The Democratic Donkey and the Republican Elephant - B2

Have you ever wondered what the story was behind these two famous party animals?

The donkey was first associated with Democrat Andrew Jackson's 1828 presidential campaign. His opponents called Jackson a "jackass" (a male donkey) for his populist views and stubborn (refusing to obey, obstinate) nature. His main slogan was “Let the people rule”.

Although the cartoon below was depicted to mock him, Jackson was actually amused by the insult and used the image of the strong-willed donkey on his campaign posters.

Later, German-born famous political cartoonist Thomas Nast used the donkey in his newspaper cartoons, helping to establish it as the symbol of the Democratic Party.

Much like the donkey, Nast also “invented” another famous symbol: the Republican mascot—the elephant.

Some believe that being a Republican influenced the cartoonist, but the Republican elephant was not as intentional as Jackson’s donkey. It was actually formed through a series of events, which occurred in 1874 involving New York’s two popular magazines, The Herald and The Harper’s Weekly.

In a cartoon published in November 1874, Nast drew the Democratic donkey wearing a lion's skin. In the cartoon, the “donkey-lion” is scaring all the other animals, including the elephant, which Nast used to represent the Republican vote.

Eventually, Republicans began to view the elephant as a symbol of strength and intelligence and it has since been adopted as the party's main symbol.

Both mascots endured to this day.