If Columbus Were arriving Today
Christopher Columbus on his ship's rail cups a hand to his mouth and shouts "Head back for Spain, men!" as shells burst over a shoreline in a cloud lettered "Election-Year 'Oratory'". The cartoon mocks campaign speeches by comparing them to an attack. The scare quotes around "oratory" act as a belittling label, so name-calling is a weak fit.
Propaganda techniques used in this cartoon
- Date
- October 12, 1954
- Period
- Cold War
- Made by
- Washington Evening Star (cartoonist Jim Berryman)
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Cartoon
- Issuer type
- Media
- Regime
- Eisenhower Administration
- Leader
- Dwight D. Eisenhower
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Persuade or win support
- Theme
- Elections and party politics
- Event
- 1954 US Midterm Election
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- U.S. National Archives (NARA), Records of the U.S. Senate, Jim Berryman Political Cartoons (NAID 5730852), retrieved October 3, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (U.S. government work)
Jim Berryman, Washington Evening Star. National Archives and Records Administration, Records of the U.S. Senate, 5743190 (NAID 5743190).
Text on the object
HEAD BACK FOR SPAIN, MEN! ELECTION-YEAR "ORATORY" JIM BERRYMAN WASHINGTON STAR
