JWM Chamberlain Collection

“Let that poor black bird loose”

“Let that poor black bird loose”

“THERE, BUB – THERE’S A QUARTER FOR YOU, AND NOW GO AND LET THAT POOR BLACK BIRD LOOSE”

Original engraving of a cartoon from Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, April 5, 1862
Original engraving of a cartoon from Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, April 5, 1862

The original engraving, copied closely by Chamberlain, originally appeared in the April 5, 1862 issue of Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newpaper. It speaks to the abolitionist problems of the day.

In 1862, during the height of the U.S. Civil War, an initiative called the Port Royal Experiment aimed to transition formerly enslaved people towards freedom and provide them with the means to support themselves, focusing on education, healthcare and opportunities for self-sufficiency. A substantial number of similar organizations were established in other regions.