Judge — February 17, 1917 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Birth of a Nation" — Judge Magazine, February 17, 1917 This cartoon satirizes the 1915 D.W. Griffith film *Birth of a Nation*, which depicted the Civil War and Reconstruction era. The image shows a woman (representing the nation) in a coffin-like cradle attended by two figures, one appearing distressed or observing from the side. The satire likely critiques the film's controversial glorification of the Confederacy and the Ku Klux Klan, presenting the "birth of a nation" as morbid or troubling rather than celebratory. The dated caption "February 22, 1732" appears ironic—likely referencing Washington's birthday to underscore the contradiction between American ideals and the film's white-supremacist narrative.