Description: Holding His End Up political cartoon 1898

Holding His End Up political cartoon 1898

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Main Author:	Morgan, Fred (Creator)
Collection:	J. Hampton Moore papers (#1541)
Date:	1898-08-09
Alternate Date:	August 9, 1898
Dimensions:	22.5 x 35.5 cm
Extent:	1 scrapbook page
Volume Number:	Volume 72
Format:	Electronic
Language:	English
Published:	James Elverson, 1838-1911
Subjects and Genres:	Political cartoons Clipping
Copyright:	Please contact Historical Society of Pennsylvania Rights and Reproductions (rnr@hsp.org)
Online Access:	https://digitallibrary.hsp.org/index.php/Detail/objects/12189
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!

Summary:	American expansionism as well as the ideals of the Monroe Doctrine, which rejected European rule and intervention in the Americas, led the United States to intervene against Spain in the Cuban War for Independence (1895-1898). In January 1898, the US sent the battleship USS Maine to Havana and on February 15, 1898, the battleship sunk after a mysterious explosion. Although they lacked any credible evidence to support their claims, newspapers held Spain responsible for the incident. In April 1898 the US declared war. The Spanish-American War lasted for only ten weeks and ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898. As part of the agreement, Spain granted Cuba its independence and ceded Guam and Puerto Rico to the United States. The United States also purchased the Philippines from Spain for $20 million and annexed Hawaii on August 12, 1898. The end of the war marked a turning point in US foreign policy, as the Nation expanded its economic and political influence in the Western Hemisphere. The political cartoon comments on American expansionism in the Western Hemisphere. In the image, Uncle Sam performs a circus act for European emperors, monarchs, and leaders. He balances children, who are holding flags representing Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Cuba, Philippines, and the Ladrones Islands, on his shoulders and head. John Bull, the symbol for Great Britain, remarks in the caption below the image: "It's really most extraordinary what training will do. Why, only the other day I thought that man unable to support himself." The children are drawn in a manner which reflects the ethnic and racial stereotypes of the era. Please note that the image of the political cartoon is taken from a scrapbook. "How the Spaniard Became an Angel" which has been affixed below "Holding His End Up" by the scrapbook creator has not been encoded because it was not originally part of the Philadelphia Inquirer cartoon "Holding His End Up."

Summary:

American expansionism as well as the ideals of the Monroe Doctrine, which rejected European rule and intervention in the Americas, led the United States to intervene against Spain in the Cuban War for Independence (1895-1898). In January 1898, the US sent the battleship USS Maine to Havana and on February 15, 1898, the battleship sunk after a mysterious explosion. Although they lacked any credible evidence to support their claims, newspapers held Spain responsible for the incident. In April 1898 the US declared war. The Spanish-American War lasted for only ten weeks and ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898. As part of the agreement, Spain granted Cuba its independence and ceded Guam and Puerto Rico to the United States. The United States also purchased the Philippines from Spain for $20 million and annexed Hawaii on August 12, 1898. The end of the war marked a turning point in US foreign policy, as the Nation expanded its economic and political influence in the Western Hemisphere.
The political cartoon comments on American expansionism in the Western Hemisphere. In the image, Uncle Sam performs a circus act for European emperors, monarchs, and leaders. He balances children, who are holding flags representing Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Cuba, Philippines, and the Ladrones Islands, on his shoulders and head. John Bull, the symbol for Great Britain, remarks in the caption below the image: "It's really most extraordinary what training will do. Why, only the other day I thought that man unable to support himself." The children are drawn in a manner which reflects the ethnic and racial stereotypes of the era.
Please note that the image of the political cartoon is taken from a scrapbook. "How the Spaniard Became an Angel" which has been affixed below "Holding His End Up" by the scrapbook creator has not been encoded because it was not originally part of the Philadelphia Inquirer cartoon "Holding His End Up."

Need Help?

Search Tips Research By Mail Contact the Library

Holding His End Up political cartoon 1898

Need Help?

Similar Items