What are the democrat and repubican symbols mean?

Answer 1

The symbols came from a famous political cartoonist named Thomas Nast, who first portrayed Republicans with the elephant symbol in a cartoon for Harper's magazine in 1874. At that time, he meant to imply that the elephant was loyal and strong, but if you got it upset, it could stampede and cause harm. Later, the symbol came to represent only the positive aspects of loyalty and strength.

The idea of the donkey had been used to represent Democrats as far back as the late 1830s, and it too had a somewhat negative meaning at first (the "jackass"-- used as a reference to then-president Andrew Jackson), but later, it came to be associated with stubborn determination. As he had done with the elephant, Nast also popularized the donkey image in his political Cartoons.

Answer 2

The Democratic Party is represented by a Donkey, usually in a kicking profile.

The Republican Party is represented by an Elephant in many depictions.

The symbols were chosen by late 19th century political cartoonists, particularly Thomas Nast. Nast also invented the American popular view of Santa Claus as a fat, jolly, pipe smoking, elf like character and a goatee wearing Uncle Sam.

The meaning of the symbols was controversial and unclear when they first appeared and nothing much has changed.

They mean: "A cartoonist in the late 19th Century invented the images and if they ever had any meaning that meaning is now superfluous and no modern meaning has ever stuck."