Cut!this!sheet!along!the!dotted!lines!
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War)with)Spain)and)the)Age)of)Imperialism:)1898)-1899)
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The)sinking)of)the)USS)Maine)helped)cause)the)U.S.)to)fight)for)the)independence)of)
Cuba.)
Publication)Date:)April!17,!1898))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))NAID:)306119!)
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Description:!
An! armed! Uncle! Sam! charges! from! the! Capitol! carrying! a! note! reading! “Maine! Affair”! in! a! cartoon!
published! on! the! day! after! a! Senate! resolution! recognized! the! independence! of! Cuba! from! Spanish!
rule.!!The!note!refers!to!the!explosion!of!the!American!battleship!USS!Maine!in!Havana,!an!event!that!
triggered!demands!for!U.S.!involvement!in!the!long-running!struggle!for!independence.!Spanish!tacti cs! in !
putting! down! the! revolt! disturbed! many! Americans.! Although! President! Grover! Cleveland! proclaimed!
U.S.! neutrality,! sensation-driven! newspapers! called! for!war.! In! 1897,! newly! elected! President! William!
McKinley!cautioned!patience,!but!the!explosion!of!the!Maine!shattered!U.S.!relations!with!Spain!and!led!
to!a!declaration!of!war!on!April!25,!1898.)
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War)with)Spain)and)the)Age)of)Imperialism:)1898)-1899)
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War)with)Spain)caused)the)U.S.)to)rethink)its)long-held)principle)of)anti-colonialism.))
Publication)Date:)July!13,!1898!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!NAID:)6010279)
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Description:!
Uncle!Sam!stands!at!the!intersection!of!the!narrow!lane!labeled!“Monroe!Doctrine”!and!the!wider!“Imperial!
Highway”! and! ponders! which! direction! to! take! on! the! new! road.! Uncle! Sam’s! hesitation! suggests! the!
importance!of!his!decision.!Recent!events!had!prompted!the!United!States!to!re-think!long-held!ideas!about!
foreign!policy.!Congress!had!declared!war!to!free!Cuba!from!inhumane!Spanish!rule,!but!the!U.S.!expanded!
the! fighting! by! attacking! other! Spanish! colonies! including! the! Philippines! and! Puerto! Rico.! Would! victory!
transfer! these! colonial! possessions! to! American! rule?! As! U.S.! troops! captured! Cuba! and! the! Philippines,!
President!McKinley!signed!legislation!annexing!Hawaii.!Uncle!Sam!was!indeed!venturing!onto!the!imperial!
highway,!but!how!far!the!nation!would!travel!down!this!new!path!was!not!yet!decided.!
Cut!this!sheet!along!the!dotted!lines!
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War)with)Spain)and)the)Age)of)Imperialism:)1898)-1899)
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Adding)territories)expanded)borders)but)alarmed)the)opponents)of)a)U.S.)empire.))
Publication)Date:)September!14,!1899!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!NAID:)6010331)
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Description:!
Uncle!Sam’s!expanded!waistline!is!symbolic!of!the!rapid!pace!of!U.S.!territorial!expansion.!A!treaty!adding!
Hawaii! to! the! United! States! and! victory! over! Spain! brought! the! U.S.! several! new! territories,! including!
Hawaii,!Puerto!Rico,!Cuba,!and!the!Philippines,!all!listed!on!the!menu!shown!in!the!cartoon.!!!America!paid!
Spain!$20!million!to!annex!the!Philippines,!Guam,!and!Puerto!Rico,!but!the!purchase!only!intensified!the!
Philippine!independence!movement.!The!figures!shown!in!the!doorway!represent!the!Anti-Expansionists!in!
the! Republican! Party! led! by! Senator! George! Hoar,! and! the! Anti-Imperialist! Democrats! led! by! William!
Jennings!Bryan.)
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The)Era)of)the)Big)Stick)and)Dollar)Diplomacy:)1903)-)1913)
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The)protection)of)constitutional)rights)follows)the)U.S.)flag.))
Publication)Date:)March!2,!1900!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!NAID:)6010344)
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Description:!
