Thomas Nast
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Thomas Nast's Santa Claus
Thomas Nast (1840-1902) is considered to be the greatest political cartoonist in American history. His cartoons created many images popular to this day, including:
- the Republican Party elephant (still used today as the symbol of the Republican Party)
- the Democratic Party donkey (still used today as the symbol of the Democratic Party)
- Uncle Sam
- Santa Claus
Nast immigrated to the United States from Germany at the age of six, and was a staunch supporter of the Union during the American Civil War, when he first became popular as a cartoonist while in his early 20s.
His cartoons against the corruption in Tammany Hall were immensely effective against it.[1]
A German Protestant immigrant himself, Nast was notably hostile to Irish Catholic immigrants and some of his cartoons reflected his anti-Irish and anti-Catholic prejudice.[2]