Judge — August 29, 1896 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Uncle Sam's Crown of Thorns" This August 1896 *Judge* cartoon depicts Uncle Sam (the bearded figure wearing the star-spangled shirt) crowned with thorns and devils' heads instead of a laurel wreath. The title references Christ's crown of thorns, creating a religious metaphor for American suffering. The satire likely addresses political turmoil or economic hardship facing the nation in 1896—a year of significant economic depression and the heated presidential election between William McKinley and William Jennings Bryan. The "crown of thorns" suggests America is being tormented by internal conflicts or misguided policies, while the demonic heads symbolize the forces causing this national anguish. The cartoonist (signed "Gillam") uses religious imagery to critique the nation's leadership or circumstances as spiritually and politically corrupting.