Uncle Sam Coastal Defense
6/4/1918
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This cartoon was published while a German submarine prowled American coastal waters, sinking 20 ships in 10 days from late May to early June, 1918. Americans feared that a fleet of German U-boats lurked off U.S. shores.
Uncle Sam stands in the Atlantic Ocean, holding a trident and orders to the Navy to “speed the boys across.” The cartoon emphasizes American efforts to send troops to Europe while simultaneously fighting Germans at sea. The trident bears a tag reading “for the Kaiser’s subs,” and the teddy bear searches beneath the surface of the water with a spyglass. The alarming attacks in coastal waters demonstrated that the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean no longer protected America from the war. Fourteen months after the United States declared war, this cartoon sounded a rallying call, “Now’s the time to fight.”
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.
Uncle Sam stands in the Atlantic Ocean, holding a trident and orders to the Navy to “speed the boys across.” The cartoon emphasizes American efforts to send troops to Europe while simultaneously fighting Germans at sea. The trident bears a tag reading “for the Kaiser’s subs,” and the teddy bear searches beneath the surface of the water with a spyglass. The alarming attacks in coastal waters demonstrated that the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean no longer protected America from the war. Fourteen months after the United States declared war, this cartoon sounded a rallying call, “Now’s the time to fight.”
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: 6011421
Full Citation: Cartoon V-054; Untitled; 6/4/1918; 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-coastal-defense, April 27, 2025]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.