John Bull
John Arbuthnot published a pamphlet titled Law is a Bottomless Pit in 1712. This work introduced the character of John Bull to the public for the first time. The same year, Arbuthnot released a four-part political narrative called The History of John Bull. These satirical works targeted the War of the Spanish Succession and Whig politics. The allegory served as an attack against the Whigs and their foreign policy. It also criticized financiers who profited from the war. In this story, John Bull personified England while his sister Peg symbolized Scotland. His adversary was Louis Baboon, representing the House of Bourbon in France. Later writers like Jonathan Swift and Alexander Pope were friends with Arbuthnot. They helped shape the early reception of this new figure.
William Hogarth and other British artists transformed Bull into a heroic archetype by the late 18th century. During the Georgian period, he wore a buff-coloured waistcoat and a simple frock coat. Sometimes his tailcoat appeared navy blue or featured Union Jack colours. By the twentieth century, his waistcoat nearly always depicted a Union Flag. His coat became generally dark blue during that era. He wore light-coloured breeches and a top hat with a shallow crown. This specific headwear indicated his middle-class identity. A bulldog often accompanied him in these illustrations. James Gillray, Thomas Rowlandson, and Isaac Cruikshank developed the cartoon image around 1790. Their work contrasted the stolid Englishman with scrawny French revolutionaries. The singer David Bowie later wore a coat in the style of Bull.
American cartoonist Thomas Nast disseminated the figure overseas to American audiences. Irish writer George Bernard Shaw authored John Bull's Other Island using the character. Washington Irving described him in a chapter from The Sketch Book published in the 1840s. Margaret Fuller referenced a typical John Bull Englishman in her book Summer on the Lakes in 1843. She noted how he traversed regions simply as a man rather than as a symbol. These international adaptations kept the character alive outside British borders. They expanded his reach beyond political cartoons into literature and travel writing. The figure remained popular through the 18th and 19th centuries until the First World War.
Egyptian nationalist journalist Yaqub Sanu drew cartoons for his underground newspaper Abu-Naddara Zarqa. His work appeared during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Sanu depicted John Bull as a coarse, ignorant drunken bully. He showed the character pushing around ordinary Egyptians while stealing all their wealth. Much of the humor revolved around Bull's alcoholism and crass rudeness. The drawings highlighted his ignorance about everything except alcohol. He also mangled French language unlike Egyptian characters who spoke proper French. This negative portrayal countered the earlier heroic archetype. It reflected anti-British discourse within Egypt during that period.
Increasingly through the early twentieth century, John Bull became seen as not representative of the common man. During the First World War, this function was largely taken over by Tommy Atkins. Alison Light noted that the nation abandoned formerly heroic public rhetorics of national destiny in the interwar years. Sidney Strube created the suburban Little Man to replace him. W. H. Auden wrote a poem called Letter to Lord Byron in 1937. He favorably contrasted John Bull to the Little Man. Some saw this replacement as symbolic of Britain's post-First World War decline. The figure faded from use after the war ended.
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Common questions
When did John Arbuthnot introduce the character of John Bull to the public?
John Arbuthnot introduced the character of John Bull to the public in 1712. He published a pamphlet titled Law is a Bottomless Pit and released The History of John Bull that same year.
What clothing items define the visual identity of John Bull during the Georgian period?
During the Georgian period, John Bull wore a buff-coloured waistcoat and a simple frock coat. His attire included light-coloured breeches and a top hat with a shallow crown which indicated his middle-class identity.
How did Yaqub Sanu portray John Bull in his cartoons for Abu-Naddara Zarqa?
Yaqub Sanu depicted John Bull as a coarse ignorant drunken bully who pushed around ordinary Egyptians while stealing their wealth. These drawings highlighted Bull's alcoholism crass rudeness and ignorance about everything except alcohol.
Which figure replaced John Bull as the national personification after the First World War?
The function of representing the common man was largely taken over by Tommy Atkins during the First World War. Sidney Strube created the suburban Little Man to replace him in the interwar years.
Who were the early writers that helped shape the reception of John Bull alongside John Arbuthnot?
Jonathan Swift and Alexander Pope were friends with John Arbuthnot and helped shape the early reception of this new figure. They contributed to the satirical works targeting Whig politics and foreign policy.