A <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartoon" id="mwfw" rel="mw:WikiLink" title="Cartoon">cartoon</a> by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Nast" id="mwgA" rel="mw:WikiLink" title="Thomas Nast">Thomas Nast</a> in <i id="mwgQ"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harper's_Weekly" id="mwgg" rel="mw:WikiLink" title="Harper's Weekly">Harper's Weekly</a></i>, is considered the first important use of an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant" id="mwgw" rel="mw:WikiLink" title="Elephant">elephant</a> as a symbol for the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_(United_States)" id="mwhA" rel="mw:WikiLink" title="Republican Party (United States)">United States Republican Party</a>.