William Pitt is being criticized here for the Stamp Act. He is using crutches that span the Atlantic - 1765, John Carter Brown Library

Political cartoons are an intriguing and valuable way to help portray a political or social issue that has civic implications. Minorities or those who are in the silent majority are often represented within the artistic work and allow for a healthy disrespect of the pompous ruling class. They don't pretend to be politically correct and therefore allow for open discussion on topics represented.

The importance of the political cartoon came to light in the colonial years, when the gentlemen of the town would not have considered himself properly informed if he had not seen the latest prints. The local print shops became a something of a social center like a coffee house or barbershop where politics of the day were discussed. "No [gentlemen] would have considered going out to dinner without an intimate acquaintance with Mr. Gillray's latest offering" (Jones, 10).

While most insolent commentary, whether it be on the stage, or in the company of others, would be met with censorship or a duel at dawn, caricaturists could and did get away with ridicule and satire at the expense of the main characters in the cartoons. They were never the focus of any attempt at suppression. In fact, in Great Britain and in the Americas, the majority of political cartoons were pro-American and yet were never censored and almost always attacked the war itself as well as the policies that instigated it. ​

The Truth, Pat Bagley - 2018, Salt Lake Tribune.

​In the next several pages, you will be shown a wide variety of cartoons with a wide range of messages. Pay close attention to the symbolism of items, people, and time periods. As students, you will be asked to create your own political cartoons using the techniques discussed here.

A political cartoon is a cartoon that makes a point about a political issue or event. You can find them in any daily newspaper, but they won’t be in the comics section. Instead, look on the editorial pages – they’re right next to the editorial columns, and across from the opinion essays. You can also find them in news magazines and on political Web sites.​
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     Political cartoons can be very funny, especially if you understand the issue that they’re commenting on. Their main purpose, though, is not to amuse you but to persuade you. A good political cartoon makes you think about events, but it also tries to sway your opinion toward the cartoonist’s point of view. The best political cartoonist can change your mind on an issue without you even realizing how he or she did it." (Library of Congress, 2019)

The political cartoons have firmly held a niche in the political commentary of various countries since the Revolutionary era. In fact, more recently, political cartoons have had a resurgence of popularity. This is partially due to more people discussing politics and the use of social media as a way to spread the news - much like the circulatory letters of the War of American Independence. 

For a preview of the assignment, please click here: ​

Preview of Political Cartoon Assignment

Political cartooning is a symbolic art. Symbols are a shorthand, a convenience, not only for the artist but for the viewer as well . . . These have become part of a cherished national heritage" (Hess and Northrop, 24).

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