The cartoon depicts the personified Germany crawling his way across Europe during WWI, representing Germany's military advances during the war. The top left panel is captioned, "words won't win the war". This meant words could not be used to cause the German surrender. The top right panel is captioned, "wishes won't win the war". The panel shows Americans watching Germany from across the Atlantic, wishing the German people would overthrow Kaiser Wilhelm II. The middle-left panel shows those same Americans shouting in outrage at the Germans over American deaths from the war. The panel is captioned, "wrath won't win the war". The middle-right panel shows Americans displaying the vast wealth available for a war effort. The panel is captioned, "wealth won't the war". The bottom panel shows the Germans finally being stopped after being hit with the butt of a gun. The panel is captioned, "But wallops will win the war!". This cartoon suggests aggressive force was the only way for the United States to defeat Germany in WWI. This cartoon was created in 1917, and the US official participation in WWI was from 1916-1917. (Summary created by Mary Delano, MU History Intern, Spring 2018)

This cartoon depicts a man being irritated with the high income tax rates in the United States. The man suggests the reason for the increased taxes is the fact the the United States is currently fighting in World War I. The man continues to complain about the income tax until he passes a group of soldiers. The man realizes his financial sacrifice is less than that being made by the men serving in the military. (Summary created by Mary Delano, MU History Intern, Spring 2018)

The top panel of this cartoon depicts President Woodrow Wilson meeting with other world leaders at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. The Paris Peace Conference began after the armistice agreement for World War I, and it eventually produced the Treaty of Versailles. The four men meeting depict the leaders of the "Big Four" Allied powers of WWI. The Big Four nations were the United States, led by President Woodrow Wilson, England, led by Prime Minister David Lloyd, France, led by Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau, and Italy, led by Prime Minister Vittorio Orlando. These men are creating secret treaties, which is in contradiction with Wilson's "14 Points" speech. The first point in this speech is "Open covenants of peace, openly arrived at, after which there shall be no private international understandings of any kind but diplomacy shall proceed always frankly and in the public view". This point was created to address the practice of secret treaties between nations, which many contributed to the beginning of World War I. The 14 points are conspicuously placed in the garbage at this meeting. The bottom panel depicts Uncle Sam showing Woodrow Wilson ways to protect the United States while signing treaties with other nations. This panel is captioned, "he ought to be able to compromise now to satisfy the interests of his own". This caption is used to suggest there may have been conflict between President Wilson's interests and the interests of the United States. (Summary created by Mary Delano, MU History Intern, Spring 2018)

This cartoon depicts various events during the Wilson administration. The top two panels imply a lack of force of the part of President Wilson. After World War I, President Wilson was an outspoken advocate for peace. One of his proposals to accomplish peace was the League of Nations. The League of Nations was an international body, which sought diplomacy and compromise between nations. The United States would never join the League of Nations, because many felt the League would compromise the sovereignty of the United States. The bottom panel of the cartoon shows a woman worrying about meeting the high standards set before her. In 1920, the United States government passed the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. Women had first found a place in politics by engaging with moral and/or social issues such as education, prohibition, and abolition. By continuing to take a role as protectors of morality women were able to gain enough support to win the right to vote. While the federal government did not allow women to vote in elections until 1920, some states allowed women to vote in state elections. (Summary created by Mary Delano, MU History Intern, Spring 2018)

This cartoon shows two European men in World War I. The first man (in the top panel) is slumping his shoulders and tries to avoid attention. He is refusing to enlist the the military, unlike the other men in his country. The caption for the top panel reads, "The man who won't enlist for his country during the war". The second man (in the bottom panel) is proudly walking past a group of women, including women who were widowed in World War I. The bottom panel is captioned, "The man who won't marry for his country after the war". Instead of getting married to help begin rebuilding society, this man proudly presents himself as a bachelor. These two men are "unpopular", because they do not conform with the sense of duty and sacrifice that was developed in Europe during and after World War I. Sacrificing oneself for one's country was seen as an honorable and moral action during this time period. (Summary created by Mary Delano, MU History Intern, Spring 2018)

