Born September 27, 1840
Landau, Germany
Died December 7, 1902
Guayaquil, Ecuador

Northern newspaper artist

Drew sentimental pictures and harsh editorial
cartoons that increased public support for the
Union cause during the Civil War

Thomas Nast. (Reproduced by permission of Archive Photos, Inc.)

"Thomas Nast has been our best recruiting sergeant. His emblematic cartoons have never failed to arouse enthusiasm and patriotism. . . .

Abraham Lincoln

In the days before photography enjoyed wide use, American newspapers hired artists to draw pictures to accompany news stories. Thomas Nast was one of the best-known and most influential newspaper artists of this period. He produced over three thousand pictures during his career, ranging from sentimental paintings to harsh editorial cartoons. His work inspired public support for the Union cause during the Civil War, and helped end government corruption in New York City in the years afterward. "For nearly a quarter of a century, through the...