political+cartoons+-+twenties

d\ APC: Anti-Prohibition This political cartoon represents anti-prohibition. It alludes to the negatives of prohibition. It was seen in the Putnam County Courier on October 12, 1928. During the 1920's when prohibition became prevalent speakeasies were developed as a way around the 18th amendment. Speakeasies were underground establishments where people could obtain alcohol. It is said that by the middle of the decade their were about 100,000 speakeasies in New York City. While speakeasies were illegal and added to the rise in drinking rates there were economic benefits for owners. They were quite popular and owners could make a good profit if they ran it right. Owners had to take extra precautions to keep their establishments from being shut down, and often had elaborate ways of keeping it secure. The 18th amendment really caused what it was set up to prevent. When the 18th amendment was put into action the crime and drinking rates went up rather than down. People went out of their way to get a hold of liquor. Bootleggers would smuggle it from other countries and even produced their own. People found creative ways to hide liquor to keep a hold of it like putting them in different flasks, hollow books, and other methods they could think of. The law was supported by many women, fundamental religious groups and southern whites who wanted to keep alcohol away from blacks. It also helped combat the stereotype of Western towns with the saloon as the center and drink and prostitution going hand in hand. During Prohibition, people did save more money and people went to work more often because they were not hung over. The Volstead Act was an enforcement on the 18th amendment. Andrew J. Volstead a republican from Minnesota was the main person behind this act. It had three main parts, the manufacture, export, sale or possession of alcoholic beverages was prohibited in the U.S., alcoholic beverages were those that contained more than one-half percent of alcohol, and federal agents were empowered to investigate and prosecute violators. This and the 18th amendment were disregarded with the 21st amendment. Along with speakeasies becoming popular organized crime was seen more often although mostly in large cities. The public turned to gangs and bootleggers to get them alcohol. Because of the demand there was a good amount of money involved in the bootlegging industry which lead to crime between gangs. While bootlegging was a popular people were also making their own alcohol in their homes. This alcohol was called "moonshine". It was most commonly produced in the south. Moonshine and other home brewed alcohol was often very unsanitary for the public to consume because there were really no standards to it. It sometimes had severe side effects such as blindness and even death. not IJA -- no credit

GEB- Although the author of this cartoon from Puck Magazine is unknown, the message is clear: women have every right to be treated as a citizen as a man. This material was produced in Puck Magazine, a renowned political cartoon magazine, around the 1920s I assume due to the material depicted in the cartoon. The large issue at play in this cartoon in women’s rights and suffrage. For decades women’s rights activists had been advocating for women to have the right to vote, to be politically and socially equal, and to be treated as citizens. Supporters like Alice Paul, Susan B Anthony, the NWP, and much more had been working none stop for women’s rights for years and unfortunately when the World War ended women’s position in society were pushed more than it was before. The directed audience for this particular cartoon would be to the more educated population, the subscribers of Puck Magazine, and that would be more of the male population. The fact that a cartoon supporting women’s rights appeared in a newspaper that was pointed toward men was amazing because men were, for the most part, not at all supporting of women’s equality. Men did not want their wife to see other women advocating for rights because they felt it would be horrid for their wife to do the same and so for a popular magazine to run a drawing like this, it probably brought out a lot of anger on some male parts. The main idea of this cartoon would be that women have equal rights in the home as well as any place else in society.

