us-005578-irn597688-irn612189
has or had holder: us-005578
physical characteristics and technical requirements: Rectangular poster stamp on white paper with a graphic design, perforated edges on the right and left sides, and an adhesive backing. The stamp features a central image of a leg wearing a red and white striped spat and black shoes stepping on a white snake with a crosshatched red pattern on its back. The background is comprised of thin diagonal red lines and white stars radiating out from a white sunburst that surrounds the snake. There is a navy blue text box with white text along the top, a diagonal white block of text outlined in navy blue that runs diagonally across the center, navy blue and white block text below the snake, and a thin white text box with navy blue text at the bottom. On the back are thirteen lines of black text with a row of three stars below the top three and above the bottom three lines of text.
has or had identifier: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn597688-irn612189/alternateIDs/15
has or had some members with language: eng
has or had identifier: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn597688-irn612189/alternateIDs/3
has beginning date: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/dates/1940-01-01
has record set type: Item
results or resulted from: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn597688-irn612189/acquisitions/1
record resource extent: overall: Height: 2.000 inches (5.08 cm) | Width: 1.375 inches (3.493 cm)
is or was included in: us-005578-irn597688
has or had identifier: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn597688-irn612189/alternateIDs/8
has or had identifier: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn597688-irn612189/alternateIDs/14
has or had identifier: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn597688-irn612189/alternateIDs/11
conditions of use: No restrictions on use
scope and content: Anti-Fifth Column poster stamp featuring a boot, clad in red, white, and blue, stomping on a subversive snake, distributed in the United States between 1940 and 1945. Poster stamps were collectable stamps, slightly larger than postage stamps, with designs similar to posters. Although they were not valid for postage, poster stamps could be affixed to letters and envelopes as a means for fundraising, propaganda, and educational purposes. Snakes or serpents are often associated with negative aspects such as temptation, chaos, and lies, all of which would be tactics employed by a fifth column agent. Fifth column refers to a group of people residing in a country, who actively support a wartime enemy. These people engage in subversive activities to aid the enemy, hinder their country’s defensive capability, or sew discord among the population. Germany’s rapid conquest of Western Europe in 1940 led many Americans to believe that saboteurs had aided the German military. Many feared that German, Italian, and Japanese-Americans could be carrying out similar activities in the US to support the Axis powers. Fifth column fears were so prevalent that Congress passed the Alien Registration Act, which made it a crime to advocate for the overthrow of the government and required registration of unnaturalized citizens. German and Italian-Americans were initially viewed with suspicion. After America entered the war, both groups declared their loyalty by supporting the war effort and any remaining doubts faded. However, Japanese-Americans, who showed the same support and loyalty, did not receive the same absolution. Suspicions against Japanese-Americans were reinforced by long-standing racist stereotypes and restrictive laws that limited Asian pathways to citizenship. In 1942, under Executive Order 9066, approximately 120,000 Japanese-Americans were forcibly removed from their homes and held in internment camps, where they were held until 1945.
has or had identifier: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn597688-irn612189/alternateIDs/16
has or had identifier: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn597688-irn612189/alternateIDs/4
has or had identifier: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn597688-irn612189/alternateIDs/1
identifier: irn612189
has or had identifier: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn597688-irn612189/alternateIDs/6
has or had identifier: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn597688-irn612189/alternateIDs/9
type: RecordSet
archival history: The poster stamp was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2018 by Forrest J. Robinson, Jr.
has or had identifier: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn597688-irn612189/alternateIDs/12
title: Propaganda poster stamp warning of subversive elements during WWII
has or had identifier: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn597688-irn612189/alternateIDs/17
conditions of access: No restrictions on access
has or had identifier: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn597688-irn612189/alternateIDs/5
has or had identifier: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn597688-irn612189/alternateIDs/2
has end date: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/dates/1945-12-31
has or had identifier: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn597688-irn612189/alternateIDs/7
has or had identifier: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn597688-irn612189/alternateIDs/13
has or had identifier: http://lod.ehri-project-test.eu/units/us-005578-irn597688-irn612189/alternateIDs/10