American Imperialism Cartoon Analysis

History 102

Eduardo Zamora

Introduction

Much of what people often don't understand is the importance of images, history has no limit and is created everyday, and not all of it is written down, some come in the form of cartoons. It's no surprise that today and especially in the past many people are visual learners, and historical cartoons were able to show people a message. Many of the cartoons from American Imperialism and the Philippines show the violence, hunger, and disease. Some of these cartoons show the mistreatment towards natives. These political cartoons are considered primary sources and show real and crucial information of what was happening.

Political Cartoons

As we can see in this political cartoon, it portrays the United States in the form of Uncle Sam. He is seen as a giant and is carrying industrialized products and machinery, steel rails, education, religion, trains, bridges, etc. He is stepping over the water, using the Philippines as a stepping stone in order to get to China. In China, there is a small man who is happy to see uncle sam and has his arms open. Around the Chinese man there are signs saying "wanted, stoves, lamps, bridges, cars, rails, roads, etc." As you can see there is lots of bias in this picture and is clearly a product of the United States, in their view they are the saviors who have to make the trip across seas as seen in the picture by the way Uncle sam is carrying everything on his shoulders and is struggling. The way in which the Philippines is sown gives the impression that they are nothing, Uncle Sam stepping on Philippines serves as symbolism in the way that at the time the United States was committing murder and went to war with them.

This political cartoon shows Uncle Sam and another American carrying on their backs "uncivilized people" across rocks and onto civilization. It can be seen that Uncle Sam and the other American are tired and are struggling to make it across the rocks which represent barbarism, oppression, superstition, ignorance, slavery, etc. This cartoon wants people to think that because Americans are supposedly carrying these people to civilization, their actions such as enslaving them, brutality, ignorance, are justified by their ultimate goal by making them civilized in their views. This cartoon is effective in creating racism because it shows people of color to be animals and inferior by the way they are being carried and drawn. The people who created this saw Philippines as inferior savages who need to be aided by the United States.

This next picture shows Uncle Sam and a bunch of students being taught by him. Uncle Sam looks mad and seems to be scaring the children. At the very front of the classroom there are Philippines, Hawaii people, Puerto Rico people, and Cubans. And if you look closely there is a colored student at the back of the classroom who is cleaning the windows. This cartoon makes people think that it's up to America to teach "inferior" people about education so they can ultimately learn how to self-govern. Also the fact that Uncle Sam is an adult and that the countries are displayed as children shows a power dynamic, that these countries are children that need to be led. It just enforces the idea that they're uneducated and barbaric. The children look scared and therefore can be assumed that they don't like to be taught, and could tie into the brutality and war that the United States has caused, imposing fear on them. The person who produced this obviously sees the United States as the higher power and others as barbaric people who need to be aided.

Conclusion

American Imperialism was in the eyes on the United States a favor they were doing to the Philippines and other nations such as Cuba and Hawaii. But the natives did not view it that way, mostly because they were being killed and taken advantage of. In their eyes they simply saw a switch in power, they were once controlled by Spain but are now being controlled by the United States. The United States didn't care for the Philippines and simply wanted to gain control so they could get one step closer to China. Americans took an authority role and saw themselves as saviors and that they were doing these countries a favor, when in reality they were making things worse.

As we can see in this political cartoon, it portrays the United States in the form of Uncle Sam. He is seen as a giant and is carrying industrialized products and machinery, steel rails, education, religion, trains, bridges, etc. He is stepping over the water, using the Philippines as a stepping stone in order to get to China. In China, there is a small man who is happy to see uncle sam and has his arms open. Around the Chinese man there are signs saying "wanted, stoves, lamps, bridges, cars, rails, roads, etc." As you can see there is lots of bias in this picture and is clearly a product of the United States, in their view they are the saviors who have to make the trip across seas as seen in the picture by the way Uncle sam is carrying everything on his shoulders and is struggling. The way in which the Philippines is sown gives the impression that they are nothing, Uncle Sam stepping on Philippines serves as symbolism in the way that at the time the United States was committing murder and went to war with them.

This political cartoon shows Uncle Sam and another American carrying on their backs "uncivilized people" across rocks and onto civilization. It can be seen that Uncle Sam and the other American are tired and are struggling to make it across the rocks which represent barbarism, oppression, superstition, ignorance, slavery, etc. This cartoon wants people to think that because Americans are supposedly carrying these people to civilization, their actions such as enslaving them, brutality, ignorance, are justified by their ultimate goal by making them civilized in their views. This cartoon is effective in creating racism because it shows people of color to be animals and inferior by the way they are being carried and drawn. The people who created this saw Philippines as inferior savages who need to be aided by the United States.

This next picture shows Uncle Sam and a bunch of students being taught by him. Uncle Sam looks mad and seems to be scaring the children. At the very front of the classroom there are Philippines, Hawaii people, Puerto Rico people, and Cubans. And if you look closely there is a colored student at the back of the classroom who is cleaning the windows. This cartoon makes people think that it's up to America to teach "inferior" people about education so they can ultimately learn how to self-govern. Also the fact that Uncle Sam is an adult and that the countries are displayed as children shows a power dynamic, that these countries are children that need to be led. It just enforces the idea that they're uneducated and barbaric. The children look scared and therefore can be assumed that they don't like to be taught, and could tie into the brutality and war that the United States has caused, imposing fear on them. The person who produced this obviously sees the United States as the higher power and others as barbaric people who need to be aided.