The "Voteless" Flag
6/14/1932
Add all page(s) of this document to activity:
The District of Columbia was originally created as a territory under Federal control to prevent any one state from dominating the new Federal Government. The argument over national representation and home rule began almost immediately after the creation of the District. Later, the idea of statehood was thrown into the mix.
In this image, cartoonist Clifford Berryman comments on the position of the residents of the District of Columbia and their lack of national representation. The residents are represented as children too young to vote, marching behind a flag lacking a star representing the District.
Clifford Berryman was one of Washington, DC's best-known cartoonists in the early to mid-1900s. Berryman drew for the Washington Post and Evening Star newspapers. His cartoons touched on a variety of subjects including politics, elections, and both World Wars.
This primary source comes from the Records of the U.S. Senate.
National Archives Identifier:
6012120Full Citation: Cartoon Q-081; The 'Voteless' Flag; 6/14/1932; Berryman Political Cartoon Collection, 1896 - 1949; Records of the U.S. Senate, Record Group 46; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/voteless-flag, September 10, 2024]