Today we will be learning how to analyze political cartoons as well as recognize some key political/economic issues from the progressive era. So far we have discussed mostly the social issues going on at the time so this will be a good opportunity for us to review what we know as well as explore new concepts from the same time period.
Background Knowledge
Before we can analyze the cartoons, we need to have a better understanding of the issues they are poking fun at. To do this we will work our way through the following powerpoint. Please take note of the vocabulary words as we go and write these down in your notebook as they could come in handy when we decipher the cartoons as well as on your next learning target assessment.
Below you will find a list of all of the vocabulary words in this powerpoint so you may see them better if you couldn't see them on the TV.
Agrarian society: Society based around producing and maintaining crops and farmland. Andrew Carnegie: U.S Steel manufacturer known for his success in the industry and for his philanthropy. (1835-1919) Big Business: A large scale industry. Captain of Industry: The head of a large business Dividend: The sum of money paid to shareholders of a corporation from the earnings of the corporation. Free Market: An economic system in which prices are determined by unrestricted competition between privately owned businesses. Industrialization: The process in which a society or country (or world) transforms itself from a primarily agricultural society into one based on the manufacturing of goods and services. James Sherman: Vice President to President Taft. John D. Rockefeller: U.S. Industrialist who dominated the oil business and made a fortune. (1839-1937) Laissez-Faire: “HANDS OFF” or no government interference in business. Monopoly: The exclusive control of the entire supply of goods or of a service in a certain area or market. Shareholder: Someone who is a holder or owner of shares in a company or corporation. The New Nationalism: Teddy Roosevelt’s philosophy during the 1912 presidential election. He argued for the government protection of human welfare and property rights. Theodore Roosevelt: President of the United States from 1901-1909. Known as the “Trust Buster” and a Progressive. Trust Company: A trust refers to a large corporation where is a person who holds the property rights and generally has a monopoly or a very large piece of a certain industry. For example, US Steel and Standard Oil. Urban: Designating a city or town. A more populated area. William Howard Taft: President of the United States from 1909-1912. Often poked fun at for being a very large man. He was the protégé of TR, yet he is known as more conservative than his predecessor even though he is responsible for several reforms. Woodrow Wilson: President from 1913-1921. He campaigned on a progressive platform called “New Freedom” that believed in individualism and state’s rights. In 1918, as WWI began to fall in favor of the Allies, he wrote the “Fourteen Points” speech which outlined post-war aims, including the League of Nations.
Deciphering Political Cartoons
Next, please get into groups of 3-4. Your group will be working together to determine what each political cartoon means. As you go you will fill out the Analysis Chart to keep track of your thoughts. If you are having a hard time seeing the pictures on the TV, you can follow along on the PowerPoint above.
Breakdown of the Analysis Chart: (Using "Revising It" as an example) Observation Phase: Remember to record observations.
What objects do you see?
Write down the cartoon caption (if there is one).
Locate words or phrases and decipher meaning
Reflection Phase: Remember to record observations.
Symbolism and metaphors: A symbol in a cartoon is an image that is created to stand in for some other thing, person, idea…etc. A metaphor uses an analogy to describe one thing as similar to something completely different.
What is TR cutting?
What does the image of the club symbolize?
What does the building in the background symbolize?
Who is TR, and what is his expression? What was his nickname as we learned previously?
Irony/Satire: Form of humor that is especially appropriate for political cartoons because it mocks the direct meaning of the image and represents a contradiction to that meaning.
TR was known as the “Trust Buster,” so what is the irony of this image? How is the author showing irony and satire?
Stereotype: Oversimplification of a particular group.
How are the images represented? Which images are large ,and which are small?
How do you feel about TR based on this image?
How does the author stereotype TR, the United States, Big Business, and Economics just from this cartoon?
Exaggeration: A distortion of an object that enhances and highlights the aspect the author would like to become dominant to the viewer.
What aspects of the cartoon are exaggerated to make the audience notice them?
What emotions do you see in TR? Are they exaggerated for effect?
Question Phase: Remember to record observations.
What is the message of the political cartoon?
What is the author trying to tell the audience? Knowing the background knowledge of this time period, does the message surprise you?
What attitude does the author have on Big Business, TR, and Economics?
How does this relate to the Progressive Era? Which side of the conflict is this author portraying?
How does this relate to what you already know about the Progressive Era, and how does it fit in with the larger picture of US History? Does it surprise you or does it seem consistent with other aspects of US History?
After we have practiced this a couple times, your group will be asked to go through the analysis on your own. After each one, we will discuss the different ways of interpreting each cartoon.
Lesson Source
This lesson and its materials were originally designed by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. The original lesson plan can be found below.