National Museum of American History
Medal token, "Perish Credit", 1834
Jackson, Andrew · 1834
Party symbols drawn from the natural world helped to dramatize political issues to reach 19th century Americans, including those who could not read. The donkey (also known as a jackass) as a Democratic symbol dates back to the late 1820s, when Whig attacks against Andrew Jackson rendered his name as “A. Jack-ass.” Medals illustrated with donkeys and pigs bore slogans criticizing Jackson for removing federal deposits from the Bank of the United States.
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