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How did William III’s connection to Britain and the Netherlands encourage political cartoons?

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Arthur, Chester A. — caricature and cartoon Cartoon depicting U.S. Pres. Chester A. Arthur suffering from his dealings with factions within the Republican Party, 1882.

The connection between Britain and the Netherlands in the person of William III served as a major catalyst for the development of the first modern political cartoon campaigns.1

During the late 17th century, the expansionist policies of Louis XIV posed a significant threat to both nations. In response, a group of artists based in Holland, led by Romeyn de Hooghe, began producing and selling inexpensive prints on a regular, serial basis.1

This output was stimulated by the Dutch-English alliance under William III and a series of turbulent political events. These works were considered modern because they functioned similarly to contemporary editorial cartoons, relying on a broad public familiarity with the figures being satirized. While earlier Dutch political prints had been laborious and irregular, the political climate surrounding William III’s reign fostered a high-volume production of cartoons that helped shape the medium's evolution.1