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"Move On!" Political Cartoon, April 22, 1871

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In this political cartoon appearing in Harpers Weekly on April 22, 1871, a policeman is seen ordering a Native man to "move on" away from a voting polls around which are clustered stereotyped "naturalized" Americans.
Courtesy of Library of Congress, Nast, Thomas, ""Move on!" Has the Native American no rights that the naturalized American is bound to respect?" 22 April 1871

Description 

In this political cartoon appearing in Harper's Weekly on April 22, 1871, a policeman is seen ordering an American Indian man to "move on" away from a voting poll where other stereotyped "naturalized" Americans are clustered.

Source-Dependent Questions

  • What ethnicities are represented in this political cartoon?
  • Infer a possible location for this scene based on the background landscape and tell why.
  • Conclude what "message" is being delivered in this political cartoon.

Citation Information 

Nast, Thomas, "'Move on!' Has the Native American no rights that the naturalized American is bound to respect?" 22 April 1871. Courtesy of Library of Congress