Judge — July 30, 1898 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon depicts a naval battle scene with American warships attacking what appears to be Spanish vessels. The title references the USS Maine, the American battleship that exploded in Havana Harbor in February 1898—an incident that triggered the Spanish-American War. The dramatic imagery of destruction and combat represents American military retaliation for the Maine's sinking. The cartoon celebrates American naval superiority and military action, likely supporting the war effort that was popular with the American public at the time. The satirical magazine *Judge* used this imagery to comment on American imperialism and the nation's growing military power in the late 1890s.