The Wasp — 1887 — page 358: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon depicts Lady Liberty (the female figure in classical dress) wielding a sword against what appears to be anarchist and socialist agitators. The signs visible reference "Anarchists," "Dynamite," and other radical movements of the era. The men on the left appear to caricatured as dangerous radicals or foreign agitators. The boats in the background and harbor setting suggest immigration concerns. This cartoon likely responds to the Haymarket affair aftermath or contemporaneous labor unrest in San Francisco, reflecting anxiety about anarchist violence and radical political movements threatening American order. The satire positions Lady Liberty as defender against these perceived threats, appealing to patriotic sentiment during a period of intense labor conflict and nativist fear.