Find a political cartoon either online or in print. Where did you find your political cartoon? Who is in the political cartoon? What is the political cartoon about?

Many newspapers and news sites have political cartoons.  You can find many modern and historic political cartoons online.

Some considerations when selecting a source for your political cartoon:

Where was the political cartoon published?

When was this political cartoon published?

: "Stranger Things Have Happened", Harper's Weekly, December 27, 1879

This picture marks the first time that the Republican Elephant and Democratic Donkey symbols appear together in a Thomas Nast political cartoon. Democratic Senator Thomas Bayard, an advocate of “hard money,” is shown holding onto the tail of the Donkey to keep it from falling over the edge into financial chaos. Republican John Sherman, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, whose position on the issue was equivocal, stands beside a slumbering elephant, satisfied with the status quo. The caption reads: Senator “Hold on, and you may walk over the sluggish animal up there yet.”

Once you find your political cartoon, you can begin to identify the figures in the cartoon. Sometimes animals or other figures are used to represent groups of people. For example, the donkey for the Democratic Party or the elephant for the Republican Party.

Some considerations for identifying figures in the cartoon: 

Are there any exaggerated personal appearances? 

Are there any words or labels to help you understand who the figures may be?

"Et Tu, Brute- Then Fall, Caesar", Harper's Weekly January 27, 1872

Thomas Nast’s Shakespearean characters depicting various political  figures appeared in 

 on a regular basis through the early 1870’s. In this engraving, Nast shows Boss Tweed as Julius Caesar being stabbed by Brutus who represents the Governor of New York, John T. Hoffman. The sword reads “message” as to send a message to Boss Tweed. Governor Hoffman, once mayor of New York City, was  part of Tweed’s inner circle.  Hoffman was so closely associated with Tweed and Tammany corruption that he was forced out as Governor in 1872 when this image was published.

The events in a political cartoon can be real, 

. It takes careful examination to determine which when looking at a political cartoon. 

Some considerations for determining what's happening:

How are the events in the image helpful or hurtful to a person or political party? 

Are there words telling you what may be happening?

"Can the Law Reach Him?- The Dwarf and the Giant Thief", Harper's Weekly, January 6, 2872

During the early 1870s, William “Boss” Tweed often appeared to the public as if he were above the law. Nast depicts the law as the average-sized police officer able to apprehend the average criminal, who appears comically tiny, but not Tweed, the “giant thief” who Nast illustrates as untouchable by the law.

Standards for Student Engagement: Find a Political Cartoon