Judge — February 23, 1907 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Cartoon Analysis: "Little Teddy—'I Did It With My Little Hatchet!'" This 1907 *Judge* cartoon satirizes President Theodore Roosevelt's aggressive trustbusting policies. The figure in the star-spangled cloak represents Uncle Sam or America itself, while the smaller figure ("Little Teddy") is Roosevelt, depicted as a child wielding a hatchet—referencing the George Washington cherry-tree legend. The pile of wood at their feet bears labels reading "MUCK," "GRAFT," "BOSSISM," "PRIVILEGE," and other terms representing corporate corruption and political abuses. Roosevelt's "hatchet" represents his lawsuits and regulatory actions against monopolies and industrial trusts. The cartoon's title suggests Roosevelt is boasting about his accomplishments in "chopping down" corruption, though the satirical tone implies *Judge* may have viewed his methods as overly aggressive or theatrical.