This cartoon depicts the Lusitania, an American ocean liner destroyed by German naval forces in World War I on May 7, 1915. The ship was carrying American passengers and ammunition intended for the British armed forces. The top panel of the cartoon features the periscope of the German submarine spying on the Lusitania. Eventually the German submarine fired a torpedo, which killed 1,198 passengers aboard the ship. The bottom panel of the cartoon shows the 173 tons of ammunition carried on board the Lusitania and the innocent, most likely unaware passengers standing above it. The sinking of the Lusitania caused international outrage, but blame for the attack was passed back and forth between various parties. Many, particularly those in Great Britain, blamed the Germans who committed this attack. Others blamed the United States and the passengers, who ignored Germany's repeated warning that any ship attempting to enter Great Britain would be subject to attack. Many, including journalists for the Chicago Tribune, claimed Great Britain was responsible for this tragedy. Great Britain had placed immense pressure on the United States to deliver arms, and the British government assured the Lusitania it would be protected from German attack. The Chicago Tribune featured an entire article placing responsibility for the sinking of the Lusitania on Great Britain. After detailing Great Britain's interest in the Lusitania, the author of the article wrote, "England and England alone is to be held responsible for the loss of life because England lured Americans to death, hoping that the presence of Americans would protect the ship against German attack." (Summary created by Mary Delano, MU History Intern, Spring 2018)

This cartoon depicts two people asking for money. The top panel shows a woman collecting money for the poor and destitute on Tag Day. Tag Day is a day where people will collect money for a charity, and donors will receive a tag showing they donated. The caption for this panel says to remember the children of the poor when being ask the give. The bottom panel shows an officer asking the same man to purchase a liberty loan subscription. These were bonds distributed by the government that were used to support the war effort. In 1917, the United States was a member of the Allied Powers in World War I, which included France, England, Italy, etc. The This panel is captioned, "Don't forget your own children when you are asked to subscribe for Liberty bonds". The man is more skeptical of this purchase than of his donation on Tag Day. (Summary created by Mary Delano, MU History Intern, Spring 2018)

This cartoon depicts the Illinois legislature in January of 1915. The legislature is divided into two groups, but not the traditional party divides of the Democrat and Republican parties. The two groups are "wet" and "dry." The members of the legislature sitting on the "wet" side are fervently against any prohibition legislation within the state of Illinois. The "dry" side is composed of politicians who favor implementing regulations of the distribution and sale of alcohol. The cartoon points out how this issue of prohibition has divided members of each political party, upsetting the status quo of the legislature (grouping by political party). These suggestions for alcohol regulations in Illinois were some of many being proposed throughout various levels of government in the United States at the time. Many found the temperance movement in the United States to be a more moral than political issue, making it a hotly debated topic within the Republican and Democrat parties. This cartoon was created only five years before the eighteenth amendment to the United States Constitution was passed, which declared the manufacture and sale of alcohol illegal. (Summary created by Mary Delano, MU History Intern, Spring 2018)

Editorial cartoon depicting three different panels. The top one shows American soldiers fighting against German forces in World War I. The middle panel shows a man sitting in a chair with a horn blast blown by a soldier and the breeze begins to melt the man's frozen feet. The draft refers to the Selective Service Act of 1917, which forced men to enlist for military service. The bottom panel shows May leaving and June entering; a man sits at a desk writing an oration on "How to settle the war"; a man and a woman get married. June is the month in which two of the three registrations for the Selective Service Act of 1917 occurred. Students and married men also were given lower preference to draft in 1917. (Summary created by Mary Delano, MU History Intern, Spring 2018)

This cartoon illustrates a parade to grant women's suffrage in New York. Suffrage, or the right to vote, was not granted for women by the federal government until the passing of the 19th amendment in 1920. The cartoon shows the conflict between suffragists and anti-suffragists before and after the parade. Many anti-suffragists attended the parade to discredit the message of the suffragists and inform the public most women did not wish to a "the vote". Anti-suffragists believed ,for a variety of reasons, women did not have the capacity or the desire to acquire the right to vote. The cartoon also shows the crowd's increasing enthusiasm as the parade passes. (Summary created by Mary Delano, MU History Intern, Spring 2018)

