Political cartoons from the last 115 years

In "What Everybody Knows," artist Udo J. Keppler draws Uncle Sam surrounded by men bemoaning the woes of the United States. At the time, the death rate from cirrhosis was nearly 30 per 100,000 men. This rate dropped to about 11 per 100,000 by 1929, when Prohibition had been in effect for nearly a decade.

"Next From Cradle to the Mill" is a brutal portrayal of child labor early in the 20th century. A monsterous figure with "Necessity" written on it takes a child menacingly by the hand. In the background, a man's head is down on a desk, while two children walk toward a factory that says "Machinery Operated by Children." The cartoon brings to mind the public hearing of Camilla Teoli, who worked as a child at a wool factory and experienced a disfiguring accident.

"The Americanese Wall, As Congressman Burnett Would Build It" satirizes the 1917 immigration act imposed by Congressman John Lawson Burnett by drawing literacy tests as a wall. Evans drew the wall with pens sticking out of it, while Uncle Sam looks on.

"Not All the Tanks Are in Europe" shows how a law enforcer is alone in fighting crime and corruption, symbolized by an army tank on the streets of Chicago. At the time, it was common practice for politicians to be in alliance with criminals in Chicago. At times, these politicians protected Chicago's mob bosses and outlaws.

In "Perhaps They Would Like It for a Figurehead," Luther Daniels Bradley mocks America's lack of action in World War I by replacing the famous American eagle. Three pacifists can be seen in the cartoon removing the eagle with a sign that says "The Dodo Doesn't Work."

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When World War I began in 1914, it was common to say it would be over by Christmas. Homer Stinson's 1920 cartoon mocks that sentiment: his illustration came three years after the end of the war, following the Senate's refusal to ratify the Treaty of Versailles. President Harding brought home U.S. troops stationed in Germany in 1923.

"The Accuser" shows a woman reprimanding the U.S. Senate for killing what's lying on the ground: "The treaty of peace." This referred to the Treaty of Versailles, which brought an end to the war between the Allied Powers and Germany.

In "Go Away!" Rollin Kirby drew Congress from behind doors gesturing to Armenia with a sign that says "With malice towards all, with charity towards none." This cartoon represents America's non-recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

Burt Thomas drew the GOP and the Democrats wearing matching hats and toting the same issues, with a citizen watching on. The cartoon mocks the striking similarities between the two parties.

Homer Stinson stunned his readers by drawing Congress and profiteers preparing for a hearty meal, while the public is in the background carrying taxes, profits, and lunch to them. The cartoon was part of an editorial called "Where the Money Is."

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Americans in the 1920s spent money on expensive clothes and other ready-made items. Such extravagance was referred to as The Roaring Twenties. "Better Put on Chains" shows a speeding car with wages and profits on it. Ahead is a wrong turn, following an icy road of reckless spending.

This cartoon shows America's reluctance at the time to take in refugees. "The Only Way to Handle It" portrays Uncle Sam using a funnel to let in refugees, with an influx from the top.

"At That, We'll Get Some Fun Out of It" shows a rugged Uncle Sam with a cherub on a sled, gliding down issues like taxes, foreign policy, and Prohibition enforcement.

After the Teapot Dome scandal, which shook the Harding administration, W. T. Enright illustrated this cartoon showing a teapot overspilling while people flee.

"Ain't Politics Grand?" depicts the fight Democrats, the GOP, and Progressives were having in 1924. The cartoon shows three animals representing three factions, while the taxpayer sits in the middle, marveling.

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This cartoon shows dollar signs burning down a farm for sale, as a helpless farmer looks on. The cartoon illustrated the fall in farm prices during these years and the struggles farmers faced.

Charles R. Macauley's 1930 commentary on reparations following World War I won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning. The powerful imagery depicts the consequences of war in the image of a dead horse, while provisions and reparations are carried by one man in the background. While the Treaty of Versailles, which stipulated such reparations, was signed in 1919, hyperinflation and defaulted payments left Allied relations with Germany fraught. The Young Plan, written in August 1929, effectively reduced the reparations owed by Germany by 17% but was quickly thrown into flux by the onset of the Great Depression.

