Tag: Political Cartoons

Posted on

The Constable or the Conqueror? Debating U.S. Intervention

Color political cartoon from Judge titled “A Thing Well Begun Is Half Done.” A caricature of President William McKinley stands on a map of North and Central America, using a shovel like a spade to dig a canal across the isthmus between the Atlantic and the Pacific. U.S.-flagged ships crowd both coasts, and American flags mark places like Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. In the background, Uncle Sam stands near the U.S. Capitol carrying tools and a flag, implying Washington is backing the project as part of national expansion.

This post first appeared on the Library of Congress sponsored – Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) Teachers Network, where I contribute as an online content creator. I’m reposting it here for readers of peterpappas.com who may not be in that space. A quick note on the present day hook. I’ve got strong opinions about Trump’s latest action in Venezuela. For the TPS version, I kept the framing usable in a classroom, with a neutral tone and a focus on what the historical cartoons reveal about recurring arguments for and against U.S. intervention. If you teach, I’d recommend joining the TPS Teachers Network. It’s free, and it’s a steady stream of smart lesson ideas, primary sources, and teacher-tested activities.

Featured Image source Persuasive Maps: PJ Mode Collection: 1136.01

Album Description: This collection of political cartoons from the late 19th and early 20th centuries illustrates the polarized debate over U.S. foreign intervention. From the “Big Stick” of Theodore Roosevelt to anti-imperialist critiques of American expansion, these images reflect the same tensions we see in modern headlines regarding Venezuela.

The 2026 capture of Nicolás Maduro serves as a powerful reminder of the long history of U.S. interventions in the Western Hemisphere. For over a century, the United States has taken direct action in the region for a variety of reasons – ranging from security and stability to self-serving economic and political interests – with results that have been viewed as both beneficial and detrimental. This album invites students to use their historical thinking skills to examine how the visual rhetoric of the past mirrors today’s geopolitical realities, encouraging them to analyze the motivations and consequences of American foreign actions across different eras.

Lesson Plan: Historical Thinking & Foreign Policy

  • Grade Level: 9-12 (US History / Government)
  • Essential Question: Does the United States have the right to intervene in the affairs of other nations?
  • Historical Thinking Skills: Contextualization, Corroboration, and Sourcing.

1. Essential Question

Briefly mention the recent news regarding U.S. military interests and diplomatic pressure in Venezuela. Ask students: “When we see the U.S. getting involved in South America today, are we seeing a new policy, or the continuation of a 120-year-old debate?”

2. Analysis Activity: The “Spectrum of Intervention”

Divide the class into small groups and assign each group 2–3 cartoons from the album. Ask them to analyze the cartoons using the LOC Primary Source Analysis Tool.

The Categorization Task: Students must place their cartoons on a spectrum on the whiteboard/digital board:

  • The “Pro-Intervention” Side: Cartoons that depict the U.S. as a “World Constable,” a “Rescuer,” or a “Teacher”.
  • The “Anti-Intervention” Side: Cartoons that depict the U.S. as an “Oppressor,” “Greedy,” or “Overburdened”.

3. Analyzing Key Arguments (Corroboration)

Once the cartoons are categorized, have the students identify the core arguments used by the artists.

  • Arguments FOR Intervention:
    • Maintaining order/stability in the hemisphere.
    • Humanitarian duty to “save” people from bad actors/dictators.
    • Advancing U.S. economic interests and trade routes.
  • Arguments AGAINST Intervention:
    • Violation of the “consent of the governed.”
    • The high cost (blood and treasure) of empire.
    • The hypocrisy of a former colony (the U.S.) becoming a colonizer.

Exit Choice Board: The Venezuela Debate

Instructions: Select one of the following options to demonstrate your understanding of the historical roots of the current U.S. intervention in Venezuela.

Option 1: The Visual/Creative (The “Modern Big Stick”)

  • Task: Create a rough sketch or a detailed “visual metaphor” for U.S. foreign policy in 2026.
  • Requirement: Your drawing must incorporate at least one specific symbol or “character” found in the historical cartoons.
  • The Goal: Show whether you think the 2026 intervention is a “Rescue”  or an “Expansion”.