This cartoon shows a democratic speaker addressing a crowd. The speaker is saying, "He kept us out of war", which was President Wilson's campaign slogan for the election of 1916 against Charles Hughes. There are various countries making comments behind the speaker. This first man on the left represents Japan. Japan is saying President Wilson would have gone to war with Japan, if he had allowed an act discriminating against Japanese immigrants in larger immigration legislation.The country next to Japan is England. England is saying that President Wilson would have entered World War I, if he had protected American shipping. This is a reference to the attack of an American ship, the Lusitania, by a German submarine. Japan and England were both Allied powers during World War I, and they are separated from the Axis powers, Germany and Mexico, by a wall. Germany is saying that President Wilson would not have needed to keep the United States out of war, if Germany had not been an aggressor against other nations. Next to Germany, Mexico is saying President Wilson would have declared war, if he had remained adamant on the salute if the flag. This refers to when President Wilson did not want to salute (and thus recognize) the Mexican government under the control of Victoriano Huerta. Despite his apprehension, President Wilson eventually returned the salute from a sense of precedent and duty. (Summary created by Mary Delano, MU History Intern, Spring 2018)

The top left panel is captioned, "The Peace Conference, as the world was led to expect". The caption references Woodrow Wilson presenting his "14 Points" at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. The Paris Peace Conference was held after the end of fighting in WWI, and resulted in the creation the Treaty of Versailles. The Treaty of Versailles was the document which formally ended WWI, and laid out the terms of surrender for the Axis powers. Wilson's "14 Points" speech outlined his ideas for peace to thrive after such a brutal and catastrophic war. The first point in Wilson's speech is "Open covenants of peace, openly arrived at, after which there shall be no private international understandings of any kind but diplomacy shall proceed always frankly and in the public view". The purpose of this point was to avoid the secret alliances that led to many countries becoming involved in WWI. The top right panel shows Wilson's "14 Points" in the trash and is captioned, "The Peace Conference as it actually worked out". The shows three men signing a secret treaty. Based on their appearances and the context of the cartoon these men are mostly likely President Woodrow Wilson (the left), Prime Minister of France, Georges Clemenceau (the middle), and Prime Minister of England,David Lloyd George (the right). The bottom shows a meeting of the League of Nations, and is captioned "The League of Nations, as the world is led to expect". The League of Nations was Woodrow Wilson's idea to create a body of the world's nations, which would foster international cooperation and support. The League of Nations is the fourteenth point in Wilson's "14 Points" being described as "A general association of nations must be formed under specific covenants for the purpose of affording mutual guarantees of political independence and territorial integrity to great and small states alike".The League of Nations operated from 1920 to 1946, and faced significant problems from nations having varying international interests. The bottom right panel shows five men sitting at a table with the caption, "The League of Nations if it follows the precedent set by the Paris Conference". (Summary created by Mary Delano, MU History Intern, Spring 2018)

This cartoon depicts many issues leading to political discourse during the late 1910s in the United States. The old sources of political discourse such as "prohibition issue", "he kept us out of war issue", and "tariff issue" have been displaced by the overgrown and overwhelming new issues. The "prohibition issue" refers to the question of whether alcohol should be a legal substance in the United States. The "he kept us out of war issue" refers to the fact that, despite his promise, the United States entered World War I under President Wilson. The "tariff issue" refers to what goods (if any) should have a tariff placed on them to protect the economic interests of the United States. The new issues overtaking the room were a relatively new source of political conflict. The "league amendments issue" refers to the United States entering the League of Nations. If the United States had joined the League of Nations, it would have to surrender some of its national sovereignty, which made it an unacceptable option to many politicians. The "cost of living" was a relatively new issue in the United States. It refers to the unusually high cost of necessary items, while many worker's wages remained low by comparison. The "daylight savings issue" refers to the issue of whether the United States should continue to use daylight savings time. The United States had adopted daylight savings time in 1918. Many countries adopted daylight savings during World War I as a way to lower the need to use coal. The transition to daylight savings time had been problematic, and many in the United States thought it should be abandoned. (Summary created by Mary Delano, MU History Intern, Spring 2018)

Editorial cartoon depicting Uncle Sam questioning President Wilson about when "America gave its word to the rest of the world" while holding a paper containing a quotation from part of Wilson's interview.

