(a) The cartoon presents the United States as a foundling asylum, or orphanage, to suggest that the nation is taking in new territories and states as if they were children in need of care and protection.
(b) The cartoon suggests that domestic attitudes to the annexation of Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines were generally positive, as Uncle Sam is shown to be welcoming the new territories with open arms. The arms of Manifest Destiny, which are holding the basket of babies, further emphasize the idea that the United States was meant to expand and take in new territories.
Uncle Sam: Gosh! I wish they wouldn't come quite so many in a bunch; but, if I've got to take them, I guess I can do as well by them as I've done by the others.
A political cartoon from Puck magazine, August 1898, shows Uncle Sam, as the headmaster of an orphanage, receiving a basket of new babies. A woman representing Columbia is reaching her hand out to greet them. The basket is being held by two arms marked “manifest destiny.” The babies are labeled Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Cuba, and Philippines. Inside the asylum are older children playing. These children are labeled Texas, New Mexico, California, and Alaska.
Use the cartoon, by Udo J. Keppler, titled “A trifle embarrassed,” to answer the question.
Using the cartoon, answer (a) and (b):
(a) In 2–3 sentences, explain the significance of presenting the United States as a “foundling asylum,” or orphanage.
(b) In 2–3 sentences, explain what this cartoon suggests about domestic attitudes to the annexation of Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines.
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