This Thomas Nast cartoon, published in the November 20, 1869 issue of Harper’s Weekly, celebrates the ethnic diversity and envisions the political equality of citizens of the American republic. Joining the Thanksgiving Day feast of hosts Uncle Sam (carving the turkey on the far-right) and Columbia (seated on the far-left) are Americans from all over the world: German, Native American, French, Arab, British, African, Chinese, Italian, Spanish, and Irish. Behind Uncle Sam is a large picture of Castle Garden, the main immigrant depot in the United States, with the inviting label reading “Welcome.” (Located at the foot of Battery Park in southernmost Manhattan, Castle Garden was the primary station for processing immigrants until replaced by Ellis Island in 1890.)