History behind well-known political icons

Courtesy Photo |

By Jate Britton and Gillian Crist
Videographer and Page Editor

In 1874, the Donkey and Elephant were established as symbols of the democratic and republican parties. However, the history behind these two animal symbols dates back to 1812, during Andrew Jackson’s term as President of the United States.

In 1828, during the election between Jackson and John Quincy Adams, the donkey, or jackass, was used to represent the democratic party, providing a symbol to help the party stand out.

“Jackson has kind of established himself before the American public as this common man who understands the plight of regular everyday people, and some of his critics will point to this,” Hillarie Easley-Mcpherson, a U.S. history professor, said, “Some people think that he is uneducated, uncouth, so rude that he is not somebody who can live up to the high office as president and they will lampoon him and make fun of him by calling him a jackass.”

Despite the jackass being used as an insult against Jackson during this election, the party used it as a positive connotation for what Jackson was running for.

“If you’re not super wealthy, if you’re just a regular, average, low-level farmer, you’re going to use the jackass to pull the plow maybe or do other tasks around the farm,” Easley-Mcpherson said. “So when his supporters hear this, they’re going to run with it because they see it as symbolic of their work and what they do in their everyday lives. They take that and make it a symbol of their party.”

The 1828 elections are an example of how divisive and controversial previous elections have proven to be, according to Easley-Mcpherson. “We look at today’s elections and we think, ‘These are the worst ever. These are the toughest ever.’ but these are not the first times when elections have roused the sentiment of the people, definitely not. Because you can look at Lincoln. Whole states seceded when he won, so that was divisive,” Easley-Mcpherson said.

Some students think the donkey and elephant do not represent their respective parties accurately. 

“I don’t know if I believe that the symbols accurately portray modern political parties. Conservatives more closely align with the republican party, and thus I think a more traditional or patriotic animal like a badger, wolf or falcon might better symbolize the party,” CJ Sebren, a business management major, said, “As for democrats, more left-leaning people seem to align with that party, so a more progressive seeming animal might be a better fit.”

The history of the elephant representing the republican party starts in 1864, during Abraham Linchon’s campaign. It was a Civil War reference for “seeing the elephant,” a term used to describe the engagement of combat.

The elephant gained popularity after cartoonist Thomas Nast used it in an issue of “Harper’s Daily,” leading to a more widespread use of the symbol. 

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