Class Year
2017
Document Type
Student Research Paper
Date of Creation
Spring 2017
Department 1
History
Abstract
This lithograph is a Northern depiction of the capture of former Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Titled "The Last Ditch of the Chivalry, or a President in Petticoats", and picturing Davis in a woman’s dress and bonnet, the Northern press painted Davis as a coward. Rather than being a man and standing up to the Union troops, Davis disguised himself as a woman and attempted to cowardly escape. Although in actuality Davis was wearing a rain jacket and shawl rather than a full dress and bonnet, the Northern press mocked him. This piece demonstrates the prominence of male Southern honor, and how the ideals of being a man contradicted with the expectations for women. Davis’ flee also symbolizes the fall of the Confederacy.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Hansen, Sarah A., "Visual Culture Analysis of "The Last Ditch of the Chivalry, or a President in Petticoats"" (2017). Student Publications. 536.
https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/student_scholarship/536
Included in
History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology Commons, Military History Commons, United States History Commons, Women's History Commons
Comments
Written for History 245: Gender and the American Civil War.