Content note: Racial caricatures of Filipino, Hawaiian, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Black, Native American and Chinese children. This object is shown as it was published. Why
"School Begins" (Puck, 1899)
Uncle Sam lectures new pupils labelled Philippines, Hawaii, Porto Rico and Cuba, drawn as ragged and sullen, while a blackboard reads that the U.S. "must govern its new territories with or without their consent until they can govern themselves." The cartoon casts annexation as schooling, and the new subjects as children who cannot yet consent.
- Date
- January 25, 1899
- Period
- Pre-1914
- Made by
- Puck magazine (Keppler & Schwarzmann)
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Cartoon
- Issuer type
- Media
- Regime
- Mckinley Administration
- Leader
- William Mckinley
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Persuade or win support
- Themes
- Empire and colonialism, Race and ethnicity
- Event
- Spanish American War
- Techniques
- Name-callingGlittering generalities
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, retrieved September 27, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (published in the U.S. in 1899; LOC: no known restrictions on publication)
Louis Dalrymple, "School Begins", Puck v. 44 no. 1142, 25 January 1899, centerfold (Keppler & Schwarzmann); LC-DIG-ppmsca-28668
Text on the object
PUCK. [hand-lettered sign, upper left] THE CONQUERED STATES REFUSED THEIR CONSENT TO BE GOVERNED; BUT THE UNION WAS PRESERVED WITHOUT THEIR CONSENT. [blackboard, upper right] THE CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED IS A GOOD THING IN THEORY, BUT VERY RARE IN FACT. ENGLAND HAS GOVERNED HER COLONIES WHETHER THEY CONSENTED OR NOT. BY NOT WAITING FOR THEIR CONSENT SHE HAS GREATLY ADVANCED THE WORLD'S CIVILIZATION. THE U.S. MUST GOVERN ITS NEW TERRITORIES WITH OR WITHOUT THEIR CONSENT UNTIL THEY CAN GOVERN THEMSELVES. [sashes worn by the new pupils in the front row] PHILIPPINES · HAWAII · PORTO RICO · CUBA [schoolbooks held by the older pupils behind them] TEXAS · CALIFORNIA · [illegible — further book spines, back row] SCHOOL BEGINS. Uncle Sam (to his new class in Civilization).— Now, [illegible], you've got to learn these lessons whether you want to or not! But just take a look at the class ahead of you, and remember that, in a little while, you will feel as glad to be here as they are! COPYRIGHT, 1899, BY KEPPLER & SCHWARZMANN. J. OTTMANN LITH. CO. PUCK BLDG. N.Y.
One word in the caption's second line (after 'Now,') is blurred in this scan; widely-published transcriptions give it as 'children', but that is not verified against this image and is left [illegible]. Several small book spines in the back row of desks are too small to read, also [illegible]. The artist's small signature near the lower right is a signature mark, not transcribed as body text.
