During the late 19th century, many Americans began to advocate overseas expansion under the ideology of imperialism. American imperialism had several motives, the most dominant being the need to civilize other nations deemed lesser. However, not every person agreed with these ideals, which sparked the debate about whether America should seek out expansion through other nations. Therefore, to express their views and reach the American public, Imperialists and Anti-imperialists frequently used cartoons as representative of their ideals. Both supporters and opponents of the US overseas empire utilized images and symbols in cartoons to appeal to Americans to favor their side by the usage of expression, racial stereotyping, and patriotism. American …show more content…
Additionally, Anti-imperialists were nationalist in the sense that they believed America possessed its own resources and did not need to seek out expansion of other nations to get any other resources. These ideals were constant themes in the cartoons both sides crafted in support of their arguments. Anti-Imperialists were against overseas expansion because they believed it would be a hassle for America. Although anti-imperialists were fueled by nationalistic ideals, their interpretation of nationalism believed that America should bear no risk and stick to only supporting Americans. This message was the core theme throughout many cartoons created by anti-imperialists and was repeatedly expressed through the expressions anti-imperialists would give to characters representing America. Anti-imperialists pushed their opposition to imperialism in their cartoons by showcasing how exhausting it would be for America to support and care for other countries. For instance, in image 11, Uncle Sam, who was a common character representation of America, can be seen taking care of countries represented as