What's the meaning behind Santa Claus, the Republican elephant, and the Democratic donkey?

Now I understand why Thomas Nast was not even a published figure in my elementary school history books-- who would want to spoil Santa Claus for children around the world? Nast coined Santa as Santa is known today; a big, tall white haired and bearded man with, you got it, a stomach that shakes like a bowl full of jelly.

Nast is very popular for coining other figures in his cartoons that have played an integral part in the shaping of the U.S. including the Republican elephant, the Democratic donkey, the Tammany Hall Tiger, Columbia, and Uncle Sam.

As incredible as it is that he created so many important symbols in American history, one has to wonder where he got his ideas. Why an elephant for the republicans and a donkey for the democrats? From where did Nast pull his information? These are the questions I will attempt to answer.

According to factmonkey.com, the Democratic donkey was first associated with Democrat Andrew Jackson's 1828 presidential campaign when his opponents called him a jackass (a donkey), and Jackson used the image of the strong-willed animal on his campaign posters. Later, cartoonist Thomas Nast used the Democratic donkey in newspaper cartoons and made the symbol famous. In 1874, the Republican elephant was first published in Harper's Weekly. Nast drew a donkey dressed up as a lion scaring away animals-- one of which was the elephant that was labeled "The Republican Vote". It stuck.

The fact that Nast could have such a great impact on American culture through cartoons was a major breakthrough in journalism in the mid to late 1800's. The rise of cartoons such as Nast's made fun of serious issues without harsh words of offense editorials. His cartoons are just one example of how the pen really is mightier than the sword.