American Foreign Policy:
Through the Eyes 
Of a Cartoonist

Technically speaking, the United State is a “teenaged country”: old enough to define itself, but young enough to see defined growth patterns. And it's true that Americans love their wartime presidents. So, how does a president “command” the nation during times of war and how has this command of foreign policy evolved over time?

DBQ Question: Trace the evolution of American foreign policy through the years – from the Revolutionary War (1776) to the Obama Administration (2015).

Hints For Getting Started

Remember: "To analyze" means to determine the big picture by breaking apart the details to find overall theme! So, when examining a cartoon, be sure to look for the following:

1. Who, or what, is in the picture?
2. When was the cartoon published? That will help you determine which wars or conflicts may have been fought during that time.  
3. Where does the cartoon "take place"? In an office? In an open field? In a particular "shop" or "business" of some kind?
4. What emotions are displayed on the faces of the main characters?
5. What does every word in every speech bubble mean? Cartoonists use very little words in their "stories", so when they do, all of the words are important?
6. Identify! Are there certain symbols, metaphors, "double meanings", rhymes, "common phrases", or "idioms"? An "idiom" is a phrase that doesn't have a true definition...you can't define the phrase with the words...but its definition is found in culture and common experience. For example, the phrase "It's raining cats and dogs" means "It's raining a lot", but there aren't any cats or dogs coming down from the sky! That's an idiom. Additionally, search for "double meanings" (a "sword" can be both a weapon of violence and an instrument of justice), "rhymes" ("While the cat's away, the mice will play"), "common phrases" ("Crime doesn't pay"), and any "symbols" or "metaphors" common to American culture. For example, a bird with a leaf in its mouth is a dove with an olive branch. A man dressed in red, white, and blue is Uncle Sam; a woman of the same kind of dress (or possibly a dress) is Lady Liberty or Lady Peace.

Cartoon #1: “The Revolutionary Cow”
Approximate Date: 1778
President Shown: None

Cartoon #2: “The Happy Effects”
Approximate Date: 1798-1800
President Shown: Thomas Jefferson

Cartoon #3: “Declined With Thanks”
Approximate Date: 1899
President Shown: William McKinley

Cartoon #4: “Holding His End Up”
Approximate Date: 1900
President Shown: None

Cartoon Set #5: “Stay Out!...” / "...Should Have Stayed Home"
Approximate Dates: 1917 (Pre- World War I)

President Shown: None

Cartoon #6:“With a Whole World to Rebuild”
Approximate Date: 1930s / Early 1940s (Pre- World War II)

President Shown: None

Cartoon #7: “Strangled!”
Approximate Date: 1945

President Shown: None

Cartoon #8: “Vast Presidential Authority
Approximate Date: 1950

President Shown: Harry Truman

Cartoon Set #9: "Peace Today" / "Let's Get a Lock" 
Date: 1947; 1962
President Shown: John F. Kennedy (1962)

Cartoon #10: "The Domino Theory" 
Approximate Date: 1960
President Shown: None

Cartoon Set #11: "Maintain a balance" / "...Gets into Everything" 
Date: 1975; 1979
President Shown: Gerald Ford (1975)

Cartoon #12: "Combating Terrorism" 
Date: 2006
President Shown: George W. Bush

Cartoon #13: "US Foreign Policy" 
Date: 2014
Presidents Shown: George W. Bush, Barack Obama

Cartoon #14: "The Thinker, The Tinkerer" 
Date: 2014
Presidents Shown: Barack Obama, George W. Bush

Cartoon Set #15: Foreign Policy Rhetoric
Date: 2014
President Shown: Barack Obama