Final answer:
The "Join or Die" cartoon by Benjamin Franklin features a snake divided into eight segments, each representing an American colony, with the message emphasizing the necessity of unity for survival. It was meant to rally the colonies under the Albany Plan of Union during the French and Indian War and became a symbol of the fight for independence.
Step-by-step explanation:
The "Join or Die" political cartoon was created by Benjamin Franklin and is regarded as one of the earliest and most famous American political cartoons. The cartoon depicts a snake cut into eight pieces, with each piece representing an American colony or region at the time. This symbol illustrates the then-current state of the colonies, suggesting that if they did not unite against external threats, they would perish. The words Join, or Die, reinforce the urgent call for unity among the colonies.
The message behind the cartoon is that unity is necessary for the colonies to survive and thrive. Franklin created this during the time of the French and Indian War to encourage the colonies to unite for their common defense under the Albany Plan of Union. It's often seen as predictive of the eventual formation of the United States, conveying the importance of the unification of separate entities to form a stronger whole. The image became a symbol of colonial freedom during the American Revolutionary War, illustrating the critical concept of unity against British rule.
Franklin drew inspiration from the Iroquois Nation, which benefited from a similar union, underscoring that the strength of the colonies, like the Iroquois, lay in their ability to work together. The cartoon's enduring legacy echoes the determination to forge a collective identity that could withstand and overcome adversity.