The John Tinney McCutcheon collection has approximately 80 cartoons drawn between 1910 and 1919. These cartoons depict a variety of subject matters ranging from mundane domestic legislation to international military events. The occurrence of World War I obviously influenced McCutcheon and his work. Because of this effect, the collection is most easily analyzed within the chronology of World War I.
Before World War I (July 28, 1914):
This portion of the collections is the most diverse in subject matter. McCutcheon illustrates domestic issues, carefully laying his interpretation within them. The Taft administration is frequently featured, especially in the matter of the 1912 presidential election. The collection has an even representation of historical events that are still considered relevant today, and those with most individuals would not be familiar. This is a reasonable conclusion to the fact most news stories do not have a direct, significant impact beyond the era of their publication. However, McCutcheon includes many foreign matters that led up to the beginning of World War I, including the Italo-Turkish War and the First Balkan War.
During World War I (July 28, 1914- November 11, 1918):
The collection cohesively flows into the beginning of World War I. The collection covers the war as a serious foreign issue, but remains more neutral in its portrayal of the subject. McCutcheon does not depict the axis and allied powers are evil and good, but rather approaches one event at a time. This slightly changes after the United States entered the war in 1917. The Germans were portrayed in a more villainous role, which places the United States in a more heroic position. However, McCutcheon comments on the inhumanity that the war brings, especially to Americans receiving profits from the war. McCutcheon also continued to illustrate domestic issues, which were often affected by the war effort.
After World War I (After November 11, 1918):
This portion of the collection ends almost immediately after the conclusion of World War I. Most notably the collection focuses on the aftermath of the war and the United States’s actions after the war. McCutcheon focuses on President Wilson’s leadership as a victorious member of the Allied Powers. McCutcheon questions the value and sincerity of President Wilson’s “14 Points”, most notably his idea for the League of Nations. McCutcheon’s cartoons frequently had Uncle Sam (a classic representation of the United States) at odds with President Wilson about post-war policy. These arguments leave a tense impression of President Wilson’s leadership at the conclusion of World War I.
