Object Details
maker
unknown
Description
This example of the “Whig’s Defeat” pattern was made in the mid-nineteenth century, probably in Arkansas. The quilter pieced and appliquéd six 25¾-inch blocks, using red and white cottons to make the quilt top. The blocks were set with 3-inch red and white pieced sashing and a 4¼-inch border.
The pattern, “Whig’s Defeat,” has been linked to the victory of Democrat James Polk, over Whig candidate Henry Clay in the 1844 presidential election. Whether the quilter chose the pattern as a political statement or merely for its design is unknown.
The quilt top was part of a donation to the Smithsonian by G. Ruth McHenry in 1961. It may have been in the family of Jane Winter Price, who made a “Carpenter’s Wheel” quilt that is also in the Collection.
Location
Currently not on view
Credit Line
Gift of Miss G. Ruth McHenry
date made
1860-1880
ID Number
TE.E387831
accession number
188128
catalog number
E387831
Object Name
quilt
Physical Description
fabric, cotton (overall material)
thread, cotton, silk (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 104 in x 92 in; 264.16 cm x 233.68 cm
place made
United States: Arkansas
See more items in
Home and Community Life: Textiles
Domestic Furnishings
Textiles
Quilts
Data Source
National Museum of American History
Subject
Quilting
Link to Original Record
Record ID
nmah_556270