Political Cartoon #1- The American Rattlesnake

1. Interpret the cartoon. What historical event/issue is being represented?
This cartoon displays the fact that the British had trouble suppressing the Americans. The date, 1782, suggests that the peace treaties had begun being negotiated. The ‘American Rattlesnake’ is trying to restrain the British, who are coming into America for trading purposes, and the Americans retaliated, and were willing to do even more in order to keep their freedom. The Americans already beat two English armies, General Burgoyne's forces at Saratoga, New York, in 1777, and General Cornwallis's at Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781, and this made the many of British inhospitable to fight yet another war in the Americas. The third empty circle on the left indicates that although two British armies already were taken over, there was room for a third, and the Americans were willing to do this.

2. What is the message that the cartoonist is trying to convey? Which side of the issue does he support?
The author is trying to convey that through his support of the American people and their retaliation against the British government, they should keep fighting against the British to get full freedom from them and have their trading posts and any other means of control out of America. In doing so, he also was encouraging Loyalists and British people to support the withdrawal of the British troops in American in order to maintain a British-free America. Almost trying to embarrass the British, by the fact that the new nation beat the once all-powerful British, he even went as far as including a third unoccupied ring which represents the fact that the Americans still have energy to fight and are willing to do so.

3. What effect(s) did this cartoon have on American History? What were the results of this issue being addressed?
This cartoon had impacts that went well beyond that of many of its contemporaries. It helped to get the Americans fired up and ready to retaliate against the British for any forts or outposts that were in the US. It also helped to pave the way for the future settlements in America, and helped to restrain the British into getting any power in the fledgling nation. This cartoon also brought about nationalist feelings among the new nation in order to ban together and expel the British completely. This led to the furthering of the new nation and its eagerness to withdrawal completely from its former mother country.