RCJ:

This political cartoon, “The Modern Devil Fish”, illustrated by Victor Hugo, was published in a 1925 issue of the Chicago Tribune (though it may have appeared in a collection by Donald Ferquharsan Stewart and Henry W. Wilbur years earlier). It was designed as propaganda to promote the Prohibition Party and encourage the support of voters by addressing not only the usual arguments against the legal status of alcohol, but also the far-reaching effects of its use on American society, as demonstrated by the labels on each of the octopus’s tentacles, ranging from ‘partnership with thieves’ to ‘traffic in girls’ to ‘political corruption’. The fight for prohibition had been an ongoing one, but it had become clear to those rallying to ban liqueur that the power of the vote would be the only way to ‘slay’ the saloon monstrosity – pictured here as the knife labeled ‘votes’, driven into the head of the creature by a hand bearing the name of the Prohibition Party. By destroying the center of the problem, saloons, the knife-wielding political party is destroying all of the problems connected to it. In reality, the issues on each tentacle were far from solely the fault of alcohol consumption, but the Party was making an effort to garner votes and inspire support, thus exaggerating the extent of the prohibition issue. The hope of Hugo as he illustrated this cartoon was clear – that people who understood it would recognize the evils a nation which does not prohibit saloons and the like subjects itself to by not utilizing the ‘knife’ of Prohibition Party votes. not IJA -- no credit 12/12 checked JML: 

KHW:  "Merry Christmas" by Rollin Kirby

= This political cartoon by Rollin Kirby (1875 - 1952) was published in the //New York World//, a popular news publication in the twenties, shortly after prohibition began in January 16th 1919. Kirby began his study of art in New York and Paris and worked unsuccessfully as an illustrator for magazines such as //Life// and //Harpers// before becoming a cartoonist. In 1911 he started working for the // New York Mail //and the //New York Sun// but it was not until two years later that he began to work for the // New York World //// where he gained his fame //. Most of his recognition was not established until after World War I but by the twenties he was regarded as America’s leading cartoonist winning Pulitzer Prizes in 1921, 1924, and 1928. Kirby was a liberal and supported woman suffrage and civil liberties but was opposed to prohibition, political corruption, and the KKK. In “Merry Christmas” Kirby shows Mr. Dry, a character he invented himself to mock prohibition, spraying Santa in the face with alcohol. The title suggests this was a way of sarcastically saying “Merry Christmas” to Americans, many of whom opposed prohibition, because the law was passed shortly after the holidays. Prohibition had been a reoccurring platform for reform groups originating in the gilded age and gaining more attention during the progressive era. Mostly targeted by women reform groups in the progressive era such as the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, prohibition was mostly advocated by the Prohibition Party during the twenties. Though prohibition was intended to decrease crime it did the exact opposite and made criminals out of ordinarily law-abiding citizens. The “Nobel Experiment” as it was sometimes called lasted thirteen years and only resulted in a rise of organized crime, bootlegging, and violence. “Merry Christmas” was satirizing the prohibition movement and was meant to be laughed at by Americans who would most likely agree bitterly with the portrayal. They would agree because it was true that this act was a slap in the face of most Americans who thought of drinking as a common part of life but they would be bitter because even though the cartoon expressed the opinions of most, it did not change the fact that alcohol was illegal to make and sell. The cartoon might offend others who agreed with prohibition but even supporters of the movement would agree the law was fatally flawed. The Volstead Act did not outlaw consumption or possession so people could still drink alcohol but they would have to obtain it illegally. Thus bootlegging and secretive clubs called speakeasies spread and ordinary citizens would break laws regularly. The inevitable failure of prohibition is what Kirby is attempting to convey in “Merry Christmas” which represents the unrealistic idea that people will stop consuming alcohol even if it was made illegal. = KHW: Your Constitutional Right by Rollin Kirby