This cartoon depicts a man who has been affected by news of combat in World War I. In the left panel, "Pan-Germany" is confident about his ability to win the war. Pan-Germany is a concept that stems from the ideology of Pan-Germanism. It is a school of thought, which believes all ethnic Germans and German-speaking people should be united under one state, Pan-Germany. While Pan-Germany was never a real state, Germanic peoples still shared a similar language and culture. In the right panel, Germany quickly becomes alarmed as news of Ally victory comes to his desk. Although Pan-Germany was confident of his ability to win World War I, he did not anticipate the United States becoming a serious threat to the war effort. The United States entered World War I on April 6, 1917. (Summary created by Mary Delano, MU History Intern, Spring 2018)

The cartoon shows the interpreted process of peace talks during World War I. The top panel shows the German people being dragged to peace by the Kaiser Wilhelm II. The second panel shows the Reichstag calling for peace after the kaiser orders them to begin discussions. In 1917, the United States had entered World War I, and Germany's and the Axis powers' chance of victory was becoming smaller and smaller. This made them more willing to negotiate for peace than in previous years of the war. The third panel shows the American stock market falling in value. This drop in the stock market was caused by the peace talks. Supplying weapons and other resources in World War I significantly improved the economy of the United States. Many factories and other means of productions had been created solely to meet the needs of the global conflict. As World War I came to a close, the United States large profits from the war effort began to decline. (Summary created by Mary Delano, MU History Intern, Spring 2018)

This cartoon compares three speeches. The first speech on the left was Patrick Henry's famous speech, in which he stated "Give me liberty or give me death!". This speech was given on the eve of the Revolutionary War. The second speech was by Stephen Decatur, a commodore in the United States Navy. Decatur's speech was given at the conclusion of the War of 1812. The final speech was given by Private Sammy Jones during World War I. (Summary created by Mary Delano, MU History Intern, Spring 2018)

This cartoon shows railroad employees fighting with railroad employers in a car named "U.S. Prosperity", which is carrying the United States in the back seat. There were many railroad employee strikes in the first half of the twentieth century, usually protesting against poor pay and/or working conditions. Railroads were one of the most efficient methods of transportation, especially the transportation of goods. This made railroads critical to the health of the United States economy. In the corner of this cartoon, President Woodrow is yelling at the employers and employees to not wreck the car. While the role was not extensive, the government did take an interest in these railroad disputes, and made sure they were eventually settled. This intervention was usually performed to ensure the railroads would continue to ship American goods throughout the United States. (Summary created by Mary Delano, MU History Intern, Spring 2018)

This cartoon depicts Uncle Sam trying to divide "U.S. Bread" among various nations. In 1915, World War I was being fought in Europe, but the United States was maintaining a neutral position. Despite its neutrality, the United States supplied resources and arms to nations during the war. All of the countries sitting at the table are nations who lobbied for resources from the United States during the war. England is attempting to block Germany's chance of receiving resources from Uncle Sam. This is representative the attempts of the British government to limit the United States aid to Allied Powers, most often England. The United States is also sitting at the table, looking worried about sharing the beard with other nations. The United States distributing more resources than it could afford was a fear for many Americans in the 1910s. (Summary created by Mary Delano, MU History Intern, Spring 2018)

This cartoon illustrates an imaged development of Bolshevism after the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia in 1917. The Bolshevik Revolution was the event in which Vladimir Lenin and his supporters overthrew Czar Nicholas II of Russia. Lenin sought to turn Russia into a communist state run by the proletariat masses, the workers. The first panel is captioned, "Bolshevism Allies in the rear". The panel shows a people plagued by unrest and the spirit of revolt with the red army (the new Russian government) in the background. The second panel is captioned, "The advance from Moscow". This panel shows the red army leaving Moscow. The bottom panel is captioned, "Awakened". This panel shows a man sitting in shock as one of the Bolsheviks passes through his front gate. Notice the papers in the left corner of the bottom panel. These papers indicate that the new Bolshevik government is crumbling under it own weight. These papers clearly contradict the Bolshevik's appearance at the man's front gate. This cartoon is an example of the fear of communism caused by the first Red Scare, which began in 1917 and lasted until the early 1920s. Many Americans feared that communists would cause unrest in the United States to cause another workers' revolution. While many historians debate the rationality of these fears, it is agreed that Americans had a deep-seated suspicion of communism during the the early 1920s. (Summary created by Mary Delano, MU History Intern, Spring 2018)