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).
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:
- Who, or what, is in the picture?
- When was the cartoon published? That will help you determine which wars or conflicts may have been fought during that time.
- Where does the cartoon "take place"? In an office? In an open field? In a particular "shop" or "business" of some kind?
- What emotions are displayed on the faces of the main characters?
- 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?
- 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.