Judge — July 11, 1885 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of "The Wandering Jew of Democracy" This 1885 *Judge* cartoon employs an antisemitic stereotype—"The Wandering Jew"—to satirize what the cartoonist views as destabilizing foreign influences in American democracy. The bearded figure, depicted with exaggerated features typical of period antisemitic caricature, wanders through European cities (marked "Italy," "Spain," "Austria") carrying a walking staff and what appears to be revolutionary materials. The satire suggests that Jewish immigrants or leftist agitators are perpetually destabilizing democracies across nations. The figure's journey implies these destabilizing forces are now threatening America. This reflects late-19th-century nativist anxieties about immigration and political radicalism, weaponizing the ancient antisemitic "Wandering Jew" trope to oppose democratic openness to foreign-born populations.