Patriotic envelopes or postal covers and stationery were wildly popular during the American Civil War. They are avidly collected today.

The covers were printed in a variety of colors with images such as runaway slaves, secessionists being hanged, Union and Confederate flags, soldiers and troops marching, in action, or at camp, and the patriotic figures of the day. Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln often made it upon these Civil War covers. They were not always portrayed in a favorable light. Both were heavily satirized or characterized per Union or South sentiments.

After the war, these patriotic covers —in our experience of handling them, at least— seemed to be over. But we were incorrect.

These patriotic envelopes were meant to inspire and communicate feelings of nationalism and patriotic action. What better way of doing this, or what better channel might have existed in the late 19th century, than the United States mail?

Patriotic covers be resurrected for one more time at the end of the 19th century, with the next important military and political engagements the United States made; getting angry at Spain.

Here is an example involving Cuba from the Spanish American War in 1898. We would be curious to know what other examples might be extant and if any collectors have focused especially on this area of collecting.

Civil War patriotic covers can be found fairly readily —and many are easily identifiable as ones you’ve seen over and over again— finding one showing Uncle Sam chasing a Spaniard out of Cuba is not an easy task. At least not in the buying marketplace.

I think the appeal of this type of illustrated stationery lies in the cartoon-like way in which history and politics are neatly encapsulated or, perhaps, simplified.

For example, here we see a man in Spanish national costume being chased out of Cuba at the point of a bayonet by Uncle Sam. The fleeing man’s shadow obliterates the word Cuba and will soon be replaced by that of Uncle Sam. Notice how in the design the American dominates the diminutive European; Uncle Sam is clearly the hero.

Demonstrations of American patriotism in war-time persist even today. Here, though, in a simple image and caption we are witnessing the emerging presence of the United States in yet another starring role on the world stage.