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. 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 the headmaster of an orphanage suggests that he is taking on a paternalistic role in relation to newly acquired territories. This imagery implies a sense of responsibility and care for the new territories, similar to a caretaker looking after children. Uncle Sam’s statement expresses a mix of resignation and acceptance, indicating that while he may not be entirely enthusiastic about the influx of new territories (the "babies"), he feels obligated to nurture and integrate them, just as he did with previous territories (the "older children"). This portrayal reinforces the idea that the United States sees itself as a guiding and protective force for these new acquisitions.

B. Manifest destiny is represented in the cartoon by the arms that are holding the basket of new babies. These arms symbolize not only the ideology of manifest destiny but also the belief that it is America's destiny to expand its territory from coast to coast and beyond to other regions. The significance of the arms labeled "manifest destiny" lies in their role as the driving force behind the acquisition of new territories, highlighting the belief that the United States has a divine and moral obligation to spread its influence. This depiction suggests that expansion is a natural and inevitable process that the U.S. must embrace, framing it within the context of American exceptionalism and a belief in the "civilizing mission" of the nation.