics and Government\State Legislator\Massachusetts
Benjamin Franklin Butler: Sports and Recreation\Athlete\Yachtsman
Ulysses Simpson Grant: Male
Ulysses Simpson Grant: Natural Resource Occupations\Agriculturist\Farmer
Ulysses Simpson Grant: Politics and Government\Cabinet member\Secretary of War
Ulysses Simpson Grant: Military and Intelligence\Army\Officer\Civil War
Ulysses Simpson Grant: Military and Intelligence\Army\Officer\General
Ulysses Simpson Grant: Politics and Government\President of US
Ulysses Simpson Grant: Congressional Gold Medal
Portrait
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Object number
NPG.88.225
Exhibition Label
Benjamin F. Butler (1818–1893) of Massachusetts was a shrewd lawyer, politician, and former Civil War general, who was relieved of command on several occasions. He had been a frequent target of both the Northern and Southern press, which reveled in castigating his obstinacy and ineptitude as “Butlerism.” In 1862, his heavy-handedness as the military governor of New Orleans led to his recall. Later, he was a weak link in General Ulysses S. Grant’s grand strategy to end the war when his command was “bottled up” in Bermuda Hundred, Virginia. Yet Butler withstood criticism and controversy. In 1874, while serving as a U.S. congressman, he was the principal proponent of the “inflation bill” to increase the nation’s money supply through the printing of greenbacks (paper money not backed by specie). President Grant, intent upon a long-term, sound monetary policy based on the gold standard, vetoed the bill, thus bottling up Butler yet again.
Data Source
National Portrait Gallery
Location
Currently not on view