Scribd
Upload
46 views8 pages

Understanding A Political Cartoon

The document discusses Benjamin Franklin's political cartoon "JOIN, or DIE" from 1754. The cartoon depicted a snake cut into pieces, with each piece representing a British colony in America. Franklin hoped the cartoon would encourage the colonies to unite against their enemies. It was based on a tale where a snake cut into pieces would live if reunited before sunset, symbolizing that the colonies needed to join together to survive. Political cartoons use symbols to represent ideas and opinions about politics and government.

Uploaded by

Bridget Green
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
46 views8 pages

Understanding A Political Cartoon

The document discusses Benjamin Franklin's political cartoon "JOIN, or DIE" from 1754. The cartoon depicted a snake cut into pieces, with each piece representing a British colony in America. Franklin hoped the cartoon would encourage the colonies to unite against their enemies. It was based on a tale where a snake cut into pieces would live if reunited before sunset, symbolizing that the colonies needed to join together to survive. Political cartoons use symbols to represent ideas and opinions about politics and government.

Uploaded by

Bridget Green
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 8

Understanding a Political Cartoon p.

294

What is a Political Cartoon?


A political cartoon expresses an opinion about politics or government. Political cartoons are most often found in newspapers and magazines.

JOIN, or DIE by Benjamin Franklin

An American Political Cartoon

Benjamin Franklin drew the cartoon JOIN, or DIE. It appeared in the Pennsylvania Gazette in 1754. He hoped his cartoon would make colonial leaders want to unite together.

What Does It Mean?

The snake in the cartoon stands for most of the colonies. Each piece of the snake represents one of the colonies. Each colony is represented except Delaware and Georgia.

What Does It Mean?

The saying Join or Die was based on an old tale about snakes. According to this story, a snake that was cut into pieces would come to life again if it was put back together before sunset.

Why Did He Draw the Cartoon?

Benjamin Franklin wanted the pieces of the snake the colonies to come together to survive. In his cartoon, Benjamin Franklin used the snake as a symbol. Symbols are a good way to show ideas that are sometimes hard to draw in a picture.

Symbols Used in Political Cartoons

The eagle is often used to represent the idea of freedom. The dove stands for the idea of peace. The hawk stands for war.

You might also like