The Panama Canal opened for business on the day this cartoon was published. It shows Uncle Sam welcoming ships and identifies the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as the waterway’s endpoints. Uncle Sam proudly waves a flag, celebrating America’s triumph in completing the project.
The opening ceremony for the canal was a grand affair that coincided with the first weeks of World War I. The U.S. declared that the canal would remain neutral, allowing access to all European nations. The cartoon highlights the international significance of the canal and America’s increasing importance in the world.
This cartoon was drawn by Clifford Berryman, one of Washington, DC’s best-known cartoonists in the early to mid-1900s. Berryman drew for the Washington Post and Evening Star newspapers. His cartoons touched on a variety of subjects including politics, elections, and both World Wars.
This cartoon is featured in America and the World: Foreign Affairs in Political Cartoons, 1898–1940, a free PDF book from the Center for Legislative Archives at the National Archives.