Berryman!asserts!the!indivisible!link!of!the!Constitution!and!the!flag!through!his!reference!to!the!tal e!of!
faithful!compan ion shi p!told!in!the!biblical!story!of!Ruth !and!Naomi,!where!Naomi!pledged!to!follow!her!
mother-in-law! Ruth! wherever! she! went.! This! cartoon! identifies! Berryman! with! the! position! of!
expansionists!who!favored!extending!U.S.!citizenship!to!territorial!residents.!!Commercial!expansionists,!
by!contrast,!favored!U.S.!ownership!of!land!without!extendi ng!citizenship.!!A!third!powerful!faction!in!
the!debate,!the!Anti-Expansi oni sts,!opposed!hold in g!colonies!altogether,!claiming!that!adding!territorial!
possessions!and!people!transformed!the!United!States!into!an!empire!and!went!against!the!an ti-col oni al!
founding!spirit!of!the!American!republic.)
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The)Era)of)the)Big)Stick)and)Dollar)Diplomacy:)1903)-)1913)
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“Dollar)Diplomacy”)refers)to)using)U.S.)investments)to)gain)global)influence.)
Publication)Date:)August!18!1909!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!NAID:)6010812)
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Description:!
The! cartoon! refers! to! the! 1909! railroad! construction! loans! made! by! Western! powers! to! China.! The!
Hankou!loan!was!originally!negotiated!as!an!arrangement!exclusively!between!France,!Germany,!Great!
Britain,!and!China.!The!United!States,!feeling!that!its!exclusion !was!an!injusti ce!threatening!its!fu ture!
role!in!China,!wo rked! its! way! into! the! deal .! Great!Bri tain! reported ly! was! pleased! by! th is! development!as!
they!preferred!America! as! a! partner! over!Germany.!The!cartoon! reflects! the! closeness! of!the!United!
States!and!Great!Britain!as!they!appear!in!the!forefront!smiling!at!one!another.!Berryman!presents!the!
loan! as! beneficial! to! its! Western! participants,! and! acknowledges! the! resentment! of! the! powers! who!
were!excluded!from!it.)
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The)Era)of)the)Big)Stick)and)Dollar)Diplomacy:)1903)–)1913)
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The)U.S.)created)a)path)between)the)seas)that)revolutionized)global)trade.))
Publication)Date:)August!15,!1914!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!NAID:)6011066)
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Description:!
The!Panama!Canal!opened!for!business!on!the!day!this!cartoon!was!published.!It!shows!Uncle!Sam!
welcoming!ships!and!identifies!the!Atlantic!and!Pacific!Oceans!as!the!waterw ay’s!endpoints.!Uncle!Sam!
proudly!waves!a!flag,!celebrating!America’s!triumph!in!c ompleting!the!project.!The!opening!c eremony!for!
the!canal!was!a!grand!affair!that!coincided!with!the!first!weeks!of!World!War!I.!!The!U.S.!declared!that!the!
canal!would!remain!neutral,!allowing!access!to!all!European!nations.!Berryman’s!cartoon!highlights!the!
international!significance!of!the!canal!and!Amer ica’s!increasing!import ance!in!the!world.)
Cut!this!sheet!along!the!dotted!lines!
World)War)I)Begins)in)Europe:)1914)-)1916)
President)Woodrow)Wilson)led)a)policy)of)U.S.)neutrality)at)the)outbreak)of)World)War)I.)))
Publication)Date:)August!19,!1914! !NAID:)6011069!
Description:!
Published!weeks!after!war!broke!out!in!Europe,!this!image!shows!President!Woodrow!Wilson!standing!at!
the! coast! reasoning! with! Uncle! Sam! for! American! calmness! in! the! face! of! the! battle! shown! in! the!
distance.!!In!his!August!19!statement!on!neutrality!Wilson!called!upon!all!“thoughtful!men”!to!be!guarded!in!
public! statements! about! the! war.! He! cautioned! that,! “The! effect! of! the! war! upon! the! United! States! will!
depend!upon!what!American!citizens!say!and!do…”!!
Cut!this!sheet!along!the!dotted!lines!
World)War)I)Begins)in)Europe:)1914)-)1916)
Atlantic)trade)was)crucial)to)the)U.S.,)but)blockades)made)neutrality)difficult)to)
maintain.)
Publication)Date:)February!13,!1915! !NAID:)6011098!
Description:!
The!rights!of!neutral! countries!to!navigate!the!Atlantic!were!at!the!forefront!of!public!attention!in!early!
