In the study of history, you frequently see political cartoons that can be funny, biting, or sometimes frightening. These drawings are intended to express a political message. As a student of history, it is up to you to examine them and understand what they mean. To analyze political cartoons, keep the following things in mind:

The purpose of political cartoons is to make people think about issues of politics and government. In addition, political cartoons have these characteristics:

• They help provide readers with additional viewpoints.
• They assume the audience has enough knowledge about the issues to understand the message.
• They emphasize one side of an issue or concern.
• They rely on humor.
• They depend on drawings to make a point.
• They are found in newspapers, magazines, and online.