For Multiple Choice, SAQ, and DBQ Questions
with Cartoons . . .
|
|
|
|
|
1. Identify the Basics (OBSERVE before you interpret) Before guessing meaning, describe what you literally see:
Step 2: Identify the Time Period (CONTEXT)Determine when the cartoon was created.
Ask:
Top hats → Gilded Age
Step 3: Identify Symbols and Their Meaning. Political cartoons rely heavily on symbolism.
Common U.S. Symbols:
Step 4: Determine the Issue or CONFLICT. Identify what problem or debate the cartoon addresses.
Ask:
Step 5: Identify the Cartoonist’s POINT OF VIEW. Political cartoons always have a bias.
Ask:
Step 6: Explain the Message (THE THESIS). This is the most important step.
Students should answer:
What is the cartoonist trying to say about this issue?
Strong formula:
"The cartoon suggests that [group/policy/event] is [being criticized or supported] because [specific visual evidence]."
Example:
The cartoon argues that big business exploited workers during the Gilded Age, as shown by the factory owner towering over impoverished laborers.
📌 AP Tip: Always connect visuals → meaning.
Step 7: Connect to Broader HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE. Finally, explain why it matters.
Ask:
One-Sentence AP Exam Formula:
This political cartoon from the [time period] uses [symbol] to criticize/support [issue], reflecting broader tensions over [historical development].
Common Student Mistakes to Correct:
🚫 Describing without analyzing
🚫 Ignoring symbols
🚫 Guessing the era without evidence
🚫 Saying “it shows people disagreeing” (too vague)
Classroom Tip: Practice with one cartoon per unit, repeating the same steps every time. Consistency builds speed and confidence on exam day.
- Who or what is shown? (people, symbols, objects)
- Are there labels or text?
- What actions are taking place?
- What emotions or expressions are visible?
Step 2: Identify the Time Period (CONTEXT)Determine when the cartoon was created.
Ask:
- What clues suggest the era? (clothing, technology, language, symbols)
- What major historical events fit this image?
- What APUSH unit does this match?
Top hats → Gilded Age
- Elephant / Donkey → Late 19th century onward, Republicans and Democrats
- Nuclear imagery → Cold War
- Factories / smokestacks → Industrialization
- Global imagery → Spanish-American War; Post-1945 U. S. globalization
Step 3: Identify Symbols and Their Meaning. Political cartoons rely heavily on symbolism.
Common U.S. Symbols:
- Uncle Sam → U.S. government
- Bald eagle → American power
- Snake → Disunity or danger
- Chains → Oppression
- Money bags → Big business / corruption
- Scales → Justice
- What does this symbol usually represent?
- How is it being portrayed—positively or negatively?
Step 4: Determine the Issue or CONFLICT. Identify what problem or debate the cartoon addresses.
Ask:
- What is the central issue?
- Who is involved?
- What policy, event, or movement is being criticized or supported?
- British taxation
- Expansion of slavery
- Trusts and monopolies
- New Deal programs
- Civil rights
- War, immigration, or foreign policy
Step 5: Identify the Cartoonist’s POINT OF VIEW. Political cartoons always have a bias.
Ask:
- Is the cartoon supportive or critical?
- Who benefits from this message?
- Who is being attacked or mocked?
- “The cartoonist argues that…”
- “The image criticizes…”
- “The cartoon supports the idea that…”
Step 6: Explain the Message (THE THESIS). This is the most important step.
Students should answer:
What is the cartoonist trying to say about this issue?
Strong formula:
"The cartoon suggests that [group/policy/event] is [being criticized or supported] because [specific visual evidence]."
Example:
The cartoon argues that big business exploited workers during the Gilded Age, as shown by the factory owner towering over impoverished laborers.
📌 AP Tip: Always connect visuals → meaning.
Step 7: Connect to Broader HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE. Finally, explain why it matters.
Ask:
- How does this reflect broader attitudes of the time?
- How does this connect to reforms, movements, or outcomes?
- Did this issue lead to change or conflict?
- Reform movements
- Legislation
- Political realignment
- Social tensions
One-Sentence AP Exam Formula:
This political cartoon from the [time period] uses [symbol] to criticize/support [issue], reflecting broader tensions over [historical development].
Common Student Mistakes to Correct:
🚫 Describing without analyzing
🚫 Ignoring symbols
🚫 Guessing the era without evidence
🚫 Saying “it shows people disagreeing” (too vague)
Classroom Tip: Practice with one cartoon per unit, repeating the same steps every time. Consistency builds speed and confidence on exam day.
Let's Practice (Below)!
AP U.S. History – Short-Answer Question (SAQ):Use the political cartoon Bosses of the Senate (1889) to
answer parts (a), (b), and (c).
