1917 Manuscript Political Cartoon of American-Mexican Relations

This c. 1917 W. Knox WWI manuscript political cartoon depicting Uncle Sam walking blindfolded, with his hands folded behind his back, toward an assailant, Mexico, holding a knife. It represents tense Mexican-American relations during World War I (1914 - 1918) following the revelation of the Zimmerman Telegram - a correspondence between Mexico and Germany advocating for an anti-US alliance.

A Closer Look

In this cartoon, Uncle Sam, representing the United States, is vulnerable. His chest is unprotected, and unless diverted, he WILL walk himself onto the knife. The assailant represents Mexico. Although undated, the cartoon almost certainly represents early 1917, and the fallout of the Zimmermann Telegram incident.

The Zimmermann Telegram

The Zimmermann Telegram was a communication sent by the German Foreign Office to their ambassador to Mexico before the German resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare in February 1917. The telegram proposed an alliance between Germany and Mexico, urging Mexico to declare war if the U.S. entered World War I against Germany. It also pledged German support for the invasion and the guarantee that if Germany and Mexico won the war, Mexico could reclaim the territory they lost to the U.S. after the Mexican-American War (1846 - 1848). The telegram was intercepted by British Intelligence in January 1917, released to the press by President Wilson, and confirmed as genuine by the German Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmermann. Mexico publicly affirmed its loyalty to the United States but remained neutral throughout the First World War.

An Unprepared Nation

The unnameed editor's comments are interesting. They state, 'I would hone the blindfold to represent un-preparedness [sic] (underlined). Try to strengthen the idea of your cartoon'. The emphasis on unpreparedness suggests the period directly before American involvement in WWI. The United States did not actively prepare for involvement in the war due to isolationist popular opinion arguing that the war was solely a European problem.

Publication History

A one-of-a-kind piece. We have been unable to find any published version of the cartoon.