Annexation of Hawaii

New Faces at the Thanksgiving Dinner

The issue that this political cartoon is about is the Annexation of Hawaii. It shows Uncle Sam and Columbia having Thanksgiving dinner with the new countries that the United States took over. The cartoonist’s message is that Uncle Sam is willing to take care of these countries like they were his children, and can’t take care of themselves. Others might see this cartoon and think that Uncle Sam is just being nice to them. The techniques that the cartoonist used to make it persuasive are labeling, and symbolism. The cartoon shows labeling because each chair has the name of a country or territory, and it shows symbolism because Uncle Sam is serving them. The cartoon supports my position on American Imperialism because Uncle Sam thinks he needs to take care of his “children”.

 "THANKSGIVING CARTOON, 1898. New Faces at the Thanksgiving Dinner: American Cartoon, 1898, on the U.S. Territorial Acquisitions following the Conclusion of the Spanish-American War. as a 14x12 (36x31cm) Framed Print." Media Storehouse. Media Storehouse, 16. Web. 17 Feb. 2016. <http://www.mediastorehouse.com/thanksgiving-cartoon-1898-new-faces-at-the-thanksgiving/print/6185259.html>.