The Panama Canal

Teddy Roosevelt Digs the Panama Canal

The issue that this political cartoon is about is the digging of the Panama Canal. The cartoonist’s message is that Teddy Roosevelt, larger than life, is doing the digging of the canal by himself. In the political cartoon, he is shoveling dirt on Bogota which is a reference to the fact that Panama seceded from Colombia with the help of the United States for the purpose of establishing the Panama Canal Zone. Others might see this cartoon and think that Teddy Roosevelt just wanted to get the canal dug. The techniques that the cartoonist used to make it persuasive are labeling, and symbolism. The cartoon shows labeling because Bogota is labeled, and it shows symbolism because Teddy Roosevelt is throwing the dirt he dug from the ditch onto it. The cartoon supports my position on American Imperialism because the United States was behind the action that caused Panama to secede from Columbia.

 
"Learn American History through 50 Pop Songs." History Tunes: Teddy Had a Little Canal. History Tunes, 2015. Web. 18 Feb. 2016. <http://www.historytunes.com/Teddy Had a Little Canal.php>.