Puck — January 23, 1878 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon depicts female figures representing women's suffrage activism. The central nude or semi-nude women carry banners reading "WOMEN'S RIGHTS," "WE WANT THE VOTE," and "WE DON'T MEAN SISTERLY" — the latter appears to mock suffragists' moral arguments. The Capitol building visible in the background suggests this addresses American politics. The cartoonist (signed "Keppler") uses exaggeration and sexual imagery to ridicule women's voting rights advocates, a common anti-suffrage tactic in early 20th-century Puck magazine. The title "CRY FREEDOM" appears ironic — the cartoon suggests women's demands for political equality are absurd or indecent rather than legitimate civil rights claims. This reflects opposition prevalent before women's suffrage was granted in 1920.