As politics changed to include more white males during the "age of the common man,” the use of newspapers to convey information about candidates increased. One way the information was communicated was through political cartoons. Martina and Terrance have identified a political cartoon they feel best represent the era of Andrew Jackson’s presidency to send back as an artifact from this time period. The political cartoon, authored by Thomas Nast, is displayed on this page and in the Jacksonian Era Audio Recoding Template. When Martina and Terrance went to send back images of the cartoon their communication equipment failed. Now they can only send back an audio transmission. They need your assistance to prepare a short (2-3 minute) audio message to send back to the present day describing this political cartoon and its message. Use the template to complete Parts I and II of this assignment.

Part 1: Analysis

Analyze the cartoon to determine the message of each by looking at the words, symbols, and actions conveyed in the cartoon. Try to determine the cartoon’s intended audience. While analyzing the political cartoon, it will help to answer the following questions.

• What people or objects do you see in the cartoon?
• Does the cartoon have a caption or title? What is the main message of this cartoon?
• Does the cartoon use any descriptive words or phrases to identity people or objects within the cartoon? Explain the use of the words or phrases used by the cartoonist.
• Does the cartoon contain any dates or numbers?
• Which words or phrases are the most significant? Explain the meaning of these words or phrases.
• What action is taking place in the cartoon? Explain the action.
• What groups would agree and disagree with the cartoon? Explain your reasoning.

Part II: Audio Script

Write a script describing the political cartoon in which you describe the political cartoon, making sure to answer the questions that apply to the cartoon. Be sure to include explanations and reference items found in the cartoon.

Part III: Record Your Message

Record your audio message using audio recording software provided to you by your instructor or free audio recording software available online, such as Audacity. Before you begin, review the Jackson Era Audio Recording Rubric so that you understand how your assignment will be graded. You may need to use resources outside of this course to complete this assignment. If so, please submit a Works Cited document. If you need assistance, visit the Developmental Module for information on citing any resources that you used.

 

Once you have completed your assignment, please submit the Jackson Era Audio Recording Template and audio file to the dropbox.