How did the donkey and the elephant become symbols of the Democrats and Republicans?
2024-11-05 12:13:11
TiranaPost
The two major parties in the United States have two different animals as their symbols.
The donkey is the symbol of the Democratic Party, while the elephant is the symbol of the Republican Party. These two animals are an important part of their electoral campaign. But why exactly the donkey and the elephant?
Both parties have an animal symbol: the donkey for the Democrats and the elephant for the Republicans. You see the symbols everywhere: on hats, badges, t-shirts and mugs. But how did they come up with these symbols? The beginnings are during the electoral campaign of President Andrew Jackson in 1828. His opponents insulted him by calling him an 'ass'. But Jackson had the last laugh. He made the donkey part of his campaign – and won.
Cartoonists were the ones who perpetuated the Democrats' association with the donkey. The most famous was Thomas Nast, known as the "Father of American cartoons".
He also popularized the elephant as a Republican symbol. His satirical cartoons were published in the newspaper "Harper's Weekly" in the 70s. But the Republican elephant appeared much earlier in the pro-Lincoln campaign newspaper, Father Abraham.
An elephant holds up a banner celebrating the Union's military victory. In the Civil War the expression "to see the elephant" meant participation in battle and the danger that comes with it.
Over the years, Republicans' connection to the elephant has grown stronger. President Gerald Ford and his wife, Betty, had an "elephant room" in their California home.
In 1984, the President of Sri Lanka presented President Ronald Reagan with a baby elephant.
Today, Republicans see the elephant as the official symbol of their party.
* VOA
