Decoding the Empire: Political Cartoon Analysis
Objective: Students will analyze how Europeans justified imperialism through Social Darwinism and how they were critiqued by political cartoonists of the era.
Group 1
Station 1: The Justification (Social Darwinism)
Source 1.1
"Uncle Sam" and "John Bull" (Britain) carrying people up a mountain toward "Civilization."
Question 1a
How does this image portray the people being colonized? Does it make the Europeans look like "bullies" or "helpers"?
Group 2
Station 2: The "Scramble" for Power
Source 2.1
Cecil Rhodes (a British businessman) standing over the entire continent of Africa, holding a telegraph wire.
Question 2a
What does the fact that he is stepping on the whole continent suggest about European goals? How does this connect to the "Iron" (technology) we talked about on Day 4?
Group 3
Station 3: The Reality of Resources
Source 3.1
A giant snake with the head of King Leopold II of Belgium squeezing a Congolese worker.
Question 3a
This cartoon was published in a British magazine. What is it criticizing? How does this contradict the "White Man's Burden" from Group 1?
Group 4
Station 4: The Resistance View
Source 4.1
Various European leaders and the Japanese Emperor sitting around a "cake" labeled "Chine" (China), while a Chinese official behind them throws up his hands in despair.
Question 4a
Which countries do you recognize at the table? Why is the Chinese official not sitting at the table?
Group 5
Synthesis Question (Exit Ticket)
Question 5a
Compare the image from Group 1 (The White Man's Burden) with the image from Group 3 (The Rubber Coils). Why is there such a massive difference in how Imperialism is portrayed? Which one do you think is more 'truthful' based on the natural resources we studied yesterday?
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