JOIN or DIE

Many fans of the “JOIN or DIE” image might be surprised that its origin was not exactly centered around revolutionary times in the late 1700’s. In fact, this this memorable cartoon was created by Benjamin Franklin in 1754. That’s right, the “JOIN or DIE”words under a cut snake was one of the earliest political cartoons to reach the public via Franklin’s Pennsylvania Gazette, well ahead of more turbulent times to come in the colonies. Mr. Franklin created this picture to underscore the need for the British colonies to work together after a recent British military loss to the French.The French threat required unity among the colonies in order to provide colonial security and counter the opposing empire. Franklin dreaded the fragmented nature of the colonies at this time and knew that the emerging states would have more power if they united under a common banner. Because the loss was grave and the situation facing the colonies quite dire, the public had zero problem understanding the imag