“Mad Tom in a Rage”
A cartoon from 1801
Click to enlarge

The Devil: Pull away pull away my son don’t fear! I’ll give you all my assistance.

Jefferson: I fear it is stronger rooted than I expected but with the assistance of my old friend and a little more brandy I will bring it down.

Questions to consider:

1. How does this cartoon characterize Jefferson?
2. What is Jefferson trying to “bring down”?
3. Based on what you know of Jefferson’s political beliefs and actions, what specific actions or opinions might have inspired this cartoon?