Panama Canal

The issue that this cartoon is about is the Panama Canal. The cartoonist seems to be sending a message that Roosevelt is pretty much ignoring his surroundings by showing that he is basically running over them. People can have the opinion that the cartoon displays a good image of Roosevelt because of the person beside him, who is labeled “Panama.” The cartoonist uses symbolism and labeling to make this cartoon persuasive. The elephant symbolizes that he is a Republican. The two people riding the carriage is Roosevelt and Panama, while the rocks on the floor represent the events that are occurring around him. The labeling of the carriage, the rocks, and even the two people riding the carriage lets us get an idea of what each thing is. The cartoon supports my opinion by showing that Roosevelt was ignoring his surroundings. Because he supposedly ignored the events around him and continued to make the canal, we now have a faster route between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

"Theodore Roosevelt & Big Stick Diplomacy." Theodore Roosevelt & Big Stick Diplomacy. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Feb. 2016. <http://www.authentichistory.com/1898-1913/4-imperialism/7-bigstick/>.