Life, 1911-01-05 · page 40 of 104
Life — January 5, 1911 — page 40: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical cartoon depicts an allegorical scene from American colonial history. The figure on the left appears to be "Columbia" (personification of America), speaking to military/political figures about conflicts with Native Americans during the French and Indian War era. The satire contrasts "Liberty" (Columbia's claimed representation) with "License" (a French-influenced concept), suggesting that indigenous peoples rejected American promises of freedom in favor of French interests. The complaint that "many crimes were committed in my name" ironically critiques how colonial powers justified violence and exploitation under the banner of liberty. The cartoon satirizes the hypocrisy of colonial rhetoric—claiming to represent freedom while committing atrocities. It's part of a serialized "Memoirs of Columbia" feature examining America's founding contradictions through historical allegory.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
dike Cushing MEMOIRS OF COLUMBIA . (Continued from the Christmas Number) Nos “IN THE WARS BETWEEN OUR COLONIES AND THE CANADAS, I ACCOMPANIED GENERAL BRADDOCK TO PACIFY THE INDIANS, AND TOLD THEM I REPRESENTED ‘LIBERTY’ POR THEM, BUT THEY LISTENED TO A FRENCH HUSSY NAMED ‘LICENSE,’ WHO OPPOSED ME AT THEIR COUNCILS, AND, AS A RESULT, ‘MANY CRIMES WERE COMMITTED IN MY NAME.’ ” comicbooks.com