Political Cartoon 2

This political cartoon is about the purchase of Alaska. The cartoonist‘s message is that the United States should not purchase Alaska because there is nothing in Alaska worth any value, and the only living things there are polar bears. In the cartoon, there is a polar bear, and Uncle Sam is asking him if he wants to vote. The opposing opinion is that there is value in purchasing Alaska because of its potential of providing furs and natural resources. The imperialistic view is also that we got a great deal by only paying 2 cents an acre for land filled with resources of value to us.

In this political cartoon, the techniques used for persuasion are exaggeration and analogy. Exaggeration is used because the cartoonist makes it appear as though there are no people there, only polar bears. The analogy is comparing a polar bear to a voter in Alaska. This cartoon supports my position that the United States was not justified in purchasing Alaska because there are not that many people living in Alaska and therefore, no reason to buy Alaska.

"Alaska Purchase Cartoon by Granger." Fine Art America. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2016. <http://fineartamerica.com/featured/3-alaska-purchase-cartoon-granger.html>.