King Cotton bound; the modern Prometheus Punch (London, England) Tenniel, John 1820-1914 Sir creator still image engravings (prints) enk London Punch 1861-11-02 eng 1 engraving; 32.6 x 24.9 cm. reformatted digital Slave-grown American cotton allowed British cities such as Birmingham to prosper. From the outset of the Civil War, one of the aims of the Northern blockage of southern ports was to prevent the export of cotton which the South could use to purchase military supplies from Europe. British imperialists had begun to promote the growing of cotton in Egypt and India and welcomed the elimination of American competition. In this cartoon, King Cotton, like Prometheus, is fastened to a rock with a metal block inscribed "blockade". The eagle tearing at the cotton bale has the stars and stripes on its left wing and the stars and bars on its right. Prometheus (Greek deity) Caricatures and cartoons Lincoln Graphics 45 http://dl.lib.brown.edu/lincoln/graphics M157p 1224014849593750 No Copyright - United StatesCollection is open for research.