(a) Describe ONE specific way the cartoonist criticizes the U.S. Senate.
(b) Explain ONE historical development in the late 19th century that contributed to the situation depicted in the cartoon.
(c) Explain ONE way reformers attempted to address the issue illustrated in the cartoon in the late 19th or early 20th century.
answer parts (a), (b), and (c).
(a) Describe ONE specific way the cartoonist criticizes the U.S. Senate.
(b) Explain ONE historical development in the late 19th century that contributed to the situation depicted in the cartoon.
(c) Explain ONE way reformers attempted to address the issue illustrated in the cartoon in the late 19th or early 20th century.
| political_cartoon_analysis_–_one-page_student_worksheet.pdf |
Political Cartoon Analysis: “Bosses of the Senate,” Puck Magazine (c. 1889)
Step 1: Identify the Basics (Observation)The cartoon shows a group of large, wealthy men seated in the U.S. Senate chamber.
Step 2: Identify the Time Period (Context). The cartoon dates to 1889, placing it in the Gilded Age.
Relevant APUSH Context:
Step 3: Identify Symbols and Their Meanings
Step 4: Determine the Issue or Conflict. The central issue is corporate influence over government, especially the U.S. Senate.
Step 5: Identify the Cartoonist’s Point of View. Joseph Keppler takes a strongly critical stance toward big business and the Senate.
Step 6: Explain the Message (Purpose/Thesis) The cartoon argues that during the Gilded Age, the U.S. Senate was controlled by powerful corporate interests rather than the American people, as shown by monopolists physically occupying the Senate chamber while the public is shut out.
This message suggests that democracy had been undermined by economic power.
Step 7: Connect to Broader Historical Significance. The cartoon reflects growing support for Progressive Era reforms, including:
One-Sentence AP Exam Model Answer:
This 1889 Gilded Age cartoon criticizes corporate domination of the U.S. Senate, using oversized monopolists to show how industrial trusts excluded ordinary citizens from political power, a problem that later led to Progressive reforms such as the direct election of senators.
Why This Would Score Well on the AP Exam
✔ Accurate historical context
✔ Clear identification of symbols
✔ Explicit cartoonist argument
✔ Connection to broader developments
Step 1: Identify the Basics (Observation)The cartoon shows a group of large, wealthy men seated in the U.S. Senate chamber.
- Each man represents a powerful corporation (steel, oil, copper, railroads, sugar, etc.).
- The men are labeled and physically oversized, dwarfing the chamber.
- The desks read “Senate of the United States.”
- In the background, the doorway labeled “People’s Entrance” is closed and guarded.
Step 2: Identify the Time Period (Context). The cartoon dates to 1889, placing it in the Gilded Age.
- This era was marked by rapid industrialization, corporate consolidation, and political corruption.
- The Senate at this time was elected by state legislatures, not by popular vote.
Relevant APUSH Context:
- Growth of trusts and monopolies
- Laissez-faire government policies
- Weak regulation of big business
Step 3: Identify Symbols and Their Meanings
- Oversized businessmen → Dominance of corporations over government
- Labels on men → Trusts and monopolies
- Closed “People’s Entrance” → Exclusion of ordinary citizens from political power
- Senate chamber → Federal government, especially legislative power
Step 4: Determine the Issue or Conflict. The central issue is corporate influence over government, especially the U.S. Senate.
- The cartoon critiques how big business dictated policy.
- It highlights the lack of democratic accountability in the Senate.
- Corruption
- Bribery
- Political machines
- The failure of government to regulate industry
Step 5: Identify the Cartoonist’s Point of View. Joseph Keppler takes a strongly critical stance toward big business and the Senate.
- The cartoon portrays corporations as undemocratic “bosses.”
- Ordinary citizens are excluded from decision-making.
Step 6: Explain the Message (Purpose/Thesis) The cartoon argues that during the Gilded Age, the U.S. Senate was controlled by powerful corporate interests rather than the American people, as shown by monopolists physically occupying the Senate chamber while the public is shut out.
This message suggests that democracy had been undermined by economic power.
Step 7: Connect to Broader Historical Significance. The cartoon reflects growing support for Progressive Era reforms, including:
- The 17th Amendment (direct election of senators)
- Antitrust legislation (Sherman Antitrust Act)
- Increased government regulation of business
One-Sentence AP Exam Model Answer:
This 1889 Gilded Age cartoon criticizes corporate domination of the U.S. Senate, using oversized monopolists to show how industrial trusts excluded ordinary citizens from political power, a problem that later led to Progressive reforms such as the direct election of senators.
Why This Would Score Well on the AP Exam
✔ Accurate historical context
✔ Clear identification of symbols
✔ Explicit cartoonist argument
✔ Connection to broader developments