Lesson #1: Colonist Protest!

Activity 1.5: Revolutionary Political Cartoons

These are four of many political cartoons which were published during the era of the American Revolution.

In the colonial times, there were no radios, televisions, or the internet to spread news quickly. One of the quickest ways of “going viral” with an idea was to create political cartoons. Political cartoons were meant to be a comment on events at that time. In this activity, you will examine four political cartoons and reflect on the usefulness of the cartoons.

Benchmark:

5.4.4.17.1: Identify major conflicts between the colonies and England following the Seven Years War; explain how these conflicts led to the American Revolution.

Learning Target:

I can... identify the major conflicts between England and the colonies, and explain why those conflicts led to the American Revolution.

Essential Question:

What are the major conflicts between the colonies and England, and how did they lead to the American Revolution?

To complete Activity 1.5 please follow the steps below:

STEP 1:

Examine each political cartoon. Read the description below each cartoon. You will be asked to pick your favorite political cartoon, and asked to click on one of the further explanation links below

“Join, or Die.” - 1764

This is a political cartoon created by Benjamin Franklin that reads “Join, or Die.”. It is a cartoon of a snake cut into eight pieces. Each of the pieces is labeled to represent a section of the 13 colonies. The colonies from head to tail go from north to south. N.E stands for New England (Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire), N.Y. as New York, N.J. as New Jersey, P as Pennsylvania, M as Maryland, V. as Virginia, N.C. as North Carolina, and S.C. as South Carolina. The cartoon appeared in an editorial about how the colonies needed to unite to become a stronger force against enemies. The idea behind the cartoon is simple, if the colonies join together they will be strong. If they do not, they will not survive.

For further explanation, go the Digital History Explanation of the Join or Die Cartoon.

“The Repeal, or The Funeral of Miss Ame-Stamp” - 1766

        This is a political cartoon represents the repeal, or cancellation, of the Stamp Act. The Stamp Act was not popular in the colonies and did not last long. The cartoon shows repeal of the Stamp Act by depicting it as a funeral. The Prime Minister of England is shown carrying a coffin that says “born 1765, died 1766” to show the short life of the tax on the colonies.The men following the prime minister are other British lawmakers who helped pass the Stamp Act, and they are depicted as mourning with sad faces and wiping away tears. The cartoon also shows empty warehouses and ships in the harbor in England to represent the lack of trade with the colonies. Also, when you look closely at the dog you see he is peeing on the leader of the procession. This is to represent the colonies lack of respect for this form of taxation. The cry “No taxation without representation!” became a common slogan during this time to communicate that colonists felt that the distant British parliament was not representing their wants and needs. --If they did not have representation, then they England should not be allowed to tax them.

For further explanation, go the Digital History Explanation of the Repeal Cartoon.

“The Bloody Massacre” - 1770

        Three weeks after the Boston Massacre, Paul Revere created this engraving. Paul Revere shows his bias against the British by first labeling his engraving “The Bloody Massacre in King Street”. Many of the details in this engraving are inaccurate or exaggerated. He depicted the British soldiers as being lined up in orderly fashion, and above the soldiers there is a building labeled “Butcher’s Hall” which did not exist. Notice the faces on the British compared to the colonists. The British soldiers either look angry or look like they are enjoying themselves. Revere also chose not to include the snow that was on the ground at the time.

For further explanation, go the Digital History explanation of the Bloody Massacre Cartoon.

"The Bostonians Paying the Excise-Man or Tarring and Feathering" - 1774

This is a British political cartoon that first showed up in England after the Boston Tea Party. The cartoon depicts the Boston patriots forcing tea down the throat of an excise (tax) man, John Malcolm, who had been tarred and feathered earlier. The tree has an upside down paper on it that reads “Stamp Act” showing the colonists disapproval of the tax act. The tree also has a noose hanging from a branch, suggesting that much worse could happen than getting tarred and feathered. In the background you can see there are Bostonians dumping tea into the harbor. Overall, the Bostonians are portrayed as thugs, and the creator of the cartoon seems to be making a comment on the Bostonians view of liberty by having “Liberty Tree” written on the tree behind them.

For further explanation, go the History Matters Explanation of The Bostonians Paying the Excise-Man Cartoon

STEP 2:

Answer the following questions in the discussion thread:

1. Evaluate each political cartoon. Which political cartoon do you personally think is the best?

2. After clicking on one of the further explanation links, what new information did you learn?

3. Why do you think people depended on political cartoons to express an idea during the colonial times? Do you think it is a good form of communication? Why or why not?