Furthermore, the profession is in transition. Yet today editorial cartoonists face unprecedented challenges: Commercial attrition of newspapers and journals has reduced their numbers, advertisers and publishers exert more influence, while the advent of television and the Internet diffuse their influence amid an overwhelming welter of images, text and information. Two hundred and fifty years later editorial cartoons remain a vital component of political discourse and a cornerstone of American democracy. Following ratification of the United States Constitution and the First Amendment, political cartoonists in the new republic enjoyed unprecedented freedom to express their views protected by the nation’s courts from charges of libel or governmental persecution. In 1754, Benjamin Franklin created the first American political cartoon, urging the British colonies to “Join, or Die” in defense against France and her Indian allies.
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