The Wasp — 1888 — page 18: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical page compares historical Fourth of July celebrations with contemporary practices. The sketches show: **Historical references** ("Then"): "Declaration wrecking the British Tyrant," "Boston's Tea-Party," "Arnold's Treachery," and "Washington Detects Arnold's Pocket-Telephone" suggest Revolutionary War events. **Contemporary references** ("Now"): "The Very Spot of the Battle of Bunker Hill," "4th of July Anecdotes," "The Back Beat of the Hook and Ladder Co," and "The Orator of the Day" depict mundane modern celebrations. The cartoon's satire suggests that contemporary Fourth of July observances have devolved from meaningful patriotic commemoration into trivial amusements and empty rhetoric. The contrast implies Americans have lost sight of Revolutionary ideals in favor of casual entertainment.