This political cartoon from 1856 depicts the violence at the heart of the battle between slavery opponents. The significance of political cartoons can be traced back to Ancient Greece, where the use of satire was used in tragedies and comedies. Satire was a lighthearted way of making the people aware of what was happening in society on the political, economic, cultural, and eventually global spectrum. Political cartoons combine satire with caricature in a reference to a timely and often controversial event. In other words, the cartoon is meant to enlighten the public in a (usually) whimsical manner.