Winnie King drew a raging bull pulling the Federal Reserve at a high speed, which will inevitably make it crash. "The Bull Market" cartoon referred to the speculative bubble that led to a boom in the 1920s until the crash in 1929.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt created "alphabet agencies," which were part of his signature set of policies to provide relief during the Great Depression. This cartoon mocked his New Deal, likening it to a set of cards that teach children the alphabet. People at the time said the programs were reminiscent of "alphabet soup."

"What We Need is Another Pump" is another critique of FDR's New Deal. The cartoon depicts FDR attempting to force money into a leaky economy.

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This Prohibition-era cartoon depicts a bottle being alternately vilified and defended by each side of the issue. The Temperance Movement proved to be a divisive era, with pro- and anti-alcohol citizens speaking out.

In "A Wise Economist Asks a Question," which won a Pulitzer in 1932, John T. McCutcheon describes bank failures during the Great Depression. The economist in this cartoon is a squirrel asking a new victim of bank failure if he had saved for a bad day.

A frustrated Uncle Sam sits on a massive globe in "The Fourth of July's Uncle Sam." The cartoon was drawn by Paolo Garretto, who helped shape Vanity Fair's refined style.

A wave of violent strikes broke out from Maine to Alabama in 1934. Ross A. Lewis painted a picture of violence on both sides: strikers and anti-unionists. In 1935, the cartoon won a Pulitzer Prize.

"The Illegal Act" shows Uncle Sam drowning in the Great Depression while President Franklin Roosevelt tries to save him from the "National Recovery." The National Recovery Administration was FDR's response to the Great Depression, later deemed by the Supreme Court to be unconstitutional.

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Constantin Alajalov drew President Roosevelt pulling the strings for circus animals. Each animal represents a different political faction following Roosevelt's lead.

This cartoon is a portrayal of how FDR packed judges into the Supreme Court to bolster his New Deal. The cartoon depicts the president as a ventriloquist with six puppets who all vote his way.

Another Pulitzer Prize winner, "The Road Back?" anticipated a second global-scale war, given a number of attacks by the Japanese. The cartoon shows the world talking a tired soldier out of conflict, while Armistice Day's tombstone lies in the background.

This cartoon shows a number of statesmen entertaining and comforting Adolf Hitler, who is reclining with a swastika on his shoe. The cartoon mocks the Munich Peace Agreement, which allowed Hitler to annex parts of Czechoslovakia.

"The Scoop!" by Philip Zec depicts a group of bound and gagged journalists. The cartoon refers to the state of censorship during World War II.

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"Peace by Piece!" depicts Soviet leader Joseph Stalin with angel wings. He can be seen tearing down the flags of neighboring states including Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania one by one while smiling heartily. The cartoon was set in a time Soviet leaders promised peace with neighboring countries. This was called into question when leaders modified these objectives under the guise of stopping the spread of war, and their own military intentions became more apparent.

"The Still Small Voice!" depicts a bullhorn with "Nazi propaganda" blaring from it. This reflected the general sentiment towards the party, published at a time when propaganda from Germany threatened to drive a wedge between Britain and France.

This cartoon shows an elderly woman in an "America First" sweater reading from "Adolf the Wolf," which bears a Nazi swastika. On her lap, two children sit listening as she reads the fate of two other children, showing the difference in opinion between the indoctrinated adult and the frightened young ones.

Adolf Hitler is depicted in this cartoon showing U.S. Senator Sherman Minton the way news should be propagated. Hitler was known for tightly controlling his state-run media.

This cartoon shows two commuters with a newspaper whose headlines imply that a racist crime has gone unsolved. The man changes the subject, representing a criticism of the blindness to widespread racism.

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This cartoon depicts former presidential candidate Thomas Dewey next to President Harry Truman. The cartoon shows Dewey telling Truman "What's the use of going through with this election?" in a display of confidence.

This cartoon satirizes Harry Truman's presidential campaign, during which he gave speeches across the country criticizing the opposition as the party of privilege. Truman was expected to lose the election but instead ended up winning by a margin of 2 million votes.

