Allender, Nina, American Justice, June 1, 1918, cartoon, The Suffragist, Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2020632297/.
Political cartoons play a critical role in teaching American history, and Allender’s cartoon in particular speaks to the forms of protest that marked the women’s suffrage movement. The Suffragist, a crucial platform for the movement, featured a variety of content, including news accounts of protests and arrests, political cartoons, illustrations, photographs, essays, and poems. As Allender’s art was featured throughout the publication and on the cover, she was able to communicate directly with supporters and the public, bypassing mainstream media.
When considering political cartoons, a careful analysis of the author’s purpose is essential. With Allender’s work, students can study the author's purpose while also carefully considering the potential impact on her audience. As a study in rhetoric and activism, Allender’s American Justice also provides an opportunity to examine satire and irony.
This pencil drawing from a 1918 edition of The Suffragist shows Uncle Sam offering flowers to a bound and gagged woman while saying, "American Women You are our INSPIRATION. You give us our soldiers. You conserve our food. You work in our munition factories. You serve our sick and wounded. ACCEPT this bouquet." The woman is bound by a rope-like constraint that says, “Unequal Political Rights,” “Equal Work,” “Unequal Wages,” and “Kindly Omit Flowers.”
Uncle Sam has played a notable role in the imagery and propaganda surrounding American patriotism. Suffragists often used Uncle Sam to symbolize the government and its responsibilities, sometimes satirizing the Uncle Sam figure to poignantly respond to the denial of women’s rights throughout the early 1900s. Artist Nina Allender created work for the National Woman’s Party (NWP’s) publication The Suffragist. Her work American Justice was included in the June 1, 1918, edition of the publication, during a time when the women’s suffragist movement was gaining momentum. Two weeks later, President Woodrow Wilson stated his support for a federal woman suffrage amendment. These efforts contributed to Congress’s eventual passage, in 1919, of the Nineteenth Amendment, which was ratified by the states in 1920, granting women the right to vote.
- Why might Allender choose to use the patriotic symbol Uncle Sam in this sketch? What does this choice communicate to her audience?
- How do the words and phrases included in the piece enhance the artwork? Would the effect of the piece be the same without the words? Why or why not?
- In publishing this cartoon in a magazine that reached like-minded suffragists, what was Allender’s purpose in creating this artwork?
- How does Uncle Sam’s offering to the woman satirize the treatment of women in America? How does Allender use irony to compliment this satirical representation?
Common Core State Standards
RI.5.11-12: Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging.
- Students can work closely with the political cartoon to examine the structure of the drawing and how the artist chose to orient the figures in the image.
RI.6.11-12: Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness, or beauty of the text.
- The sketch's style and content communicate a point of view; therefore, students can examine the sketch’s point of view and the persuasive power that accompanies that point of view, particularly in reference to the desired audience who are readers of The Suffragist magazine.
RI.7.11-12: Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem.
- By examining political cartoons, students are exposed to new modes of primary documentation. With the drawing, students can address details of the women’s suffragist movement.
- As supplemental material, Allender’s art in The Suffragist can guide students through a compare-and-contrast activity with more contemporary works of feminist protest, such as Margaret Atwood’s speculative novel The Handmaid’s Tale. Using a T-chart or other methods to draw comparisons, students will evaluate the information presented throughout the media formats. As is true of both visual art and prose, elements such as symbolism, language, and structure will be presented in different ways across media. Therefore, comparing Allender’s artwork with other protest material, particularly that presented in written formats, asks students to consider the argumentative power of each text’s rhetorical choices. By examining these methods of language and power, students can reflect on their understanding of audience, author’s purpose, tone, and persuasion.
- After students compare and contrast multiple media sources from feminist protesters, ReadWriteThink’s lesson on the history of feminism allows them to practice their rhetorical moves by crafting a letter. As with Allender’s drawing, students can think critically about audience and purpose as they not only learn the history of feminism but also more carefully consider the power of certain genres to become spearheads in movements.
- There is still plenty of women’s rights activism in modern-day America. Among some, the word feminist and its associations have been met with ridicule and contempt. It is paramount that the true definition as it is understood today is discussed, along with earlier feminist movements such as that for women’s suffrage.
Links to resources for approaching those topics
- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s powerful TedTalk titled “We Should All Be Feminists”
Other sketches by Nina Allender:
- Victory Stars illustrates the growing support for women’s right to vote, while some states, including Georgia, continued to refute ratification.
- Buy the Suffragist promotes the purchase of the feminist publication. This drawing is an advertisement to gain new readers.
- Insulting the President? shows a suffragist holding a banner quoting one of President Wilson's speeches: "'We shall fight for the things we have always carried nearest our hearts, for Democracy. For the right of those who submit to authority to have a voice in their own governments.' W.W."
- Teaching Women’s History: Teaching women’s history requires specific attention to events and times often overlook Teaching Women’s History: ed in traditional textbooks. Here, women’s history is explored through many perspectives, moments, and events, providing specific resources for teachers.
- ReadWriteThink on the Nineteenth Amendment: To celebrate the passing of the Nineteenth Amendment, ReadWriteThink presents a lesson alongside additional resources and accompanying curriculum aids to discuss this historical moment for the American people. These resources celebrate the mission of women like Allender who have created visibility for the movement and fought for women’s rights.