The Providential Detection depicts God watching as Thomas Jefferson attempts to burn the Constitution, portrays Jefferson as Anti-Christian and Anti-American, and illustrates a connection between Jefferson and the devil. Look on This Picture, and on This makes Thomas Jefferson appear undesirable as a presidential candidate by making unfavorable comparisons to George Washington who is characterized as being strong as a lion and sharp-eyed like an eagle, whereas Jefferson is perceived
as a snake and the lowest form of grotesque creatures.
The period between 1786 and 1807 was a critical time in the history of the United States. The people of America were determining the identity, values, and ethics for the new nation. Rival political parties were using political cartoons to sway others to their way of thinking. With the limited education of Americans at the time, pictures were more effective at getting the intended message across to people than a whole page of writing. The medal of the Philadelphia Society for the Promotion of Agriculture is a pro-agricultural illustration that conveys the value of the plow and the importance of farming the land. The Providential Detection is an example of negative campaigning. The Federalist Party wanted to show Thomas Jefferson as a supporter of the French Revolution who was willing to burn the Constitution to aid the French. In Look on This Picture, and on This, the Federalists illustrate the perceived differences between a “great” patriot, George Washington, and a non-patriot, Thomas Jefferson. Washington is shown as a model of virtue, with the noble lion and eagle at his side. Jefferson, by contrast, has a snake, alligator, and French authors at his side. During the twenty-year period following independence from the British, the American people and the government were trying to determine their relationship with one another. The cartoons are prime examples of the early attempts to influence the politics of the new nation.