1899 Gillam Political Cartoon Highlighting American International Trade

This is an 1899 Victor Gillam political cartoon highlighting the rise of the United States into a net exporter of manufactured goods. The cartoon depicts Uncle Sam at center, seated on a coal mine on an island, whittling a locomotive. The leaders of the rest of the world, including Italy, Russia, Japan, China, Austria, France, and England, surround him on the shores of both oceans holding bags of money (presumably gold) and clamoring to purchase American built manufactured goods. Orders for engines, bridges, phonographs, and other manufactured goods lie at Uncle Sam's feet, while steel rails, engines, locomotives, steel freight cars, reapers, and typewriters crowd the ground around his feet, waiting to be sent to their eager recipients.

American International Trade in the late 19th and early 20th Century

Between 1895 and 1900, the volume American exports of manufactured goods rose a shocking ninety percent, which equates for roughly $280 million. Dubbed the 'American Commercial Invasion' in Europe, several factors led to this drastic increase in production, but none played a bigger role than the growth of American steel exports. Gillam definitely highlights this, as steel rails for railroads, steel freight cars, battleships, and locomotives are among the products he highlights in this cartoon.

This cartoon was drawn by Victor Gillam and published in the July 1, 1899 issue of Judge. This is a rare find of the market and we have been able to locate only one example in an institutional collection at the Library of Congress.