Political Cartoons and Cartoonists

Political Cartoons and Cartoonists

Use the cartoons below or select and analyze other cartoons at: 
http://www.boondocksnet.com/gallery/child_labor_intro.html

Cartoon Analysis Worksheet

Printable Student View

Cartoon 1

Early investigations of conditions in southern cotton mills made it appear to be a regional problem until it was discovered that many of them were owned by northern capitalists.

Citation: "White Slavery: Northern Capital and Southern Child Labor." New York American and Journal; rpt. Literary Digest 28 (Oct. 18, 1902). http://www.boondocksnet.com/gallery/cl021018.html In Jim Zwick, ed., Political Cartoons and Cartoonists. http://www.boondocksnet.com/gallery/pc_intro.html (Sept. 25, 2004).

Cartoon 2

PARENT: "No, Sir, I don't send 'em to work from greed, but because I've got to. But if I done it from downright Selfishness, what do you think of the Social conditions of a Republic that would turn parents into something worse than brutes?"

Uncle Sam holds a document labeled, "Land Monopoly System, High Tariff, Trust Rule."

Citation: Bengough, John Wilson. "The Child Labor Question." The Public 6 (May 16, 1903). http://www.boondocksnet.com/gallery/cl030516.html In Jim Zwick, ed., Political Cartoons and Cartoonists. http://www.boondocksnet.com/gallery/pc_intro.html (Sept. 25, 2004).

Check for Understanding

Printable Student View

1. What is the message of each of the cartoons?
2. What more can you learn about child labor by studying each of the cartoons more carefully?
3. How does a cartoon differ from a picture?
4. Which cartoon affected you the most and would make you want to do something to help ban child labor?