Thomas Nast Draws Elephant: Symbol of the GOP
Thomas Nast drew an elephant labeled 'The Republican Vote' in Harper's Weekly on November 7, 1874, creating the symbol that has defined the Republican Party ever since. The cartoon depicted various animals in a political allegory: a donkey in a lion's skin (Democrats) scaring other animals, including the Republican elephant, toward a pit. Nast was already the most influential political cartoonist in America, having helped bring down Boss Tweed's Tammany Hall ring through savage caricatures. He also popularized the donkey as the Democratic symbol, though Andrew Jackson had used it first. The elephant stuck because Nast kept drawing it. His visual shorthand proved that a single image could brand a political party more effectively than any speech or platform. Nast also shaped the modern image of Santa Claus through his Christmas illustrations.
November 7, 1874
152 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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