U.S. Imperialism Cartoon

Measuring Uncle Sam for a New Suit

This piece is reflective of American imperialism because Uncle Sam's "new suit" represents the new land that the United States has taken over within the age of imperialism. The white stripes on his trousers indicate all of the land the United States has taken over within their own continent, while the towels behind President McKinley represent the territories the U.S. has conquered overseas. The towels are resting on top of a flag symbolizing United States foreign policy, so the cartoonist is clearly criticizing the U.S. for neglecting their own policy in order to occupy foreign lands. I like this piece because the cartoonist was able to illustrate his opinion with great symbolism. President McKinley is standing on his tip-toes, so I think that is showing that America is becoming so large that soon he will not be able to reach high enough to measure Uncle Sam's suit once again, showing that he soon may not have the power to rule the nation.