Political Cartoon Dbq Essay

Political cartoons during the late 19th century Gilded Age revealed, on a large scale, key issues at stake throughout the era. These drawings flourished in the 1860s due to advances in new technology of mass circulation and because people of all kinds; young, old, black, white, educated, illiterate could interpret the intense meaning from the artists. Cartoonists emerged by the names of Thomas Nast from Harper’s Weekly, Joseph Kepper of Puck, Frank Beard, Eugene Zimmerman, Grant Hamilton, etc. Most of these illustrators rose to the occasion to bring down the infamous Boss Tweed, who in 1861 begun his formation of the New York County Courthouse costing around 13 million dollars. City officials with a grudge against William M. Tweed provided …show more content…
Tweed as a fat man with a moneybag for a head. This image, exposed to the public, displayed Tweed’s true and corrupt intentions only revolved around money. (Document A). Next came the notable illustration called “The Tammany Tiger Loose”, again drawn by Nast, presenting Boss Tweed as Caesar in a grand arena and in the center lies the principles of republic being mauled by a the Tammany Ring tiger. The Harper’s Weekly cartoon burst forth with meaning, Tweed symbolizing the corrupt ruler “above” the rights of the United States, the fallen warriors representing the misuse and mistreatment the Tammany Ring seen as a ferocious animal slowly killing democracy and staring into the audience as if its next prey (Document B). “New York City’s Courthouse” was yet another illustration added to Thomas Nast’s campaign exposing the corruption of Tweed and Tammany Hall. Here Tweed sits on his glorious throne made of moneybags, gripping a king-like scepter in his right hand, and his fabulous courthouse (the monument of all jobbery) resting on his baldhead. The public was with out a doubt aware of Nast’s intense message; Tweed had truly stolen from the people’s funds and put millions into his own personal pockets (Document