Rollin Kirby (1875- 1952) studied art in New York and Paris and worked as an illustrator for magazines such as //Life// and //Harpers// but did not turn to cartooning until 1911. First working for the //New York Mail// and then the //New York Sun// he finally settled at the //New York World// in 1913 where his cartoons were most widely recognized. His reputation mainly grew after World War I receiving three Pulitzer Prizes in the twenties. A Liberal, Kirby supported causes like women’s rights and civil liberties as seen in this satirical take on the Supreme Court decision in the 1923 court case Atkins v. Children’s Hospital. Chief Justice George Sutherland wrote the 5-3 decision that argued the minimum wage law was unconstitutional because it violated a citizen’s right to freely contract labor. Women had won the right to vote but they still suffered from inequality, namely less pay for equal work. Kirby was a strong supporter of the women’s equality movement and so his depiction of the courts decision reflects that claiming that the court is sentencing women to starve because without a minimum wage requirement women would be taken advantage of. The twenties was not a progressive decade in terms of women’s rights but rather was a reversal of progress for most laws passed that aided women or causes supported by women were either ineffective or omitted by the end of the decade. In this case the 1918 law that set a minimum wage for women and children was overturned in 1923. Some viewers may have seen this as overly dramatic but for the women this affected they would have been relieved to see that there were sympathizers to their cause. This cartoon was published on what appears to be a flier for a conference regarding the decision called by the National Consumers’ League which was established in 1899 by a group of women who also took part in the settlement house movement. Florence Kelly was the first official leader of the NCL and she traveled from state to state advocating the organizations main goal: to legalize a minimum wage and limit working hours for women and children. The material is biased because Kirby illustrated this for a cause that he was a strong supporter of but the intended audience being the members of that conference would likely support his sarcastic view of the case. Kirby’s cartoon would even grab the attention of supporters of the case though they may disagree with his view they would have at least been subject to it which was often the case with cartoons. Even if people disagreed with the idea that a minimum wage law for women should be in place they would still see the perspective of someone who does.

EPLT: "The Modern Devil Fish"

Victor Hugo, illustrator of “The Modern Devil-Fish”, published his work in the Chicago Tribune, 1925. Like many of his other cartoons that dealt with “Devil-Fish”, he uses the octopus as a metaphor for corruption- whether it be industry or, in this case, prohibition. Its place of publication, Chicago, was strategically planned because Chicago was one of the major cities to be affected by prohibition- with its South and North Side gangs; Al Capone being the leader of the South Side. Therefore, the audience of the political cartoon probably took this comic as a humorous and satirical comic, even though Hugo was in all seriousness when he wrote it. His quote, “The tentacles of the Devil Fish cannot be destroyed unless the HEAD, the source of their sustaining power, is destroyed,” furthermore supports his position on the topic. The cartoon depicts the Prohibition Party stabbing a knife, labeled votes, into the head of the monstrous octopus' head, labeled saloon. It was Hugo's belief that saloons lead to “trafficking of girls, defiance of laws, political corruption, partnership with thieves, and gambling”. Although saloons did all of what was stated above, most of it was done in response to prohibition. Defiance of laws, such as smuggling and bootlegging, was a product of prohibition's refusal of allowing alcohol to be sold. Likewise, with political corruption and partnership with thieves, prohibition was the cause of it. More gangsters supported saloons because it was their only way of getting booze. Prohibitionists believed, similarly to what Hugo said, that the only way to stop alcohol was to kill the beast from the “head”. However, they all failed to realize that prohibition would never and could never work- alcohol was too easy to produce and smuggling it was also simple. Many people in Chicago already new this, therefore this cartoon was quite in vain, for prohibition still continued on after it was published.

GEB __The New Yorker__ published this political cartoon in 1951 and refers to the Twenties and the rise in hemlines and sexuality. The author’s point of view is quite clear that the younger generation, the Lost Generation, is self absorbed and really only cares about looks. This material was produced in a major publication that many people across the nation would have seen, this giving this cartoon a more powerful stance. This drawing came out after the Twenties Era had passed but was germane to the 1920s because what this cartoon exemplifies is exactly that that occurred in the twenties. The meaning of this carton is quite clear and that is the younger people have become more and more sexual and ‘raised the hem’ literally and figuratively thus leading the way for the Lost Generation that became such a monstrosity to many writers and poets. This pictorial shows the older couple, the more reserved with the classic ideals and morals, addressing the younger girl in a manner that displays how much the older couple disapproves of the more sexy dressing. The directed audience of this drawing would have been the middle age everyday person that can see how the new generation is changing and “worsening” the world while dirtying the United State’s name. While the older age group might enjoy the mocking of the new sexuality, the new younger-aged people would be quite offended and feel as though the reserved older people are just trying to damper the new way of life. The main message of this cartoon is that the Lost Generation is a silly, futile, sexually driven group of people that do not have the best interests of society in heart. This cartoon says that the way of life was better before the Twenties, was better when things were less musically and sexually obsessed. The significance of this is that the U.S. was rolling into a new era that embraced the artistic side of blacks and whites alike and the elders were trying to revert life back to the way it used to be because that was “proper”. This definitely would have affected the view of younger people toward the older and “wiser” in a negative way and vis versa.

