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.

Question

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.
A. What does the depiction of Uncle Sam as a headmaster of an orphanage suggest about his role in relation to newly acquired territories?
B. How is manifest destiny represented in the cartoon, and what significance do the arms labeled "manifest destiny" hold?

Answer 1

A. The depiction of Uncle Sam as a headmaster of an orphanage suggests that his role in relation to the newly acquired territories is one of paternalistic oversight and responsibility. He appears to see himself as a caretaker or guardian, implying that the United States has an obligation to nurture and guide these new territories, likening them to children in need of care. This imagery reflects the broader sentiment during this period about the responsibility of the United States to govern and civilize new territories following the Spanish-American War. It conveys a sense of benevolent authority, where Uncle Sam is willing to take in and care for these new "dependents," but also hints at the challenges and burdens that come with such responsibility.

B. Manifest destiny is represented in the cartoon through the arms that are holding the basket of new babies. This imagery carries significant weight as it symbolizes the belief that the United States was destined to expand across the North American continent and beyond. The arms labeled "manifest destiny" suggest that this ideology is not only driving the acquisition of new territories but also serving as a justification for American imperialism. By framing the territories (Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Cuba, and the Philippines) as new children, the cartoon implies that they are part of a broader narrative of American growth and expansion, where the United States has a divine or historical right to claim and 'educate' these lands, in line with the ideals of manifest destiny. The arms also signify that this expansion is an active, deliberate endeavor, indicating the ongoing and vibrant nature of these beliefs during the time, intertwined with notions of American exceptionalism and the spread of democracy and civilization.