Photograph of Thomas Nast, 1902, MHHM Collection, Courtesy of Stan Freeny

Thomas Nast was born in Germany and moved to the United States when he was five years old. He was an artist who drew for a newspaper called 

 it was 1862 and the United States was in the beginning of the Civil War. The Southern states fought the Northern States over whether or not people could enslave other people.

Slavery was a system of control put in place by Europeans and Americans in order to use the knowledge, labor and skills of people who had been brought from Africa. The goal of that system was to turn people into property. We use the term enslaved because it was something that was done to people. No one let themselves be a slave.

The images Thomas Nast drew in the newspaper informed people about the war, influenced them to support the Northern states, and commented about the choices politicians made. He always supported the soldiers during the war and as a thank you, the soldiers in the Army and Navy gave him a gift, a large silver canteen.

This presentation piece was commissioned by 3,500 officers and enlisted men of the United States Army and Navy to honor Thomas Nast. Presented to the artist in 1879, it was the first time the Army and Navy had honored a private citizen.

The back of the canteen is inscribed "THE GIFT OF THREE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED OFFICERS & ENLISTED MEN OF THE ARMY 7 NAVY OF THE U.S./ PRESENTED TO/THOMAS NAST./ by his Friends in the Army & Navy of the United States,/ in recognition of the patriotic use/ he has made of his/ rare abilities, as/ THE ARTIST OF THE PEOPLE."

Nast Canteen (Front)_Stan Freeny.jpg

Nast Canteen (Front) Detail Columbia_Stan Freeny.jpg

Macculloch Hall Historical Museum

Army & Navy Testimonial Canteen

A canteen is a small water bottle used by soldiers or campers. The one made as a gift for Thomas Nast was much bigger than the canteens used by the soldiers. It was a decoration.

The canteen has many American symbols on it. Let's look closer at the different symbols in the next activity. 

Standards for A Gift for Thomas Nast