SL:

As this political cartoon has a slightly sarcastic viewpoint, the author's point of view is resigned and condescending towards the 1920s. This cartoon was created during the 1920s, a time, which the author depicts as retrogression into a more materialistic and less intelligent society. As the decade progressed, a trend of materialism and hedonism became widespread, which was not well received by intellectuals, like the author of this cartoon. Within the cartoon, the progression of Franklin, Shakespeare, Washington and ending with Cicero demonstrates the author's view that society is declining. The inclusion of Cicero, with his historical significance as a person against lavish lifestyles, and the allusion to Rome also created a comparison of Rome to the United States during the 1920s. The idea of "Nero laughed while Rome burned" also created a parallel between President Harding's lackluster policies and Nero's actions, all which eventually hurt their nation's state of affairs. As the audience of this cartoon is the public, the author's intent was to make the public question their self-indulging actions. Much like Cicero, the author is speaking out against lavish lifestyles that the 1920's featured. This political cartoon is significant because it demonstrates how society has declined in the author's eyes. The text beneath the four portraits, "These men were good from the neck down" in comparison to the text below the fifth picture, "But now you have to be great from the knees down" demonstrates how the 1920s were not as concerned with intellectual worth as much as social standing.

(Sorry my picture doesn't show up. I tried everything I could. If you right click it and then press "open image in new tab" it should appear.) ARS: "Lest We Forget" This political cartoon is titled “Lest We Forget.” It was published in the San Francisco News by Douglas Rodger. Rodger was born in Broughty Ferry, Scotland in 1894 and died in 1962. Rodger fought in World War One and afterwards worked as an illustrator for the //Dundee Courier//, close to Broughty Ferry, Scotland. Douglas Rodger moved to the United States in 1922, eventually ending up in San Francisco. In San Francisco he worked as a political cartoonist for the //San Francisco Bulletin// which later became the //San Francisco News//. Like many people in the United States during the twenties, Rodger was anti-prohibition. This cartoon was published in 1920, the same year prohibition began. The fact that all of this crime was a result so immediately further strengthens the fact that prohibition caused more violence then it was trying to prevent. This cartoon was produced in a paper for everyone to see, government officials and civilians alike. It affected the government officials and pro-prohibitionists the most because they were unaware of all of this secretive and illegal activity. This cartoon, “Lest We Forget” depicts the disordered and crooked side of prohibition. The first rectangle shows the murder and death that was caused by the secret gang battles over alcohol. The gangs were in charge because they had the money and power from supplying illegal alcohol. The second rectangle shows an average family deliberately disobeying the law by making their own alcohol. The third rectangle shows a crowd of people going to a hidden speakeasy. The restaurant on the front of the street has closed because all of the business has gone to the speakeasy.

