Judge — September 17, 1898 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Coasting: The old horse was too slow for Uncle Sam" This 1898 political cartoon depicts Uncle Sam (identifiable by his characteristic top hat and stars-and-stripes outfit) riding a bicycle with oversized wheels labeled "Eastern Hemisphere" and "Western Hemisphere." He's coasting downhill with one leg extended, leaving a horse behind—representing outdated methods of transportation and diplomacy. The satire critiques Uncle Sam's aggressive, accelerating imperial expansion during the 1898 period (likely referencing the Spanish-American War and American overseas territorial ambitions). The "old horse" symbolizes traditional isolationist or slower foreign policy, which the cartoon suggests has become obsolete. The image celebrates America's rapid imperial "coasting" into global dominance, treating aggressive expansionism as inevitable progress.