Uncle Sam Becomes Democracy's Arsenal
9/2/1940
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This cartoon was published on Labor Day, four days after the Senate passed, and as the House debated, the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940. The legislation passed the House by a razor-thin 203-202 vote five days after this cartoon appeared. When signed into law on September 16, the act established the first peacetime draft in American history and allowed the government to take over industry for wartime production.
This cartoon shows Uncle Sam hammering plows into swords, an inversion of a Bible verse from Isaiah 2:4, where nations “hammer swords into plowshares,” for “never again will they learn war.” By proposing that America produce the “1940 model” sword, the cartoon shows support for war preparedness efforts and the idea that America has a duty to protect democracies from attack. The “Arsenal of Democracy” referred to in this cartoon’s title, became a slogan used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to describe the nation’s international policy.
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 cartoon shows Uncle Sam hammering plows into swords, an inversion of a Bible verse from Isaiah 2:4, where nations “hammer swords into plowshares,” for “never again will they learn war.” By proposing that America produce the “1940 model” sword, the cartoon shows support for war preparedness efforts and the idea that America has a duty to protect democracies from attack. The “Arsenal of Democracy” referred to in this cartoon’s title, became a slogan used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to describe the nation’s international policy.
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: 6012217
Full Citation: Cartoon Z-015; Uncle Sam Becomes Democracy's Arsenal; 9/2/1940; 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/uncle-sam-becomes-democracys-arsenal, April 27, 2024]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.