<% option explicit %> Learning Curve - Focus On... Cartoons

YOUR TURN, Evidence of What?

The Queen Caroline Affair

This cartoon is a very important and interesting piece of original evidence for one of the strangest political events of the 19th century. It is drawn by the famous cartoonist, George Cruickshank.

For help look at the to this cartoon.

'Satire on the Queen Caroline Affair, published in 1820.'

Below is a table for you to answer the questions about this cartoon. Once you have finished your answers to see how you have done, press submit, and a set of answers will appear next to yours, which you can print out.

1. Which of the characters in the cartoon is Queen Caroline? What does the cartoonist want us to think about her from the way he has drawn her? How does this compare with what contemporaries thought of her?
2. Which of the characters is George IV? Describe how the cartoonist has made him look. Why do you think he has drawn him this way?
3. What are George and Caroline sitting on? How has the cartoonist used this image to show his support for Caroline?
4. What is the title of the cartoon? Which famous character has the cartoonist used to represent this in the picture and why do you think he chose to use this particular one?
5. What other group of people are shown giving their support to Queen Caroline?
6. Which group of people are trying to help the king? Do they appear to have confidence in him?
7. What else is the king using to try and swing public opinion in his favour?
8. What has the cartoonist written on these and below the scales to show that the king's position is corrupt and not very secure, compared to Queen Caroline's?
9. Explain what the cartoonist is referring to by writing 'green bag' on one of these?
10. Who else might the cartoonist be referring when he writes that Caroline is sitting on 'A good bit of ____'?
11. Why do you think cartoons were a particularly important way of showing what was happening in the Queen Caroline Affair?
12. If you had been a radical reformer in 1820, what do you think your reaction would have been to this cartoon?
13. As an historian investigating the Queen Caroline Affair today, how useful is this cartoon to you as a piece of evidence for it?