The Ograbme of 1807

The political cartoon above was made in response to the Embargo Act of 1807, a law set into effect by the United States congress under President Thomas Jefferson during the Napoleonic Wars.

During the Napoleonic Wars, Napoleon Bonaparte, having either taken over or having become political allies with most of continental Europe, set up the Continental System to block trade with Great Britain. In response, Great Britain established a naval blockade against foreign ships. The United States became an unfortunate victim of this standoff, having many of its ships forcefully boarded by Great Britain, with Great Britain often taking goods or even men from the ships.

In response, wanting to avoid war, Jefferson established an embargo on all foreign exports in an attempt to weaken Great Britain and force them to respect American neutrality. The embargo, however, only came to damage the American economy, an economy largely reliant on foreign trade.

Many resorted to smuggling during this time with the public claiming that the embargo was a violation of citizens' rights. This comic shows an attempted smuggler being caught by the enforcement of the embargo.

The man on the left, likely meant to represent a government official, sneers as a turtle named Ograbme (embargo backwards) bites into a smuggler. The cartoonist depicts the official in a sadistic manner as the embargo had led many to view the government in a negative light. Since the enforcement of the embargo was inconsistent, the cartoonist must figure that those who actively enforced it did it for sport, enjoying the process of ruining people's livelihoods.

The inconsistency of enforcement is clear through the use of a turtle to represent the embargo. Not only did the embargo slow the economy, but the enforcement of the embargo was slow and inconsistent. You had to have been unlucky to be caught, as this comic shows many men down by the water smuggling unaccosted.

In the end, the Embargo Act of 1807 was nullified in 1809 having been a complete failure for the United States. Additionally, the mounting tension between the United States and Great Britain led to the War of 1812.