Life — June 24, 1920 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# The Puritan Spirit This cartoon depicts a figure in colonial-era dress (hat, coat) fleeing across snowy terrain, with a large demonic shadow looming behind him. A ship is visible in the distance, suggesting escape by sea. The caption reads: "HERE AT LEAST WE SHALL BE FREE" The satire appears to comment on the contradiction between the Puritans' stated ideals of religious freedom and their actual practices. The demonic shadow suggests that the "Puritan spirit" itself—their repressive moral authority and intolerance—pursues them even as they escape persecution. The cartoon implies that Puritans brought their own oppressive nature to the New World, undermining their claimed quest for liberty. The artist is credited as "Cesare" or similar.