Biography:

The Illustrated American was founded in 1890 in New York City. Francis Bellamy, the author of the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States, was an editor for the magazine. 
The political cartoon, The Silence of Matt Quay, was published in The Illustrated American on the cover of the October 25, 1890 issue.  The image of this cartoon by artist Thomas Nast was created using a Ben-Day dots printing process, an innovative technique in 1890. Named after printer Benjamin Day, it involves printing small colored dots in various hues and spacings to create shade and color effects. The gray board on which most of Nast’s pen and ink work is drawn is shaded with such dots.