'Naughty Jonathan'

'Naughty Jonathan'

The 'American Yankee' Caricature in the Civil War Era

British iconography for American culture and society evolved over the course of the early 19th century. Among them precursors to the popular icon of Uncle Sam, these figures also included 'Brother Jonathan.' Perceived American-belligerence during the Civil War leads to a change in the character, soon termed 'Naughty Jonathan' in the British press. In this image, Jonathan is shown as throwing a tantrum over Britain's refusal to support the Northern cause, as the motherly figure of Queen Victoria, also representing Britannia, sits as if ready to scold her unruly child.

Sir John Tenniel

Punch Magazine; Reprinted on page 117 of William Walsh's Abraham Lincoln and the London Punch, New York: Moffat, Yard and Company, 1909.

Punch, or the London Charivari

July 6, 1861

Public Domain

English

Text, Still Image

Political Cartoon