Click on the link below to read a biography about Thomas Nast. Then click on the link that displays several political cartoons of his creation. His method of exposing the truth through cartoons helped bring light to several controversial issues during the Gilded Age

.http://cartoons.osu.edu/nast/bio.htm


Click on the link below to take you to Thomas Nast Political Cartoons. View several of his cartoons to gain an understanding of how he used the pen to expose the corruption in government.Political cartoons communicate powerful ideas often in a humorous, enlightening manner, by incorporating the events of the period into an easily understandable format most people could relate to even with limited reading abilities. Symbols, caricature, drawings and exaggerations used by the cartoonist point out themes and problems of any given time period.

http://www.csub.edu/~gsantos/cat15.html


While you are looking at the cartoons on a seperate sheet of paper take the following notes. Make sure you identify which cartoon you are analyzing.
  1. Identify the characters, symbols and objects in the cartoon.
  2. Look for cues and details that will give further meaning
  3. Identify the main idea of the cartoon by reading the captions and putting the message into their own words
  4. Identify any bias the cartoonist might have.