This cartoon depicts the world on a search for lasting peace, lamenting the ineffectiveness of the map. This cartoon satirizes the complex differences of opinion between global powers, despite their unity over the NATO treaty.

Roy Justus' 1950 cartoon depicts an elephant (symbol of the Republican party) looking confused at a set of signposts pointing in different political directions. This is thought to represent confusion among the political party about its direction and stance on a range of issues at the time.

This cartoon depicts the arms race taking place between the U.S. and Russia in 1950. The sketch shows the world squashed between two bombs, one from either side. It illustrates how the world was caught in the grip of two major powers with military ambitions.

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This sketch from Fred Packer takes aim at President Truman's Fair Deal program, which was widely criticized. This program was mirrored on President Roosevelt's New Deal.

A pig is overjoyed in mud in this cartoon. The pig represents Communism and the mud symbolizes the Rosenberg spy case—anti-communist sentiment at a time when Julius and Ethel Rosenberg had been convicted of spying for the Soviet Union.

Controversial U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy attempts to censor two Greek philosophers for being pro-Communist in a sketch that pokes fun at the prevailing anti-Communist mood in the U.S.

The western powers of Britain and the U.S. stand atop bombs in this cartoon. President Dwight Eisenhower and Prime Minister Winston Churchill look at the Soviet leadership, which stands atop an identical stack of explosives.

U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower tries to convince a skeptical Winston Churchill to re-arm Germany. The trick? The rifles can only fire east.

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Behind a man carrying a knife stands the spirit of Adolf Hitler, whispering into his ear encouragingly. This reflected the persistent racist violence around the country in the 1950s.

Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev and U.S. Vice President Richard Nixon sit next to each other at a banquet of propaganda in this cartoon. Stuffed with food, the leaders make a reference to their countries' mutual love for biased information.

Two organ grinders on opposite sides send their monkeys to look for votes. On two TV sets are Democratic presidential nominee John F. Kennedy and Republican nominee Richard Nixon.

Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev and President Kennedy stand beneath a race banner as missiles prepare to race off in front of them down a racetrack. Each leader has a starter pistol pointed at his own temple, symbolizing the idea that nuclear war will end only in mutual destruction.

The Statue of Liberty is pecked at by vultures in this cartoon. One bird signifies the far left, and the other the far right. The artist blames both for their negative effects on society.

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John F. Kennedy sits across from a dressed-up donkey on a table that reads "Kennedy's Bid for More Liberal Democrats."

The Cuban leadership dances for joy after receiving weapons from Russia in this cartoon from 1962. A bear representing Soviet dominance stands nearby, ready to swipe. This satirizes Communist influence during this period.

The theatrics of the missile crisis are depicted in this cartoon. Castro is seen holding a movie-style poster that declares the U.S. will not attack Cuba. His comrade hides a Soviet missile in a prop room.

This drawing shows a Republican elephant looking over the edge of "The Ship of State" sailing on a less-than-pleasant ocean of McCarthyism. The GOP had moved past McCarthyism, and had therefore gotten this era "out of its system."

Two men in cowboy hats stand next to President Nixon as he gives a speech above an array of "domestic" oil pipes. This sketch satirizes the relationship between Nixon and oil companies.

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In this cartoon, Vice President Spiro Agnew is showing President Nixon how to put his foot in his mouth. The piece pokes fun at Nixon for weighing in on the Charles Manson trial prior to its conclusion. Nixon withdrew his remarks, but attorneys for Manson and his co-defendants Leslie Van Houten and Susan Atkins moved for a mistrial, which was denied. Trump drew a parallel to Nixon's remarks when he weighed in on Paul Manafort's 2018 trial.

This sketch shows a Vietnam veteran queueing up for unemployment benefits upon returning to America. It highlighted the lack of opportunities for those returning home after war.

Egyptian president Anwar Sadat stands opposite Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir with an hourglass between them. This pointed to the tension between the two countries, leading to the Camp David Accords in 1978.

Sen. George McGovern is depicted as a fisherman alongside the remains of a fish labeled "War Issue" as they battle against rocky seas. McGovern hoped to make his opposition to the Vietnam War part of his 1972 presidential campaign and eventually lost to Richard Nixon.

