That is Priceless by Steve Melcher for July 05, 2012

“When are the wenches going to get here?”

Is the guy in the upper right puking already?

This is why the rum is gone.

All citizens shall have the inalienable right – TO PARTY!

1752? Try 1776!

This must be a rehearsal – the date on the painting is twenty-four years before the Declaration was written (Thomas Jefferson was only nine years old in 1752).

That was the year of the great canvas shortage.

Welcome back! We missed you and your great background information! :-)

Modestly enlarged image (use browser zoom for more) is available from this Nicholas Cooke page (his Wikipedia page), or this Stephen Hopkins page (his Wikipedia page), or this Joseph Wanton page (his Wikipedia page), who are (perhaps) seated left-to-right, with Esek Hopkins between Nicholas (wearing the grey-silver outfit, thought it was a woman at first) and Stephen, at the table (detail image).Sea Captains Carousing in Surinam is somewhat described in its current-location page (the source of the different coloration, click-to-enlarge title image). This says Stephen is doing the pouring, not seated at the table, shown in this detail image available from here, and also identifies the artist in the painting. This different coloration detail image comes from here and this one comes from here (about a trip to see baseball games). It appears in many varied online pages. The artist‘s Wikipedia page (book link has a bit more about him) and collection.So far, only work by this artist to appear in Mr. Melcher’s blog.

The Republic of Surinan is a South American country (considerably south of New England). According to Wikipedia, slavery existed there until 1873. But since slavery was legal in New England at one time, I can’t say that slavery was never used there (1620-1783 is a long time).

I love this “strip” but I wish he’d upload them in a larger resolution. Honestly, the works are very good that he chooses.

This painting is from 1752 and depicts a scene from a tavern in Rhode Island. Slavery was abolished in Rhode Island in 1784 and completely went out of existence by 1845.

Slavery ended in Rhode Island and other Northern states without a Civil War. Not only did slavery become more entrenched in the South, it became an institution that many white Southerners took great pride in.

The shadows are cast by the candle that is setting fire to the butt of the captain who’s vomiting on his friend.

Even after slavery “ceased to exist” black people were still doing the same work. Still are in lots of places.

Slavery has existed since Man learned how to control others; it still exists – regardless of skin colour. Please don’t label me as racist….I have mixed race cousins who are just as human as I am.

Most US churches were against slavery until the cotton industry began raking in money. Wealthy cotton plantation owners tithed well, and they claimed they needed slaves to stay in business. Many southern churches defended slavery to appease the wealthy.

Suriname is NOT in New England…it’s in S. America. Of course they’re slaves. The Cap’ns may well be slavers, in fact.

No problem. I am glad you corrected me.

Many of the Southern states seceded before Lincoln took the oath of office. In fact, Jefferson Davis was swon in as the Provisional President of the Confederacy before Lincoln’s first inauguration. What had Lincoln done at that point harm the Southern states, other then win a democratic election? Even though he considered slavery evil, he admitted he did not have the power to abolish it. Slavery was THE ISSUE! The Missouri Compromise, Bleeding Kansas, John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry- it was all about slavery. The Crittenden Compromise would have protected slavery from being abolished, even through normal Constitutional channels. Please provide the source for Ulysses Grant quote. I have heard that quote attributed to General Sherman.

This was repeated as a Holiday Classic here, where among other things, I fixed the current-location page link, in addition to adding a few more details.