a) Join or Die

“Join or Die,” the influential first political cartoon in America, was created by Benjamin Franklin. Originally published in his Pennsylvania Gazette in 1754, the cartoon depicted a segmented snake, each part representing an American colony. The cartoon was a call for unity among the colonies during the French and Indian War and was later repurposed as a symbol of colonial unity against British rule during the Revolutionary War. Franklin’s cartoon is a notable example of early American political propaganda and its role in shaping public opinion and rallying support for collective action.