Political Cartoons
Blagojevich vs. Lincoln
Saturday, January 31st, 2009This is from the cartoonist Chris Britt, who works for the State Journal-Register in Springfield, Illinois. He has a unique take on the recent impeachment of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. Give it a look.
What if the Lincoln-Douglas Debates Happend Today?
Tuesday, October 7th, 2008We are just a few hours away from the second debate between Barack Obama and John McCain. I’m looking forward to watching it. Today also marks the 150th anniversary of the fifth Lincoln-Douglas debate, which was held in Galesburg, Illinois. The coincidence got me thinking: what if Lincoln and Douglas squared off on national television today? [...]
"A Warning," December 3, 1864
Tuesday, April 29th, 2008This political cartoon is something of a counterpoint to the one I wrote about last week. “A Warning” appeared in a British publication called Fun on December 3, 1864, just a few weeks after Lincoln’s victory in the Election of 1864. The artist portrays Lincoln as a war monger who is bent on prosecuting a [...]
"Compromise with the South" by Thomas Nast
Thursday, April 24th, 2008I’ve been busy lately preparing a series of lectures on late nineteenth century political life. As I was searching the rich collection of images and audio files (yes, there are audio samples of speeches by Benjamin Harrison, Grover Cleveland, William McKinley, and Teddy Roosevelt!), I came across this political cartoon. It really captured my attention. [...]
“I Would Rather Be Assassinated on this Spot than Surrender It”
Friday, February 23rd, 2007On this date in 1861, president-elect Abraham Lincoln arrived secretly in the nation’s capitol. Though the original plan called for a more public, celebratory entrance, plans changed when Lincoln’s advisors uncovered a plot to assassinate him. Soldiers, politicians, private detectives, and a number of Lincoln’s political advisors had been working for weeks to secure the [...]