Drafting the Third Note to Germany
7/17/1915
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In this cartoon, a disappointed Uncle Sam pens a third note to Germany in response to the sinking of the Lusitania. Scattered earlier drafts illustrate U.S. frustration with the inability to stop German submarine attacks on American ships.
The Lusitania, prized as one of the fastest and most luxurious ocean liners of its time, was torpedoed off the Irish coast on May 7, 1915 by a German U-boat. Nearly 2,000 people were killed including many Americans. President Woodrow Wilson wrote three separate letters to Germany protesting the attack, sent on May 13, June 9 and July 21. In them, Wilson declared that Americans had the right to travel at sea, called for Germany to stop submarine attacks, and declared that future attacks would be considered “deliberately unfriendly.” This cartoon captures the national feeling of distress over the German attacks and the growing division between advocates of neutrality and advocates of war.
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.
The Lusitania, prized as one of the fastest and most luxurious ocean liners of its time, was torpedoed off the Irish coast on May 7, 1915 by a German U-boat. Nearly 2,000 people were killed including many Americans. President Woodrow Wilson wrote three separate letters to Germany protesting the attack, sent on May 13, June 9 and July 21. In them, Wilson declared that Americans had the right to travel at sea, called for Germany to stop submarine attacks, and declared that future attacks would be considered “deliberately unfriendly.” This cartoon captures the national feeling of distress over the German attacks and the growing division between advocates of neutrality and advocates of war.
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.
This primary source comes from the Records of the U.S. Senate .
National Archives Identifier: 6011124
Full Citation: Cartoon D-012; Drafting the Third Note to Germany; 7/17/1915; Berryman Political Cartoon Collection, 1896-1949; Records of the U.S. Senate , Record Group 46 ; National Archives Building, Washington DC, 20408. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/drafting-third-note-germany, December 5, 2024]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.