Political Cartoons at the Turn of the 20th Century Analytical Essay by Kimberly
Political Cartoons at the Turn of the 20th Century
An analysis of the political cartoons "Something Lacking" by Charles L. Bartholomew and "Uncle Sam Watches over Cuba and the Philippines" by Grant Hamilton.
# 154069
| 1,822 words
| 7 sources
| 2014
| 
Published
on Nov 09, 2014
in
Sociology
(Media and Society)
, History
(General)
, Political Science
(General)
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Description:
At any given point in history, political cartoons are often an excellent indicator of public opinion and sentiments about historic events. Cartoons published around the turn of the 20th century illustrated various possible points of view on the subject of the Spanish-American War and the possible acquisition of the Philippines as a new territory. Charles L. Bartholomew of the Minneapolis Tribune and Grant Hamilton of Judge magazine had similar viewpoints at the time. They agreed with President McKinley's assessment that we must uplift and civilize the people of the Philippines and turn them into an asset much like Cuba and Puerto Rico already were. In their opinion, such a strategy was in our best interests, as well as theirs.
From the Paper:
"At any given point in history, political cartoons are often an excellent indicator of public opinion and sentiments about historic events. Cartoons published around the turn of the 20thcentury illustrated various possible points of view on the subject of the Spanish-American War and the possible acquisition of the Philippines as a new territory. Charles L. Bartholomew of the Minneapolis Tribune and Grant Hamilton of Judge magazine had similar viewpoints at the time. They agreed with President McKinley's assessment that we must uplift and civilize the people of the Philippines and turn them into an asset much like Cuba and Puerto Rico already were. In their opinion, such a strategy was in our best interests, as well as theirs."In this picture titled, Uncle Sam Watches Over Cuba and the Philippines by Charles L. Bartholomew from 1898, Uncle Sam, the personification of America, is seen standing tall and proud in a formal tailcoat, (presumably) red and white striped trousers, tall top hat featuring stars from the American flag and a large star-shaped button featuring the words "World's Humane Agent." In this cartoon, Uncle Sam is exemplifying all the qualities of an American Albert J. Beveridge describes in his speech, The March of the Flag. Americans are "a mighty people," "virile," "masterful," "imperial by virtue of their power," conducting "Heaven-directed purposes" (Henretta 168). He is in the center looking down on citizens of Cuba, Porto Rico, and the Philippines, meant to be the main focus, while the other characters are smaller and less important.
"To his right stands Porto Rico, a short, dark man wearing the exact same outfit as Uncle Sam, only miniaturized. His hands are at his lapels, demonstrating he is proud to be standing beside and following in the footsteps of the USA. From his elbow hangs a tag that reads, "Annexation Suit From Your Uncle Sam." At this time, the US had recently annexed Puerto Rico. The Puerto Rican people were glad to be free from Spanish rule and hoped to receive the benefits of being associated with the United States, particularly economic benefits. We helped them gain independence then took them under our wing, so to speak. The US made many changes once we gained control, including decreeing freedom of speech, assembly, press, and religion, establishing an 8-hour work day, public schools, a postal system, and a public health system, constructing highways and bridges and outlawing destructive practices such as cockfighting and gambling (Rivera 5). These changes were all made in the image of the United States in an attempt to turn Puerto Rico into a miniature version of ourselves, much like the cartoon depicts."
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Political Cartoons at the Turn of the 20th Century (2014, November 09)
Retrieved March 20, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/analytical-essay/political-cartoons-at-the-turn-of-the-20th-century-154069/
MLA Format
"Political Cartoons at the Turn of the 20th Century" 09 November 2014.
Web. 20 March. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/analytical-essay/political-cartoons-at-the-turn-of-the-20th-century-154069/>