Popularization: Nast continued to use the elephant as a symbol for the Republican Party in subsequent cartoons, and the association became widely accepted. Over time, the elephant came to ...

According to the United States national archives, the elephant became a recognizable symbol for the Republican Party in the late 19th century after the cartoonist Thomas Nast popularized the image ...

the elephant represents the Republican Party and the donkey the Democratic Party. What is less well known is how the animals came to adopted as symbols for the two biggest political forces in the US.

The image resonated with the party and its supporters, solidifying the elephant as a symbol of Republican ideals. Much like the donkey, the elephant conveys the qualities the party aspires to ...