Intro: Mistress. Columbia, Who Has Been Taking a Nap, Suddenly Wakes Up, and Calls her Noisy Scholars to Order
Information: The cartoon below was drawn just before the outbreak of the Civil War. The dominant figure is Columbia, a common symbol for the United States from the colonial period until being eclipsed by Uncle Sam in the 1900's. Columbia originated as Liberty, a feminine symbol of freedom drawn by Paul Revere for the masthead of the Boston Gazette. Here, Columbia awakes to an unruly classroom. Unfortunately, she could not get control of her "students", and the Civil War was soon raging.
Extra/Similar Info: By 1860 a clear divide between the North and South was established. In this early cartoon, Mistress Columbia is shown seated in a classroom, filled with members of Congress seated below her, divided by the Mason-Dixon Line. The legislators are depicted as unruly students; some fight one another but others study the Constitution. Mistress Columbia, who has been napping, is awoken by the chaos and demands order. The Constitution is the supreme rule-book that the men of Congress dare not go against. The cartoon is commenting on the importance of the Constitution as the supreme guide to how the country should be run and how legislators should handle controversial issues. When politics drift away from the Constitution, the legislators become unruly school boys.
1.) What are the two ways the cartoonist shows who the two groups of students are?
The two ways that the cartoonist depicts who the two groups of students are is the separation between the two signifying the students on the left are from the North, as to where the students on the right are from the South.
2.) What point is the cartoonist making by having Columbia just awaken from a nap?
The point the cartoonist is making by having Columbia suddenly awaken from a nap is that a conflict of demand orders (shown on the right side of picture, "Set Us a Law") and chaos has spurred amongst these two groups in which Columbia, our symbol of Liberty must look upon these issues.
3.) What lesson has the teacher assigned? How do you know? Why has she assigned this lesson?
The lesson the teacher has assigned pertains to the constitution and I know this for the book's spine is called, "Constitution" which lays upon her podium. Miss. Columbia, the teacher has assigned this lesson for this subject needs to be gone in depth and a resolution must be made from both groups.
4.) What is the person in the upper right writing on the board? What does it express about the South's position?
The individual in the upper right is writing, "Set Us a Law" on the board. These fours words written upon the board expresses that the current state of the South's position is significantly pressed with restrictions and the people (whites, 3/5 slave, etc.) of the South are not given liberty, the freedom of which any man obtains as written in the constitution.
5.) Why is there a map of the United States behind Miss Columbia?
There is a map of the U.S. behind Miss Columbia for it symbolizes the overall mutual aspect between both groups. As of that time, the map/layout of our country was the same but was opposed with changes possibly occurring. To finalize what must be done, the North and South must come to an agreement or a conflict must happen to resolve whether the United States was to be a dis-solvable confederation of sovereign states or an indivisible nation with a sovereign national government (refer back to John Adams and the Feds and Thomas Jefferson and the Anti-Feds stance).
6.) Critical thinking -> Making Inferences: What were the scrambling students doing before the teacher woke up? How do you know? What historical event might the cartoonist be referring to with these students?
These scrambling students, the legislators were fighting one another while some of the others were studying the constitution, I know this for the cartoon depicts this. The cartoonist may be referring to the Ratification of the Constitution (September 28th, 1787) as a historical event with these students.
7.) Identifying the Main Idea:
"Wake Up America, Resolve your Issues!"
8.) Drawing Conclusions: Is this cartoon more sympathetic to the North, South, or neither? Explain.
This cartoon is not sympathetic to neither groups, although if I were to have to say it would slightly side with the Northern group, for in this time the North was not as restricted who had more of a few more rights than the South which was held down with restrictions and less rights. Although, explaining that neither sides received sympathy for the stance of the both groups were separated down the middle being over-looked and not helped, for both groups had to find a mutual point/agreement for the better of our country. Which this mutual agreement did not occur resulting in the American Civil War (1861-1865).
Political Cartoon
http://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3c30000/3c31000/3c31500/3c31564v.jpg
