American History. “The Scourged Back,” was first published in Harper’s Weekly on July 4, 1863.

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Abraham Madu

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Oct 16, 2025, 6:21:50 PM (22 hours ago) Oct 16

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Gordon, also known as “Whipped Peter,” was an enslaved man who escaped from a Louisiana plantation in 1863 during the American Civil War. He became widely known after photographs of the severe scars on his back caused by brutal whippings were published and circulated by abolitionists.

The famous image, often called “The Scourged Back,” was first published in Harper’s Weekly on July 4, 1863. The photograph showed Gordon’s back covered with deep scars from years of whipping, and it became one of the most powerful pieces of visual evidence used to expose the cruelty of slavery in the United States.

After escaping, Gordon reached Union Army lines in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he joined the Union Army’s Corps d’Afrique, a regiment made up of formerly enslaved men who fought for freedom. Reports from Union officers described Gordon as intelligent, determined, and deeply motivated by the desire for liberty.

His image helped change public opinion in the North by showing the true violence of slavery. The photograph was widely reprinted and used in abolitionist campaigns across the country.

Though not much is known about Gordon’s later life, his courage and the powerful photograph of his back remain one of the most recognized and haunting symbols of the fight against slavery.

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