Life, 1911-01-05 · page 43 of 104
Life — January 5, 1911 — page 43: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a political allegory depicting the American Revolution. "Columbia" (the female figure, personification of America) confronts "Cousin Bull" (Britain, represented by the British officers). The cartoon illustrates America's naval conflict with Britain, showing Columbia proving American independence through military force. The satire references the Revolutionary War's naval battles, where American ships challenged British naval supremacy. The text's phrase about proving "thicker blood is than water" is ironic—cousins should share kinship, yet Columbia must demonstrate her strength violently to convince Britain of American sovereignty. Drawn by Cibo Cushing, this appears part of a serialized historical commentary ("Memoirs of Columbia") in *Life* magazine. The satirical tone suggests American pride in naval victories while mocking Britain's reluctance to accept American independence without bloodshed.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Cibo Cushing = MEMOIRS OF COLUMBIA No. & HAVING BUILT SOME SMART FIGHTING CRAFT, THE BETTER TO MAINTAIN MY INDEPENDENCE, I WAS PRESENTLY CALLED UPON TO PROVE THEIR EFFICACY AGAINST THE RECURRING INSOLENCE OF MY COUSIN BULL UPON THE HIGH SEAS. 17 WAS WITH NO SMALL SATISFACTION THAT I WAS ABLE TO PROVE TO HIM HOW MUCH THICKER BLOOD IS THAN WATER, AL- THOUGH HE HAD TO SEE A GOOD DEAL OF IT ON THE CUTLASSES OF MY SAILORS, ERE HE WAS CONVINCED, (To be continued) comicbooks.com