Comedy has been a powerful and important force to express discontent and spread ideas throughout history. As a unique form of media which must be interpreted by the viewer, writers are protected by their creative genius to make commentary while not being obvious. As liberalist ideas of the 18th century permeated the world by writings of John Locke, Adam Smith, and Voltaire, their ideas and sentiments were delivered to the common person by forms of media easily digestible, such as newspapers and cartoons. Although writers leveraged double meanings and veiled their ideas in humor, the state (Innuendo: England) felt their influence and placed strict measures to control freedom of speech and press. Even with authorities' efforts to manage the spread of dissidence, writers prevailed by adapting their methods to successfully evade censorship.
Control of the press was not a new concept in 18th century England, as Augustus Caesar enacted libel laws as well as countless other instances in history. Defamation was a serious crime in the British colonies of the 18th century which could be punishable by fines or imprisonment. Writers understood this, and walked the fine line between Libel (written defamation) and expressing their true feelings. In order to write freely, intellectuals used creative ways to be anonymous or ambiguous. The easiest way to become anonymous was to use a pseudonym, or false name, to write under and was employed by famous writer Jonathan Swift in Gulliver’s Travels. In this satirical novel, Swift writes about larger ideas of authority corruption, imperialism, and individual liberties. All of this was hidden under the veil of a fictitious account, but allowed readers to form connections between their own situation and the books. In a way, writers had to create ways to “outsmart” their authorities and do so in a way that was not illegal. The system had its own ambiguities as well though, and the laws which prosecuted liberators were not completely clear, forcing writers to constantly reevaluate and adapt. Another way writers molded their efforts was to use Innuendos, indirect ways of saying something to deliver a subtle meaning. These relied on the reader's ability to decipher them and understand their criticism. Writers crafted them in ways which were in accordance with the laws of the era, and were aided by past lawsuits to determine what was off the table.
These mediums were incredibly influential to the success of the American Independence because of their ability to spread ideas and sentiments while staying under the legality of freedom of press. An example of this was Benjamin Franklin's “Join or Die” cartoon published in the Pennsylvania Gazette in 1754. Depicting a snake cut into 8 pieces to represent the 13 colonies (New England encompassing 4 of them, Delaware left out) this cartoon called for unity. In wake of the French and Indian war, Franklin published this in order to grow stronger against French encroachment. The symbolic partition of the snake shows that each piece is weak on its own, but as a whole is a dangerous entity which can protect itself. This cartoon was widely effective because many Americans were not literate, but anyone could understand the drawing and this aided in creating a national identity which was paramount in gaining independence twenty years later. The widespread success and acceptance of the cartoon also spurred the onset of other cartoonists, which continued serve as a rallying cry against British imperialism.
Comedy has proven an unstoppable force in history because of its ability to criticize and comment on things not possible through other mediums. The ability comedy has in its many forms, to slip under the radar to spread feelings will always be a driving force of change. Proving impossible to suppress because of clever modification, comedy has an important place in civilization which can be confirmed by the historical example of 18th century writing and cartoons.