"Congress" is removed by three Richard Nixon lookalikes labeled "Executive Privilege," "Impounding of Funds," and "Veto Power." The cartoon is intended to satirize Nixon's New American Revolution, which aimed to defeat the opposition following his re-election in 1972.

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A recording reel smashes through the White House at the height of the Watergate scandal in this cartoon, signifying how the Oval Office was affected by the controversy, eventually leading to Nixon resigning the presidency.

Thomas Stockett drew Gerald Ford in the middle of crowds of congressmen. This referenced Ford's relationship with Congress after pardoning Richard Nixon of all charges one month into his presidency.

Another Gerald Ford caricature shows the president trying to spoon-feed a number of unhappy congressmen. Ford's bitter medicine was to call on households to "spare a penny," and after lifting the embargo on OPEC oil, energy prices ultimately rose.

This cartoon by Edmund Valtman illustrates how the gun lobby suppressed a bill that would have banned concealed arms. It shows a rifle on the House Judiciary Committee's desk, in a clear challenge to the weapons industry.

Edmund Valtman uses biblical figures in this drawing of President Jimmy Carter as David and inflation as Goliath. As president, Carter faced an intense period of "stagflation," or stunted economic growth and very high inflation.

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Valtman depicted Egyptian President Anwar Sadat atop a camel heading towards a dove with an olive branch in its beak, ignoring Arab oil money being offered to him. Sadat chose to sign a peace treaty with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin instead.

This photo shows three-time Pulitzer Prize winner and creator of the comic strip "Shoe," Jeff McNelly. He was famous for his oversized ink cartoons in the Chicago Tribune and other publications.

Valtman depicts Sen. Ted Kennedy as a madman with two ice blocks representing what he alleged President Jimmy Carter failed at, while Carter watches Kennedy struggle.

Illustrating the toll the Reagan-era recession took on the economy, Herb Block drew a grim picture of a family being told they should have put their money in stocks instead of food.

Uncle Sam distributes nuclear warheads to children representing nations and entities like NATO, Iraq, and Israel. This refers to the U.S. arming Iraq to attack Iran, resulting in mass casualties.

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The picture shows President Ronald Reagan referring to a cartoon of himself. He had asked cartoonists to "take it easy" on him—a jab amidst the president's regularly being featured in political cartoons.

Portrayed as a body in a coffin, Communism is lamented by Vladimir Lenin, Karl Marx, and Joseph Stalin at a funeral led by Mikhail Gorbachev. The cartoon referred to Gorbachev's foreign policy of appeasement, disarming the national Communist Party and hiring elected leaders.

Valtman likens the new reforms implemented by Gorbachev to the fall of communism by drawing a broken sickle and hammer, the symbols of the ideology. The cartoon represents the ailing Russian economy.

"Disinformation" suggests that Russia is feeding Estonia's human rights into a grinder with snakes coming out of the other side. The grinder itself features the hammer and sickle of communism.

Prior to the Iraq invasion, President George W. Bush threatened retribution for the Sept. 11 attacks. This cartoon depicts the president's cabinet, including Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice.

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Stacker found this picture of four cartoons, all drawn by Hong Kong cartoonist Zunzi, depicting the hardships art galleries face in collecting funding. One of the cartoons shows a man trying to fish, but all the fish have been caught in one net.

Cartoonist Nicholas Garland recalls when former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait despite threats from the United Nations Security Council. The cartoon shows Hussein sitting on an oil barrel representing the Middle East, while burning the security council resolution and a peace plan.

- Artist: Unknown
- Published in: Unknown

This Havana billboard shows a Statue of Liberty who's shocked at American foreign policy. The artist had previously depicted Iraqi prisoners at this popular seafront.

- Artist: Unknown
- Published in: Unknown

This photo shows a cartoon depicting the Statue of Liberty's torch trapped in barbed wire. This referred to the state of U.S. immigration law. Salvadoran Amalia Molin, who was detained in 1998 for overstaying her visa, can be seen holding the cartoon.

