Misery loves company; – but they hope soon to be out of it
Subject(s): International relations, John Bull (Symbolic character), Philippine American War (Philippines : 1899-1902), South African War (1899-1902), Uncle Sam (Symbolic character), War--Economic aspects
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John Bull stands up to his knees in a morass labeled “Boer War £16,000,000 yearly,” and Uncle Sam steps through a similar morass labeled “Philippine War $80,000,000 yearly.”
Comments and Context
Cartoonist Dalrymple strangely drew Uncle Sam and Joan Bull with smiles, but in fact these foreign-policy challenges were more than just financial drains. Moral challenges, fatalities, and seemingly hopeless solutions faced the two nations. From 1899 to 1902, when the Boers ultimately surrendered, and the Transvaal and Orange Free State were merged as constituents of the British Empire, the Boers (farmers) waged strong guerrilla campaigns, and the British accelerated their brutal responses. It was Britain’s longest war, lasting between 1815 and 1914, sustaining 22,000 deaths; and almost 50,000 casualties on the South African side, 15,000 of them were black. The United States’ suppression of the Filipino insurrection was nominally ended in 1902, when President Theodore Roosevelt signed an amnesty, but pockets of resistance and sometimes brutal American responses festered almost behind the scenes for years.
Collection
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
Creation Date
1901-03-20
Creator(s)
Period
Vice President of the United States (1901)
Repository
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division
Page Count
1
Record Type
Image
Resource Type
Rights
These images are presented through a cooperative effort between the Library of Congress and Dickinson State University. No known restrictions on publication.
Citation
Cite this Record
Chicago:
Misery loves company; – but they hope soon to be out of it. [March 20, 1901]. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o275822. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Dalrymple, Louis, 1866-1905. Misery loves company; – but they hope soon to be out of it. [20 Mar. 1901]. Image.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. March 5, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o275822.
APA:
Dalrymple, Louis, 1866-1905., [1901, March 20]. Misery loves company; – but they hope soon to be out of it.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o275822.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-prints-and-photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. March 5, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-prints-and-photographs.
APA:
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-prints-and-photographs.
