Life — May 19, 1898 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of Life Magazine Cover, May 19, 1898 The main cartoon depicts a woman riding an aggressive bulldog wearing an American flag. The caption reads "DEAR ME, IT WAS NOT ALWAYS THUS!" This is political satire about American imperialism during the Spanish-American War (1898). The woman represents America or Liberty; the bulldog represents American military aggression or expansionist policy. The caption suggests nostalgia for a supposedly gentler, less militaristic past. The image critiques how quickly American foreign policy had become combative and expansionist. The flag-draped bulldog symbolizes American power now directed outward rather than inward—a dramatic shift the cartoonist presents ironically through the woman's surprised commentary that this wasn't "always" how things were.