Judge — April 27, 1889 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "A Big Boy's Welcome" - Judge, April 27, 1889 This cartoon celebrates America's centennial of the Constitution (1789-1889). The large figure represents the United States personified as a grown man, welcoming back "George" (George Washington) after a hundred years. The satire contrasts Washington's era with 1889: when Washington led in 1789, the nation was young ("thirteen" states), struggling, and uncertain. Now it has grown to 42 states, gained prosperity ("in clover"), and expanded vastly in population and wealth ("millions now to meet you"). The smaller figures—likely representing citizens or politicians—gaze upward in admiration at America's transformation and growth. The comic point: America has matured magnificently from the uncertain founding into a powerful, prosperous nation that would astound its founders. This reflects the optimistic American boosterism typical of the Gilded Age, celebrating industrial expansion and westward growth.