In this controversial cartoon, Barry Blitt drew Barack and Michelle Obama fist-bumping in the Oval Office. The president is dressed in an Arab outfit, while the First Lady carries a machine gun. Drawing criticism at the time, the New Yorker defended its cartoon, saying "satire doesn't come with subtitles."

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This is a photo of political cartoonist Bob Scheibel. On the left is a cartoon of Stalin and Hitler greeting each other, drawn by David Lowe in 1939. On the right, a cartoon from 1988 where artist Paul Conrad drew Gerald Ford, Richard Nixon, and Jimmy Carter drinking together.

This photo shows an unknown journalist sketching a man waiting at a desk during the COP15 conference on biodiversity. The photo was taken at the Bella Center in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Gary Trudeau is an American cartoonist who created "A Doonesbury Retrospective," a comic strip offering a counterculture view with a sharp wit. It's endured in popularity due to its relatable deadpan humor.

- Artist: Unknown
- Published in: Unknown

In this photo, cartoonist Kevin Kallaugher stands next to his caricature of a pensive Barack Obama sitting on a wall that reads "Afghanistan." The photo was taken at the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Bucharest, Romania. Kallaugher alluded to the dangers faced by political cartoonists.

French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo's two covers for the same issue—Sept. 25, 2012—highlighted the fine line between freedom of speech and blasphemy. In 2015, the magazine was attacked by terrorists who also killed shoppers at a kosher grocery store. Seventeen people in total lost their lives.

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This photo by Sergei Supinsky shows a woman photographing journalist and artist Oleh Smal's cartoons of Vladimir Putin. The exhibit was held on July 29, the same day the EU planned to impose economic sanctions on Russia for meddling in Ukraine.

This image shows a balancing scale with a bearded man on one side and four women dressed in Islamic garments on the other. The scale is balanced in equilibrium to show that in certain conservative religious societies, such as Afghanistan, one man is considered to be worth the same as four women.

A woman holds a picture of a pencil above the text "Je Suis Charlie" as part of a protest in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo terror attack. The demonstration came in the midst of public outcry following the deaths of 12 staff members at the office of the controversial French political magazine.

The image shows a selection of cartoons by Ward Sutton, the cartoonist for the satirical online publication, The Onion. Sutton's sketches can be found under the alias "Kelly."

This cartoon depicts Fox News host Megyn Kelly interviewing President Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign. Kelly asks Trump why he called her a derogatory name, to which he replies, "Well, here you are giving a softball interview that helps my campaign." Trump and Kelly were involved in heated arguments during the 2016 presidential race.

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This wall is full of caricatures dedicated to then-candidate Donald Trump following a debate with Hillary Clinton. It's an array of depictions from a country Trump has notably disparaged in the public arena.

A woman holds up a cartoon of a woman crying in this photo, representing Palestine, while one representing South Africa consoles her. This refers to Israel's policies on the Palestinian territories. The cartoon, titled "Apartheid," was displayed during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Buenos Aires.

This sketch shows South Korean President Moon Jae-In embracing North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, in reference to recent diplomacy developing between the three countries.

- Artist: Unknown
- Exhibited: Seoul, South Korea

A climate change activist attends the Fridays for Future demonstration. She holds a placard featuring the planet depicted as sand within an hourglass, a strong suggestion that time is running out.

This photo shows Palestinian artist Mohammed Saba'aneh attending an Art and Resistance in Palestine event at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. The event was organized by a local branch of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, which aims to end the Israeli occupation of the West Bank.

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This box is a token given to Balla Ban Art Gallery clients in Dublin. The peach-flavored mints inside allude to the impeachment of President Donald Trump.

Cartoonist Elizabeth Montague is photographed at her apartment in January 2020. Her work has appeared in numerous publications. In this photo, she holds a cartoon that appeared in the New Yorker depicting children warning a restrained businessman of the hazards of climate change.

This cartoon shows a health care worker in a hazmat suit futilely trying to beat back the COVID-19 virus as it emerges from multiple holes of a Whac-A-Mole machine at once. The inability to stem the tide of the global pandemic, between rising COVID cases and the emergence of new variants of the virus in 2021, is represented by this spin on the old arcade game.