1915!when!Germany!imposed!the!world’s!first!submarine!blockade.!The!cliff!Uncle!Sam!inches!along!in!this!
cartoon! displays! phrases! showing! the! danger! of! conducting! neutral! trade! in! seas! patrolled! by!
submarines.!!On!February!1,!the!headlines!were!dominated!by!news!of!a!German!submarine!blockade!of!
Great! Britain.! ! On! February! 10,! the! United! States! separately! warned! Great! Britain! and! Germany! not! to!
interfere!with!U.S.!shipping.!A!day!later,!Great!Britain!declared!a!blockade!of!German!ports.!!The!blockades!
raised!alarms!about!the!safety!of!ships!flying!the!flags!of!neutral!nations.!They!also!raised!the!issue!of!ships!
from!nations!at!war!flying!the!flags!of!neutral!nations!to! avoid!capture.! Weeks!earlier,! for!example,!the!
British!liner!Lusitania!had!sparked!international!controversy!by!flying!the!U.S.!flag!to!avoid!attack!while!off!
the!coast!of!Ireland.!)
Cut!this!sheet!along!the!dotted!lines!
World)War)I)Begins)in)Europe:)1914)-)1916)
A)new)program)of)unrestricted)submarine)attacks)on)shipping)doomed)U.S.)neutrality.)
Publication)Date:)February!1,!1917! !NAID:)6011191!
Description:!
Berryman! depicts! Uncle! Sam’s! response! to! the! German! declaration! of! unrestricted! submarine! warfare!
against!any!ships!in!the!blockade!zone!around!the!British!Isles.!The!new!declaration!was!a!departure!from!
assurances! Germany! gave! after! the! sinking! of! the! Lusitania! in! 1915,! and! the! Sussex! Pledge! in! 1916,!
agreeing!not!to!sink!passenger!vessels!or!merchant!ships!not!carrying!war!materials.!President!Wilson!had!
been!re-elected!to!a!second!term!in!November,!1916,!on!the!strength!of!his!having!kept!the!U.S.!out!of!the!
war,!but!now!faced!a!challenge.!The!U.!S.!was!economically!dependent!on!shipping,!and!believed!in!a!right!
to!free!seas.!!Maintaining!a!policy!of!neutrality!would!mean!surrendering!the!right!to!ship!goods!across!the!
Atlantic!and!would!leave!American!ocean!travelers!at!the!mercy!of!German!U-boat!attacks.!
Cut!this!sheet!along!the!dotted!lines!
America)Enters)World)War)I:)1917)
President)Wilson)led)Congress)to)declare)war)to)“make)the)world)safe)for)dem oc rac y.”)
Publication)Date:)April!2,!1917! !NAID:)6011220!
Description:!
The!House!and!Senate!salute!Uncle!Sam!as!they!report!for!duty!in!a!cartoon!published!on!the!day!the!65
th
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Congress!met!to! hear!President!Woodrow! Wilson’s!war!message.! !Papers!on! the!desk! refer!to! the!German!
policy! of! unrestricted! submarine! warfare! that! prompted! Wilson! to! call! Congress! into! session.! Events! had!
unfolded! quickly! in! recent! weeks.! Germany! had! declared! open! war! at! sea! on! February! 1,! and! Wilson! had!
responded! in! March! by! arming! U.S.! merchant! ships.! In! his! war! message! to! Congress,! Wilson! argued! for!
America!to!fight!against!Germany!for!free!seas!and!a!“world!made!safe!for!democracy.”)
Cut!this!sheet!along!the!dotted!lines!
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America)Enters)World)War)I:)1917)
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Buying)Liberty)Bonds)helped)the)U.S.)pay)for)the)war)and)demonstrated)public)support.)
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Publication)Date:)October!13,!1917!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!NAID:)6011293!
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Description:)
An! American! purchases! a! liberty! bond! to! send! a! message! to! the! German! Kaiser.! This! was! one! of! 18! cartoons!
Berryman!drew!in!October,!1917,!supporting!the!second!Liberty!Bond!drive.!!Liberty!Bonds!were!notes!issued!by!
the!U.S.!Treasury!and!sold!to!the!public!through!Federal!Reserve!Banks!to!help!finance!World!War!I.!The!Federal!
Government!generated!income!to!pay!for!the!war!with!a!combination!of!new!taxes!and!money!raised!from!bond!
sales.!The!Second!Liberty!Loan!campaign!was!one!of!four!bond!drives!nationally!advertised!through!vivid!posters!
and!other!media.!!The!Liberty!Bond!drives!proved!a!highly-effective!means!of!enlisting!public!support!for!the!war!
effort.)