CHE—“The Lifeboat to the Rescue” – Found in “ Heroes of the Fiery Cross” 

This cartoon drawn by “B. Clark” was depicted in the 1928 book, “Heroes of the Fiery Cross”, written by Protestant Bishop Alma Bridwell White. In her book, White strongly advocated white supremacy as well as named and castigated the enemies of the Klan as those who took the path of least resistance; these enemies included bootleggers, law-breakers, corrupt politicians, immigrants, and Catholics. In the nineteen-twenties the Klan specifically targeted non-protestant religions, namely Judaism and Catholicism that was brought in by immigrants; a revival of the Klan had occurred in 1915 and by 1924 the Klan had grown to about four million members. Klan members, including White, strongly believed and opposed that the Catholics were trying to take lessons of the Bible out of the public school system; as depicted in this political cartoon, the KKK strove to keep the Bible in the public schools by donating bibles to schools across the nation and having floats in the Klan’s parades demonstrating the importance of the Bible being taught in schools. The book was published not only to be read by Klansmen but also to advocate white supremacy to the public and warn citizens about the dangers that the Klan’s enemies presented. This political cartoon shows that the Klan believed that they were “rescuing” the country by keeping the Bible in schools. This is significant to the relative time because in the nineteen-twenties, arguments arose concerning whether or not Darwinism and evolution should be taught in schools; another prominent issue stood between immigration and feelings of nativism. The Klan did not like that the immigrants brought Catholicism, Judaism, and supposedly political corruption to the United States. Clearly shown in the above political cartoon, the Klan was also against Darwinism; during the nineteen-twenties the Klan held movements that were both violent and not to demonstrate its feelings.

EKB- 

This cartoon was drawn by F. Graetz for Puck magazine sometime during the early 1920s. It has a definite mocking tone and is making fun of the government through its mocking of the Volstead Act and its ineffective enforcement. The Act prohibited the American people from selling, making or transporting alcohol but not imbibing it or being in possession of it, which meant that a citizen could walk down a street drunk holding a bottle of alcohol and the law could do nothing to prohibit it. This is shown by the many closed saloons and bars in the background, yet on the "Saloon Balloon" in the foreground men are drinking and are in possession of alcohol while floating "out of the limits" of the frustrated police officer on the ground. This cartoon illustrates how 1920s society saw the prohibition act, as an inconvenience and something to find a way around, not necessarily something to fear or follow. In fact, the Volstead Act was so ineffective that drinking went up exponentially during this time period despite the fact that it was illegal. Speakeasies (represented here by the Saloon Balloon) rose up all over the country and the government's futile attempts to catch lawbreakers were considered entertaining rather than threatening. The Volstead Act was a huge disappointment and ended up bringing about more illegal activity in the United States than there was before the amendment was made. The man in the cartoon mocking the angry police man is an accurate representation of the 1920s rebellious state of mind and its outlook on the American government.

SAF- Illustrated by William H. Walker in 1920 this political cartoon was titled “Woman’s Vote” and was published in Life magazine. To help Life become more of a popular magazine amongst such already renowned magazines as Puck and Judge, William Walker liked to draw humorous yet politically correct cartoons. This particular cartoon shares no specific viewpoint of the author or magazine but simply represents the wooing of a woman by democratic and republican representatives. The cartoon was published in 1920 when women were first allowed to vote in the presidential election. Now with many new voters to the stands politicians were eager to gain new votes through any means necessary. The major symbols included in this cartoon include the donkey which represents the democratic party and elephant which represents the republican party, at the moment the democratic party is the one mostly wooing the women however the republican is quickly on his way to also attempt to convince the woman that he is with the better party. This cartoon was most likely created for the general adult voting population of America as it does not attack or take sides on any matter it lacks and offensive topics that may separate itself from the likes of certain viewpoints. For a mainly humorous portrayal this cartoon is basically just attempting to show the new desire to include and appeal to women in politicians political campaigns. When viewing this, women may realize of the true intentions of politicians and attempt to look past the possibly pleasing topcoat and really analyze the ideals and viewpoints of a given campaign. This material also shows a struggle between the democratic and republican politicians as the woman is still holding her vote in her hand and both are viewed in the picture neither looking exceptionally satisfied. Since this was a major turning point in history as women were first allowed to vote their mass numbers could greatly alter the results of an election and it was important for politicians to get their vote and appeal to them as much as possible.

