Western expansionism and the narrative of bringing “civilization” to the “barbarians” was a popular subject in political cartoons in the late-19th century. Fueled by trade and economic incentives, the civilizing mission was carried out in brief, bloody wars that were, the graphics show, deeply controversial. The sources for this unit are political cartoons (1898 to 1902) from illustrated magazines published in New York City—including Judge, Puck, Harper’s Weekly, and Life—and French and German cartoons.
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