Trade Card for Men's and Children's Suits, A. L. Foster & Co., "Contemplation," 1882

Late-nineteenth-century trade card illustrators often depicted Indigenous people as "uncivilized savages." This card -- part of a set -- tells the story of two youths seeking adventure. The boys miscalculate and end up victims of their "heathen foe." This prejudicial view of Indigenous people reflected the view of many white, middle-class Americans, especially near the end of the American Indian Wars in the West.