Congressional Scales

Nathaniel Currier (1813-1888)
Congressional Scales, a True Balance
New York: N. Currier, 1850
Lithograph on woven paper
Prints and Photographs Division
Copyright deposit (34A)

This satirical print by Currier& Ives comments on President Zachary Taylor's attempts to balance southern and northern interests on the question of slavery in 1850. Various members of Congress fill the evenly balanced scales including the Compromise of 1850 opponents Senator Henry Clay, left, and Senator John C. Calhoun, right.