Answer :
Final answer:
Political cartoons use exaggeration to convey critical points about political issues and figures, such as the corruption in Andrew Jackson's presidency or the moral stance of Abraham Lincoln on slavery. They provide insight into the cultural and political atmospheres of their respective periods.
Explanation:
Political cartoons serve as a medium for commentary on social, political, or economic issues. In their exaggerated depictions, cartoonists emphasize particular points about the subjects being portrayed. For example, in the cartoon where Andrew Jackson is shown riding a pig over words like 'fraud,' 'bribery,' and 'spoils,' the cartoonist uses exaggeration to criticize Jackson's presidency, suggesting that he was involved in corrupt practices symbolized by the words the pig is trampling.
Referring to a specific cartoon, such as one depicting John Bull and Uncle Sam stepping over certain words, those words represent concepts or issues in politics that are being overlooked or mishandled by those countries. As for the cartoon with Abraham Lincoln and his rival presidential candidate Stephen Douglas, with Lincoln being shown towering above Douglas while an African American youth taunts Douglas, it emphasizes the height difference to symbolically represent the moral high ground that Lincoln occupied on the issue of slavery, which was central to their election campaign.
Political cartoons also capture historical and cultural contexts, like the one captured in Puck magazine that reflected American imperialist sentiment, or another depicting the conflicts between Federalists and Republicans in their struggle for governmental control. Each of these artifacts is a commentary on the prevailing issues and sentiments of their time.
