In the 1860s and 1870s, Harper's Weekly set out to expose the corruption of William Macy Tweed, leader of New York's Tammany Hall political machine. Most of my constituents can't read anyway . . . Since the mid-1700s, editorial cartoons, using simple text and a single image, have been vehicles for public criticism and political commentary. Their combination of visual imagery, journalism, and satire is intellectually accessible to the public, and at their best, the cartoons respond powerfully and vividly to current events. For researchers and students, editorial cartoons provide a caricature of social and political thought in the past.
Cartoons survive as an art form and as journalism.
They present educators with engaging and effective instructional resources. As a part of its Editorial Cartoon Collection, the University Libraries hold more than 6,500 examples of this format. Originally prepared for newspapers, magazines, and in some cases television, the cartoons address a spectrum of topics ranging from presidential elections to high school sports. The collection presents artistic commentary on the Civil Rights Movement, Watergate, and the Vietnam War. Some of the artwork reflects changes in American social and political attitudes.