Seward's Folly

This cartoon is about the mistakes of William Seward purchasing Alaska from Russia. People at the time thought purchasing Alaska from Russia was a terrible idea. The cartoonist's message is that Alaska is just a big chunk of ice. Nobody wants Alaska because it's really cold and there is nothing but ice. I couldn't imagine a pro-imperialism opinion on this cartoon. The faces of Johnson and Seward do not look happy carrying this giant block of ice. One technique used in this cartoon is labeling, the giant block of ice is labeled as "Russian America" and the wheel barrel is a treaty. The cartoonist also uses irony saying that Alaska is a giant, worthless chunk of ice that President Johnson has to carry around. The cartoon is anti-imperialist because it pictures the purchase as worthless. Seward had just wasted the government's money on a huge chunk of ice and snow.

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