---
title: The Massacre at New Orleans
author: Thomas Nast
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/21886/the-massacre-at-new-orleans/
format: machine-readable-alternate
updated: 2026-06-22
---
# The Massacre at New Orleans
_Authored by Thomas Nast_
## Image File
[](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/21886.jpg)
## Image Caption
The massacre at New Orleans, tempera painting by Thomas Nast, 1867.
Nast depicts here President Andrew Johnson adorned in kingly dress as the New Orleans Massacre of 1866 unfolds around him, wherein White rioters, many of whom were ex-Confederates, set upon and murdered peaceful Black demonstrators outside the Louisiana [Constitutional Convention](https://www.worldhistory.org/Constitutional_Convention/). Above the figure of the president, Nast has graffitied the words Johnson had once used to describe the secessionist Confederacy: "Treason is a crime," and "Traitors must be punished."
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
## Cite This Work
### APA
Nast, T. (2026, June 22). The Massacre at New Orleans. *World History Encyclopedia*.
### Chicago
Nast, Thomas. "The Massacre at New Orleans." *World History Encyclopedia*, June 22, 2026. .
### MLA
Nast, Thomas. "The Massacre at New Orleans." *World History Encyclopedia*, 22 Jun 2026, .
## License & Copyright
The public domain content above is from the [Library of Congress](http://www.loc.gov/). You can copy it freely. [Original image](https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2009617747/) by [**Thomas Nast**](https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2009617747/). Submitted by [Zachary Kay](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/zacharykay/ "User Page: Zachary Kay"), published on 22 June 2026. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Public Domain](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domain). This item is in the public domain, and can be used, copied, and modified without any restrictions. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.