Though many Massachusetts residents were anti-slavery, most were not pro-equality. This painting depicts several anti-equality stereotypes that were common at the time it was painted in 1838. The figures are dressed in outdated clothing styles, referencing a trope that Black people were incapable of sophistication. The artist based the two figures in red off of a 1793 print which mocked Governor John Hancock for hosting an “Equality Ball.” The central figure is Long Tail Blue, the main character in a racist 1827 minstrel song of the same name.
Unknown. African American Musicians. Painting. 1838. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/2002-45-01/. Accessed on December 6, 2024.
Please note: Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.