Spanish- american war

This Cartoon depicts Uncle Sam taking the Spanish bull by the horns.  The idiom means to get the job done, and in the Spanish-American War Cuba revolted against Spain because of the poor economic conditions.  In return, Spain forced Cubans into their homes and placed them in camps guarded by Spanish troops.

McKinley was forced by public opinion to halt Spain’s harsh treatments on Cuba, this is where the idiom “take the bull by the horns” comes in because President McKinley needed to take care of the situation and get the job done.  The bull in the cartoon symbolizes Spain in this situation and also is labeled Spain