Uncle Sam: "He's good enough for me" cartoon print

Share

Here Uncle Sam, the familiar bearded figure that cartoonists used from the 19th century on to stand for the American government and its voters, appears to speak for himself with the caption "He's good enough for me," which reads as an endorsement of Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt was one of the most caricatured presidents of his era, and his energetic, outspoken style gave illustrators plenty to work with. Political cartoons like this one were widely reprinted in newspapers and magazines, so they served as both commentary and campaign messaging. The image is worth a close look for its visual shorthand, where a single figure and a short line carry an entire argument about the man and the moment.

More from the Presidents collection

Snapshots of the Past helps heritage brands, museums, historians and storytellers tell stories with history: historic prints, image licensing and historical storytelling drawn from more than 25 years of research and curation.