Join or Die

The Pennsylvania Gazette, an influential colonial newspaper, was founded in 1728 and acquired by Benjamin Franklin the following year. This iconic woodcut, first published by Franklin in the Gazette, is widely regarded as the first political cartoon in American history. Depicting a segmented snake labeled with the names or initials of the colonies, the image urged colonial unity during the French and Indian War. Franklin’s stark message—“Join, or Die”—warned that the colonies could not survive or defend themselves unless they acted together, anticipating the rhetoric and symbolism of American independence two decades later.

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790).
The Pennsylvania Gazette. Philadelphia, PA: B. Franklin and H. Meredith, 1754.

Lehigh University Catalog Record: https://asa.lib.lehigh.edu/asa/Record/00012030371

A version of this text has been digitized and is available through the Pennsylvania State Library.