\u00a9 2021 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. To analyze political cartoons, start by looking at the picture and identifying the main focus of the cartoon, which will normally be exaggerated for comic effect. Panels are separated by gutters, which are white gaps. In July 1871, The New York Times exposed corruption by … James K. Polk (right) looking on as Gen. Winfield Scott pours soup on Gen. Zachary Taylor, whom Polk had replaced with Scott as the commander of the U.S. Army during the Mexican-American War. Dieting is the WORST. This cartoon is showing Theodore Roosevelt saying that he wants to run for a third term and it shows Washington basically saying no because of his anti-third term principle. How Can You Use Political Cartoons as Primary Sources. Does it help you answer your larger question or should you move on in order to find something more appropriate to your research? This cartoon represents a struggle between the two countries. It is one of my favourites – concise, well composed and straight to the point. ", "This helped me understand the basics of how to interpret political cartoons. The Mexican eagle after the war! This popular Prohibition cartoon displays saloons or alcohol as being the root of poverty, murder, suicide and other evil things. Why might this be? Not quite! wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. A cartoon about the evils of all war might instead use a Grim Reaper labeled “War” and an angel labeled “Peace.” There’s a better option out there! What other articles are printed in the paper and what topics do they discuss? wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. In this example, it’s ironic that the the politician who is so eager to demonstrate his patriotism apparently doesn’t care about the well-being of people who sacrifice the most for their country. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. A political cartoon of the Southern states being built from the ruins after the Civil War. "I teach civics and political cartoons are one of my standards, so I found this to really help my students. It definitely means death in some form. This is why it’s important to consider context. Medium: 1 print : wood engraving. Political cartoons, for example, appear in newspapers across the country everyday, but they cannot be "read" in the same way as editorials and other articles. If you know about the events this cartoon is satirizing, you’re more likely to get its intended message. It uses pathos to paint Country A as completely immoral in its actions, while Country B is portrayed as utterly innocent and defenseless. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. First, since cartoons are non-textual sources, they often use symbols or metaphors to convey information rather than words. Although it might be tempting to assume that you have finished your work once you have described the image and placed it in its historical context, by looking more closely at the cartoon you can uncover hidden meanings that you missed when answering more basic questions. What argument is the cartoonist trying to make? In an effort to utilize OSU resources, the class visited The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum and analyzed historical cartoons dealing with the topic of US immigration in the late 19th-early 20th centuries. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. The history of political cartoons is as rich as the cartoons themselves. Political cartoonists often use irony to dramatize the gap between the world as it is and the world as it should be. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. How good do I need to be at drawing to make good authentic cartoons? wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. If you know how to examine them, however, there is much they can tell you about the world in which they were created. by Jenna Fenton. The drawing of the fragmented snake was first printed on May 9, 1754, in Franklin’s Pennsylvania Gazette , more than 20 years before the war for American independence. By examining the image and text elements of the cartoon, you can start to understand its deeper message and evaluate its effectiveness. Historians have traditionally priviledged textual evidence over other types of sources. Birth of Caricature . Read on for another quiz question. Although the step-by-step approach detailed on the site is fairly general, it can certainly be adapted (see below) to the specific study of political cartoons. This might be shown through the author’s byline, which could say something like, “by Tim Carter, journalist specializing in economics.”. Similarly, you should always remember that, while cartoons can tell you a lot about prevalent attitudes, emotions, and political ideologies from the period in which they were created, they do NOT necessarily reflect the “Truth” about the situations or people they depict. When you look at a cartoon, see if you can find any irony in the situation the cartoon depicts. US News is a recognized leader in college, grad school, hospital, mutual fund, and car rankings. Teacher/author. Yes! Uncle Sam is drawing a line in the sand. Political cartoons, for example, appear in newspapers across the country everyday, but they cannot be "read" in the same way as editorials and other articles. 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