Cut!this!sheet!along!the!dotted!lines!
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America)Enters)World)War)I:)1917)
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With)German)support,)the)communist)Bolsheviks)led)Russia)to)leave)World)War)I.)
Publication)Date:)October!13,!1917!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!NAID:)6011293!
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Description:!
The! confused! look! on! the! face! of! the! bear! representing! Russia! in! this! cartoon! matched! the! conflicting,!
uncertain!news!American!readers!were!receiving!about! fighting!in!Russia!between!Bolshevik!armies!and!
supporters! of! Alexander! Kerensky,! Head! of! the! Provisional! Government! that! ruled! Russia! from! July! to!
November,!1917.!Here,! Kerensky!is!depicted! as!a! rescuer!because!he! pledged!to! continue!Russia’s!fight!
against! Germany! on! the! Eastern! Front.! Berryman’s! image! links! the! Bolsheviks! to! Germany,! reflecting!
German!support!for!Bolshevik!leader,!V.I.!Lenin,!who!favored!peace!with!Germany.!The!Bolsheviks!gained!
control! of! the! Russian! government! in! November,! 1917,! and! negotiated! the! Treaty! of! Brest-Litovsk! with!
Germany,!ending!Russian!participation!in!the!war.)
Cut!this!sheet!along!the!dotted!lines!
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America)at)War)in)Europe:)1918!
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The)U.S.)government)managed)the)railroad)and)telephone)systems)for)wartime)
efficiency.))
Publication)Date:)February!24,!1918!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!NAID:)6011355!
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Description:!
“Cutting!in! on!the! Wire”!shows! Uncle!Sam! calling!“Mr.!Telephone!Co.”!and!offering!to! take!over! phone!
service!during!the!war.!This!cartoon!was!drawn!at!the!beginning!of!the!United!States!Postal!Service’s!push!
to! acquire! the! District! of! Columbia’s! telephone! service! from! the! Chesapeake! &! Potomac! Telephone!
Company! (C&P).! Memos! on! Uncle! Sam’s! desk! list! other! related! industries! that! were! nationalized! in! the!
interest! of! the! war! efforts! Congress! passed! a! joint! resolution! on! July! 16,! 1918,! granting! the! President!
power!to!nationalize!the!telephone!systems!for!the!duration!of!the!war.!President!Wilson!announced!that!
the! Post! Office! would! take! control! of! the! phone! system! on! July! 31.! Following! the! war,! legislation! was!
passed!returning!the!phone!system!to!private!ownership.!
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Cut!this!sheet!along!the!dotted!lines!
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America)at)War)in)Europe:)1918!
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U.S.)troops)were)key)to)the)Allies’)halting)the)final)German)assault)on)Paris.)
Publication)Date:)July!26,!1918!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!NAID:)6011467!
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Description:!
This! cartoon,! featuring! a! bulldog! labeled! “Allies”! yanking! at! the! coat! of! a! bandaged! and! fleeing! German!
soldier,!represents!the!German!retreat!after!the!Second!Battle!of!the!Marne.!A!sign!pointing!towards!Paris!
faces!in!the!opposite!direction,!and!the!phrase!“premature!Paris!program”!is!written!on!a!note!lying!in!the!
dust.!A!turning!point!in!World!War!I,!the!battle!began!on!July!15,!1918,!as!the!Germans!marched!toward!
Paris!hoping!to!capture!the!French!capital!and!end!the!war.!An!Allied!counter!offensive!had!begun!on!July!
18!and!pushed!the!German!lines!back!30!miles.!This!effort!involved!more!American!soldiers!than!any!battle!
fought!since!the!Civil!War.!The!cartoon!dramatizes!the!German!retreat!and!celebrates!an!Allied!victory!in!
which!Americans!played!a!leading!role.)
Cut!this!sheet!along!the!dotted!lines!
America)at)War)in)Europe:)1918!
Contributions)to)Allied)victory)in)World)War)I)made)the)U.S.)a)leading)world)power.)
Publication)Date:)October!8,!1918! !NAID:)6011512!
Description:!
