Life — September 2, 1886 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Cartoon Analysis: "A New Cause of Trouble" This 1886 *Life* magazine cartoon depicts a figure on a bicycle labeled "Rio Grande" being chased by what appears to be a Canadian official or military figure emerging from behind "Canada." The cyclist's speech bubble reads: "What did you let him go for? I've been insulted, and I've got to lick somebody." The cartoon appears to reference a border dispute or incident involving the Rio Grande (the U.S.-Mexico border) and Canadian-American tensions. The bicycle as transportation suggests modernity meeting political conflict. The figure's aggressive stance indicates escalating hostilities, likely satirizing how one international dispute prompts retaliation against another party—commenting on broader geopolitical tensions of the 1880s involving multiple borders.