Political Cartoons: Thomas Nast's Editorial Perspective of Current Events in his Time

Student Engagement: Find a Political Cartoon

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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?


Where to find a political cartoon?

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?

What are the political biases or agendas of the news outlet?

When was this political cartoon published?

Image Caption: "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.”