In a political cartoon, a man raises a bat with the words McKinley Bill written on it, about to smash the head of a man with a globe for a head. — “An Incidental Smash” *Grip,* November 1, 1890

Published: April 2, 2025
By: Loryl MacDonald, Associate Chief Librarian for Special Collections and Director of the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library

Tariffs have undoubtedly been the biggest news story of the past few weeks, providing editorial cartoonists with a rich topic to explore. Canada's identity has long been intertwined with its relationship with the United States, with themes of economic dependence and political influence at the heart of that connection. Historical satirical cartoons from UTL’s Rare Books and Special Collections offer valuable insights into today’s news, revealing how little has changed over time.

In 1890, the United States passed the Tariff Act, which imposed tariffs of up to 50% on imports. One of the motives behind the tariffs was to encourage the annexation of Canada. The U.S. sought to make Canada more reliant on its market, hoping that this dependence would eventually lead to Canadians becoming the 45th state. In response, Canada retaliated with tariffs of its own and sought to strengthen trade ties with the British Empire rather than the United States.

The images above and below come from Grip, a satirical magazine published in Toronto by John Wilson Bengough between 1873 and 1894. They highlight the issues of their time, and yet resonate as strikingly modern to us today. The final image below is a comparison between "An Incidental Smash", published in 1890, and a cartoon by Steve Nease for Halton Hills News published in January 2025. We encourage you to examine the many similarities between these two cartoons!

In a political cartoon, former Canadian prime minister John A. Macdonald taunts an American bald eagle in a cage. — "Two Ways of Dealing with an Eagle" or "Macdonald vs. Gladstone”, *Grip,* November 22, 1890

In a political cartoon style, a horse and buggy with a man and a woman sitting on a pile of logs sit outside a walled gate to the U.S. The words "McKinley" are on the door. — “Say Boss Could You Show Me the Way to the Home Market”, *Grip,* October 11, 1890

A comparison between the man with the bat cartoon described above and a modern political cartoon of Donald Trump swinging a giant mallet that reads "TARIFFS" — A comparison between "An Incidental Smash", published in 1890, and a cartoon by Steve Nease for Halton Hills News published in January 2025

Get a Grip! Historical cartoons at the Fisher shine a light on Canadian/U.S. relations