The prairie dog sickened at the sting of the hornet or a diplomatic puppet exhibiting his deceptions. Political satire. James Akin's earliest-known signed cartoon, "The Prairie Dog" is an anti-Jefferson satire, relating to Jefferson's covert negotiations for the purchase of West Florida from Spain in 1804.

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James Akin's earliest-known signed cartoon, "The Prairie Dog" is an anti-Jefferson satire, relating to Jefferson's covert negotiations for the purchase of West Florida from Spain in 1804. Jefferson, as a scrawny dog, is stung by a hornet with Napoleon's head into coughing up "Two Millions" in gold coins, (the secret appropriation Jefferson sought from Congress for the purchase). On the right dances a man (possibly a French diplomat) with orders from French minister Talleyrand in his pocket and maps of East Florida and West Florida in his hand. He says, "A gull for the People."

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Size: 5326px × 3744px
Location: Florida
Photo credit: © Bill Waterson / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: akin, anti-jefferson, art, cartoon, diplomatic, dog, drawing, exhibition, florida, graphic, gull, hand-colored, hornet, illustration, james, people, prairie, print, puppet, satire