“In!the!World!Spotlight”!appeared!on!the!front!page!of!The!Evening!Star!as!President!Woodrow!Wilson!was!
considering!a!request!for!peace!received!from!the!new!German!Chancellor,!Prince!Maximilian!of!Baden.!The!
cartoon!was! published! alongside! an!article!reporting!Wilson’s! insistence! that!Germany!remove! its! troops!
from!invaded!countries!as!a!precondition!to!peace.!Berryman’s!cartoon!illustrates!Wilson’s!and!America’s!
central! role! in! preparing! for! the! peace! negotiations! that! would! end! World! War! I.! Wilson! seized! the!
international! spotlight! when! he! outlined! his! “Fourteen! Points”! for! peace! in! an! address! to! Congress! on!
January!8,!1918.!)
The)Post-War)Quest)for)Peace:)1919)–)1938)
The)Russian)Bolsheviks’)belief)in)communist)revolution)threatened)world)stability.)
Publication)Date:)January!10,!1919! !NAID:)6011546!
Description:!
A!classical!Greco-Roman!woman!a
rmed!with!a!sword!and!shield!representing!civilization!stands!
cautiously! between! a! wild-haired,! frightening! man! representing! bolshevism! and! a! handcuffed!
and!chained!German!soldier!representing!militarism.!The!cartoon!suggests!that!although!civilization!
has!beaten!Germany,!it!now!faces!a!new!threat.!An!article!published!in!The!Evening!Star!on!the!same!
day!suggested!that! the! Allies! saw! it!as!America’s!responsibility! to! “police”! Europe.! Berryman’s!cartoon!
reflects! the! European! fear! that! bolshevism! would! solidify! its! control! over! Russia! and! fill! the! power!
vacuum!left!by!the!war!in!Germany!and!Eastern!Europe.!Published!at!a!time!when!hunger!and!political!
instability!fueled!widespread! revolutionary! movements,! this! cartoon!reflects!an! uneasy! realization! that!
the! war! fought! by! America! to! make! the! world! safe! for! democracy! has! not! ended,! but! rather! has!
expanded!into!a!wider!responsibility!of!preserving!civilized!order.!
Cut!this!sheet!along!the!dotted!lines!
Cut!this!sheet!along!the!dotted!lines!
The)Post-War)Quest)for)Peace:)1919)–)1938!
The)Senate)rejected)the)Treaty)of)Versailles)because)its)Article)X)created)a)League)of)
Nations.))
Publication)Date:)October!19,!1920! !NAID:)6011640!
Description:!
The! Treaty! of! Versailles! and! U.S.! membership! in! the! League! of! Nations! were! central! issues! in! the! 1920!
Presidential!campaign.!Article!X!of!the!Covenant!of!the!League!of!Nations!required!members!to!assist!any!other!
member!in!the!event!of!an!invasion!or!attack.!President!Woodrow!Wilson!had!submitted!the!Treaty!for!Senate!
ratification,! but! it! was!rejected!due!to!opposition! led! by!Senators! opposed! to! foreign! entanglements.! Public!
opinion!split!during!the!1920!Presidential!campaign!between!advocates!for!U.S.!participation!in!international!
peacekeeping! treaties! and! those! favoring! isolationism.! Berryman’s! cartoon! captures! the! bitterness! of! the!
campaign.!Rejected!by!the!Senate!and!unpopular!with!many!voters,!Article!X!was!an!outcast!on!the!run.!“No!
ginger”! was! a! sports!term! for! a! team! that! showed! no! energy,! suggesting! that! the! campaign! had! been! a! lot!
more!spirited!than!expected.)
Cut!this!sheet!along!the!dotted!lines!
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The)Post-War)Quest)for)Peace:)1919)–)1938!
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The)Kellogg-Briand)Pact)was)an)international)treaty)to)achieve)world)peace)by)
outlawing)war.))
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Publication)Date:)August!27,!1928!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!NAID:)6011968!
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Description:!
A! figure! representing! Mars,! the! Roman! god! of! war,! plods! sadly! across! a! barren! and! empty! landscape!
toward!the!sunset,!following!news!that!15!nations!had!signed!the!Kellogg-Briand!Pact!outlawing!war!as!an!
instrument! of! foreign! policy.! Eventually,! 34! additional! countries! would! sign! the! pact,! reflecting! an!
optimistic!hope!for!the!prevention!of!future!wars.!Public!opinion!ran!strongly!in!favor!of!the!treaty,!and!the!
