In May 1754 Benjamin Franklin published the Join, or Die cartoon. This woodcut image would become a powerful symbol for the British American colonists during the French and Indian War (1754–63), which was part of a larger conflict known in Europe as the Seven Years’ War. Join, or Die first appeared in the Pennsylvania Gazette on May 9 and was the first political cartoon published in America. Alongside the cartoon, Franklin published an editorial that called for a unified government of the British American colonies. The Gazette was owned by Franklin and was used to publish political views of the day.