Judge — July 9, 1898 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Judge Magazine, July 9, 1898: "The Spanish Brute" This cartoon satirizes Spanish conduct during the Spanish-American War, which had begun months earlier. The skeleton figure labeled "THE SPANISH BRUTE" represents Spain, depicted as death itself. The gravestone reads "MAINE SAILORS MURDERED IN SPAIN," referencing the USS Maine explosion (February 1898) that killed 260+ American sailors—the incident that triggered American entry into the war. The cartoon presents Spain as barbaric and murderous. The artist, Grant Hamilton, uses the skeleton motif to convey that Spanish actions constitute not legitimate warfare but atrocities. The surrounding tropical setting suggests Cuba, where Spain was fighting insurgents and where American intervention focused. This reflects American wartime propaganda portraying Spain as a cruel imperial power deserving military defeat.