Senate! received! many! petitions! supporting! its! ratification.! Published! a! decade! after! history’s! most!
destructive!war,!Berryman’s!cartoon!suggests!hope!for!the!future!by!showing!the!departure!of!the!god!of!
war,!but!the!somber!scene!alludes!to!the!vast!destruction!of!the!recent!World!War!and!tempers!any!sense!
of!immediate!joy.)
Cut!this!sheet!along!the!dotted!lines!
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Storm)Clouds)Gathering)–)World)War)II)on)the)Horizon:)1939)–)1940!
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The)aggressive)actions)of)German)leader,)Adolf)Hitler,)shattered)post-war)hopes)for)
peace.))
Publication)Date:)August!20,!1939!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!NAID:)6012197!
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Description:!
By!late!summer,!1939!Hitler!was!on!the!march.!!This!cartoon!was!published!the!day!after!Germany!seized!
control!of!Slovakia,!and!as!100,000!German!and!Slovak!troops!massed!along!the!Polish!border!ready!to!
invade.!Given!the!recent!history!of!war,!these!events!raised!alarm!in!France,!the!United!Kingdom,!and!the!
United!States,!represented!by!the! figures! in! this! image.!Two!days!after! this! cartoon! was! published! the!
Soviet!Union!and!Germany!announced!a!non-aggression!pact,!clearing!the!way!for!the!Nazi!invasion!of!
Poland.!!Berryman!shares!Uncle!Sam’s!worry!that!American!policies!of!isolation!and!neutrality!would!not!
insulate!the!country!from!the!Nazi!threat.!
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Cut!this!sheet!along!the!dotted!lines!
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Storm)Clouds)Gathering)–)World)War)II)on)the)Horizon:)1939)–)1940!
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Seeking)to)avoid)a)second)world)war,)many)U.S.)leaders)supported)a)policy)of)
neutrality.)
Publication)Date:)September!7,!1939!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!NAID:)6011202!
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Description:!
This!cartoon! shows!three!prominent! isolationist!senators!staring! blindly!at! a! wall!labeled,! “neutrality,”!while!
embattled!Europe!is!shown!engulfed!in!a!cloud!of!smoke.!The!figures!in!the!cartoon!are!William!Borah!of!Idaho,!
Gerald!Nye!of!North!Dakota,!and!Hiram!Johnson!of!California,!Progressive!Republican!Senators!who!shared!a!
long! history! of! leading! efforts! to! keep! the! United! States! out! of! international! alliances! and! wars.! Borah! had!
opposed!the!Treaty!of!Versailles!and!was!against!America’s!joining!the!League!of!Nations.!Nye!had!chaired!an!
investigative!committee!harshly!critical!of!U.S.!entry!into!the!World!War!I.!Johnson!sponsored!the!Neutrality!
Acts! in! Congress! and! opposed! President! Franklin! D.! Roosevelt’s! proposal! to! sell! planes! and! arms! to! France.!
World! War! I! was! fresh! in! the! public! memory,! and! isolationists! still! resented! America’s! involvement.! In! this!
cartoon,!Berryman!mocks!the!short-sightedne ss!of!isolationism.!!
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Cut!this!sheet!along!the!dotted!lines!
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Storm)Clouds)Gathering)–)World)War)II)on)the)Horizon:)1939)–)1940!
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President)Franklin)D.)Roosevelt)proposed)supplying)arms)to)republics)resisting)invasion.))
Publication)Date:)September!2,!1940!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!NAID:)6012217!
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Description:!
This!cartoon!was!published!on!Labor!Day,!four!days!after!the!Senate!passed,!and!as!the!House!debated,!
the!Selective!Training!and!Service!Act!of!1940.!The!Act!established!the!first!peacetime!draft!in!American!
history!and!allowed!the!government!to!take!over!industry!for!wartime!production.!This!cartoon!shows!
Uncle! Sam! hammering! plows! into! swords,! an! inversion! of! a! Bible! verse! in! which! nations! “hammer!
swords! i nto!plo wshares.”!By!proposing!that!America!produce!the!“1940!model”!sword,!Berryman!shows!
his!support!for!war!preparedness!efforts.!The!“Arsenal!of!Democracy”!referred!to!in!this!cartoon’s!title,!
became!a!slogan!used!by!President!Franklin!D.!Roosevelt!to!describe!the!nation’s!international!policy.!
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