The Donkey Symbol in American Politics

Political cartoonist thomas nast first used the donkey as a symbol for the democratic party in a cartoon titled a live jackass kicking a dead lion. The association fell by the wayside until more than 30 years later, when he decided to re introduce it. Nast didn't invent the association between democrats and donkeys, but he did expand it to cover the entire party, rather than just an individual party member. First democrat to be linked with a donkey was president andrew jackson, a headstrong, combative populist whose campaign slogan was let the people rule.