KLM: (I think that this is my fourth time posting this because it kept on getting deleted. My previous time posting I thought that it was fine and hadn't been deleted but when I went back to check it wasn't there) “If Capital and Labor Don’t Pull Together” -Chicago Tribune

During World War I, the economy subsisted on war production, which fueled economic growth within the United States. To maintain war production, the US government prohibited strikes. However, at the conclusion of WWI, the economy rapidly shifted, abandoning war production and the laborers from during WWI, hiring the previous soldiers. The lack of strikes during WWI, anger over the lost jobs, low wages, and high hours culminated in a surge of strikes in 1919, 4,000 strikes with 4 million workers involved. The Seattle General Strike halted the economy within Seattle, affecting all industries as unionized and non-unionized workers went on strike in response to the mistreatment of ship-workers. Although the United States government focused on maximizing output during WWI, the post-WWI government favored business, such as in Coronado Coal Co. v. United Mine Workers later in 1922, where striking unions were found to be in restraint of trade. Thus, capital and labor were peacefully coexisting, both restraining the other: workers were resistant to maximization of capital and entrepreneurs and companies campaigned for a continued lack of rights for workers. The US states was not the only country in economic turmoil following WWI; Germany, France, and England all had problems repaying their debts, especially to the United States. This weakness of their competitors and the United States’ position in the Allies’ victory in WWI should have translated to economic prosperity. However, the strikes of 1919 damaged the United States economic dominance during 1919, although the US economy soon surged during the Roaring Twenties. Later, in the Roaring Twenties, welfare capitalism settled some of the issues between labor and capital, improving conditions and wages, which actually improved output of products. John T. McCutcheon’s cartoon, “If Capital and Labor Don’t Pull Together,” portrays the turmoil resulting from this difference in priorities between business and labor. The figures representing labor and capital are facing opposite directions, representing their difference in opinions. Uncle Sam’s quotes insinuate the aforementioned prosperity that United States could have had if labor and capital were to cooperate during this period of foreign countries’ economic turmoil. The “start of the race” was during the turn of the century, as the US economy became more globalized and reliant on foreign economies to import US goods. Cobwebs cover trains, ports, and factories and grass is overgrown in the cartoon, demonstrating their lack of use without labor; the country’s economy would remain functional only with labor. Uncle Sam, the personification of the US federal government, is straggled; the United States is in bad shape without a properly functioning economy, and to revitalize the US, labor and capital must cooperate. Uncle Sam seems befuddled as to what the issue is that caused the dissolution of the economy and the relationship between labor and capital; the US government favored business in the legislation, not realizing that labor and capital both needed to be supported for a functioning economy. John T. McCutcheon was a cartoonist and foreign correspondent for the Chicago Tribune, later receiving the Pulitzer Prize for one of his cartoons. He is known as the “Dean of American Cartoonists” for his success and skill, because his cartoons efficiently represented a vast variety of American issues, such as local, national, and international politics, societal changes, economic hardships, and war. As a foreign correspondent, McCutcheon was familiar with the issues faced by other country’s economies, translating into Uncle Sam’s quote. The Chicago Tribune had previously been self-titled as “The World’s Greatest Newspaper,” which likely meant that it spoke to the national audience. Thus, McCutcheon, the primer journalist of the Chicago Tribune, was supposed to appeal to the national population, as well. This cartoon appeals to both those who favor the interests of labor and those of capital, because it favors neither side. Also, the cartoon is easily comprehensible by the average, illiterate worker, because the message is easily understood without reading the text. Thus, the workers, a participant in the cartoon, could understand and relate to the cartoon, recognizing their effect on the US economy. During the 1910s and 1920s, the Chicago Tribune participated in newspaper wars; by appealing to a larger audience, the Tribune was able to increase its advantage in the “war.”

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