Option 2: The Verbal/Performative (The “60-Second Briefing”)

  • Task: Record a one-minute “Voice Memo” or perform a live “Elevator Pitch” to a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
  • Requirement: You must cite one specific historical cartoon from the album to support your stance on the current military strikes.
  • The Goal: Use the primary source as a “precedent.” For example: “Senator, we are repeating the mistake shown in the 1899 cartoon ‘School Begins’ by assuming we can ‘teach’ democracy through force…”

Option 3: The Written/Analytical (The “Social Media Fact-Check”)

  • Task: Write a “Community Note” or a “Thread” (3 posts) responding to a hypothetical modern headline supporting or opposing the capture of Maduro.
  • Requirement: Use two cartoons to show how this debate is not new.
  • The Goal: Use the skill of Corroboration. Show how the historical arguments are being echoed (or contradicted) by the arguments used for Operation Absolute Resolve today.

Cartoon Gallery

All the images are available in one PDF. Follow links to high resolution versions for free at the Library of Congress.

The Constable or the Conqueror? Debating U.S. InterventionDownload

Posted on

Close Reading Political Cartoons: Reconstruction

Northern coat of arms

My Social Studies Methods class at the University of Portland recently published a free multi-touch iBook – Exploring History: Vol III (Free iTunes). It features thirteen engaging questions and historic documents that empower students to be the historian in the classroom. For more info on our project and free download of multi-touch iBook and pdf versions click here. To better publicize student work, I’m featuring each chapter in it’s own blog post. (First of 13)

Reconstruction in Political Cartoons by EmmaLee Kuhlmann 
Download lesson as PDF (8.3MB)

In this lesson, students will examine various political cartoons and other images from around the United States printed during Reconstruction. They will be asked questions of each image which will help them perform close reading skills and help them come to a conclusion about how the different types of American citizens experienced Reconstruction. Essential Questions:

  • How did Americans across the country experience the period of Reconstruction differently?
  • How did their experience influence their perceptions of Reconstruction policies and the government and society of the United States following the Civil War?
  • In what ways are political cartoons useful in exploring how people understood Reconstruction?
  • Are political cartoons a good primary source?

 

Project Reflection by EmmaLee Kuhlmann 

In the initial stages of developing this lesson, I had the idea that I might want to focus primarily on political cartoons for this lesson. There are so many available from this time period, and so many with such vivid imagery that allow students to engage in analysis with very little background knowledge. As I began to collect documents for this lesson, I was a bit worried that I did not have enough content, and that I might need to include other types of documents. However, because Reconstruction is such a large topic, and because there are so many different lenses through which it can be understood, I found that it was easier to stick with the medium of political cartoons, and engage with them more deeply. In this way, students get the opportunity to engage with the controversy of how to rebuild after a terrible and destructive war that changed multiple aspects of society.

In secondary history classes, topics such as Reconstruction are rarely discussed; if they are, very little time is spent uncovering the controversy and complexity of the time period. However, Reconstruction is a period in America’s history that began the current stream of history. By understanding the period following the Civil War, students can begin to see how America’s history has shaped its present. For instance, certain racial policies enacted during Reconstruction played a major role in Americans’ later perceptions of race and racial constructs. It isn’t an easy time period to untangle, certainly another reason why it rarely is at the secondary level. However, giving students primary sources to discuss and explore give them an effective entry point into the time period and the topics surrounding some difficult issues of Reconstruction.

At the end of this particular lesson, numerous different activities could be assigned. In the creation of this lesson, I wanted to leave the final product/assignment open because there are so many creative ways to assess understanding of the cartoons and the ideas and values they present. When I discussed possible options for closing assignments for this lesson, various suggestions were given. My favorite assignment idea was to have students create their own political cartoon using similar themes and imagery from the cartoons that they explored in the lesson. This could be done either about Reconstruction issues or even current events. This would allow students to make connections across topics and time periods.

Image credit: Library of Congress  LC-USZ62-19673 

Title: Northern coat of arms
Related Names: Baker, Joseph E
Date Created/Published: 1864.