The Savages Let Loose, or the Cruel Fate of the Loyalists
William Humphrey
1783 · Engraving · Drawings and Prints
This satire reflects the dissatisfaction of British loyalists at the end of the American Revolution. Military and civilian men are shown being murdered and strung up as trophies by Native peoples whose feathered headdresses and kilts echo traditional allegorical representations of America. The revengeful figures likely refer to the victorious Americans who, after winning the war in 1781, often confiscated the property of loyalists and also imprisoned and even attacked them. After the Peace of Paris in 1783, many loyalists received financial compensation from the British government.
- Artist
- William Humphrey
- Date
- 1783
- Medium
- Engraving
- Department
- Drawings and Prints
- Credit line
- Gift of William H. Huntington, 1883
