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November 07, 2007
On this day
in 1874, this cartoon by Thomas Nast appeared in Harper's Weekly:
Titled “The Third Term Panic,” the cartoon commented on fears that Grant would run for a third term as President which led some Republicans to vote with the Democrats.
Although the first use of an elephant by the Republican Party is believed to date from a printer’s cut (pre-made pictures kept ready to use as illustrations when needed) of an elephant used by an Illinois newspaper during Abraham Lincoln’s 1860 presidential campaign, this appearance is considered the first important use of an elephant as a symbol for the United States Republican Party. Nast continued using the elephant thereafter, and gradually it became the Republican icon as it was adopted by other cartoonists.
The elephant has been a symbol of strength since Roman times. Thomas Nast was a staunch Republican, and he deliberately chose the elephant as a symbol for his own Party because of the animal’s great size, intelligence, strength, and dignity.
Posted by LindaSoG at November 7, 2007 10:07 AM
Comments
Thanks Linda, that's good stuff.
Posted by: Rene at November 7, 2007 06:05 PM