Civil War Era anti-abolitionist satirist — For Salt River. That Splendid Steamer Called the 'Copper-Head', R. M Briggs, Master, Will Positively Leave the Old Coon Landing... . Bound for Abolition Island... First Edition of the Broadside

Columbus?; circa 1860. Letterpress boadside. 48.5 x 25 cm..This text mimics a 19th-century political or satirical broadside (a large poster or advertisement) playing on American idioms of the era. Key Cultural Contexts:"Up Salt River": In 19th-century American political slang, to be sent or to row "up Salt River" meant suffering a crushing political defeat. (The phrase originated from a real, difficult-to-navigate river in Kentucky, but became a famous metaphor for politicians who lost an election and were effectively banished or forced into retirement)...Satires would often publish fake steamboat schedules announcing departures for Salt River carrying defeated candidates. The "Copper-Head": During the American Civil War era, "Copperheads" were Democrats in the Northern United States who opposed the war and advocated for an immediate negotiated peace with the Confederacy. R.M.Briggs, Master: Broadsides often listed fictional or satirical steamboat captains and masters to mock prominent local figures or political opponents... Continuing the satirical theme of a 19th-century political broadside announcement, this adds another layer of destination mockery: Notice: The steamer 'Copper-Head', R.M. Briggs, master, having completed her disastrous run up Salt River, is now officially rerouted and Bound for Abolition Island-carrying all remaining political passengers past any hope of a safe return.... The Satirical Meaning: "Abolition Island": In the fierce partisan rhetoric of the Civil War and Reconstruction eras, anti-war Democrats ("Copperheads") and conservative critics frequently used hyperbolic, dystopian framing against abolitionists and radical Republicans. Packaging an imaginary island destination targeted at abolitionists or emancipationists was a common trope in political cartoons and mock-advertisements to ridicule their opponents' platforms as extremist, isolated, or detached from reality.... The Journey's End: Combining the journey up Salt River (total political defeat and ruin) with a final stop at a satirical "Abolition Island" turns the broadside into a complete electoral caricature-mocking both the peace-demanding Copperheads who lost the argument and the radical political currents they fought against....From the collection of Frederic Gale Ruffner, Jr. the founder of Gale Research, Detroit. .