Question

Study the editorial cartoon Join, or Die, created by Benjamin Franklin in 1754.

A drawing of a snake cut into 8 pieces. Each piece is labeled with the abbreviations for an American colony. Below it is the caption "Join, or die."

What does the symbol of the divided snake most likely represent?

the American colonies’ cooperation with one another
the weakness of American colonies when they operate separately
the need of American colonies to rid themselves of predators
Benjamin Franklin's personal opinion of snakes and other predators

Answer 1

the weakness of American colonies when they operate separately

Franklin’s image of a snake cut into pieces labeled with colonies warns that divided colonies are vulnerable and must unite ("Join, or die") to survive.