In Jonathan Hennessey and Aaron McConnell’s The United States Constitution: A Graphic Adaptation they outline the struggles that America’s founders were forced to overcome in order to achieve the democracy America maintains today. In the comic, the authors utilize several symbolic images to emphasize the different aspects of America’s long and complex history. In the comic, the two authors utilize several symbolic images, including a scythe, hourglass, and an American flag locked in a safe, to emphasize the aspects of America’s history that help shape the democracy that America continues to maintain today.

One of the major symbols that helps the reader better understand the American Constitution is the American flag that is locked in a safe. This symbol represents all of America’s values during its history that the Founding Fathers and all after them try their best to support and protect. This particular image underscores the irony of Americas history because in the past, America’s definition of freedom was very different from that of today’s. For example, in the 1800’s, freedom did not apply to all people. In the 1800’s, freedom only applied to wealthy, white, Americans males, while anybody of another race had almost no rights. Another important distinction between freedom now and freedom in decades past is that freedom could be bought whereas today, freedom is a right that all Americans are born with, no matter their skin color. This distinction is also portrayed through the image of the separation of slaves and wealthy colonial white Americans in the comic. The most important distinction made by this particular scene is one of morality. This is apparent to the reader by the presence of the angel on the side of the slaves and the frightened look of the colonial Americans who appear to be protecting the flag in the safe, representing their version of freedom. This scene shows the reader that what the colonists were doing, keeping freedom from the slaves, was immoral and that the Founding Fathers were not perfect moral people. The colonists protecting the safe also indicates their unwillingness to give up their definition of freedom. The caption under the colonials that states, “only members of that group could vote or be elected to office,” shows the reader the unfair nature of America’s government in the past (203). It also again shows that reader that the Founding Fathers were not perfect people and that they themselves had their own moral flaws as humans. This scene also shows the reader the discrimination that the America had to overcome in order to achieve the democracy that is in place today.

The second symbol that aids in conveying to the reader the history of American freedom is the hour glass that the angel is holding up to the white Americans. In this scene, the colonists appear to be somewhat frightened of the hourglass. This can be seen as foreshadowing that the today’s definition of freedom will inevitably prevail. It also shows that time is running out for those oppressors who took freedom away from those who either were born into slavery or those who could not afford to buy freedom.  The hourglass shows the reader that if the colonial lawmakers and Founding Fathers did not make a change soon, then the people without freedom would soon rise up and make change themselves. This does not just refer to slaves rising up and claiming their freedom, but this refers to all people in America’s history that have been discriminated against. This is clearly evidenced by the scene in which an elder, a women, Native Americans, and African slaves are confidently standing behind the angel because the angel stands up to all oppressors throughout history for those they victimized for so long. The image of different people throughout history lined up to vote shows time was necessary for America to change into the free country that it is today. Also the fact that the colonists look scared and those standing behind angel look confident shows that in the end, those without freedom will prevail in achieving their personal freedom. The hourglass helps the reader better understand that with time, comes change, a reoccurring theme in this comic.

The last symbol that helps the reader better understand the severity of the situation that America faced when the Constitution was first written is the scythe that the angel is holding in his hand. The scythe represents the deadly consequences of the Founding Father’s actions. Over the years after the Constitution was written, people began to believe that all humans deserve certain freedoms and rights at birth which eventually led to great conflict and with conflict, comes change, a theme which is profoundly emphasized throughout this visual adaptation of the Constitution. The Founding Fathers and colonists frightened attitude most likely comes from the massive scythe held by the angel, who also seems to be greater in size compared to any human in the comic, emphasizing its heavenly nature. The angel’s great size emphasizes the power behind the cause of those with no rights or freedom. It also shows that those who are oppressed have God on their side. The scythe helps the reader understand that only giving certain freedoms and rights to certain people can produce dire consequences such as revolutions or even war for everyone, even the innocent. 

Overall, the two authors help the reader gain a better understanding of the key elements that shape America’s past, its current democracy, and its future through the employment of several symbolic images. These images help the reader realize that the freedom that we experience today is nowhere near the freedom that people in America experienced in America’s beginning years. Even after amendments were made to the Constitution, people were still kept from certain rights such as women in the women’s suffrage movement. Changes and amendments are still being made by government officials today to give more people the rights they deserve which goes to show that America’s government is always changing to accommodate the needs of the American people. The last quote of the comic is what really shows the reader that the definition of freedom that American has achieved today came from, “the most unflattering chapters of the nation’s history”, when our Founding Fathers’ priorities were not in line (203). This comic shows the reader just how important it is to keep America’s government accountable for its actions because if the government is not held accountable, then there is a chance that it could revert to its old ways and begin to become unfair to many hardworking citizens, just like it did so many times in America’s history.