Columbia’s Easter Bonnet The United States, symbolized by the female figure of Columbia, tries on “World Power” in this cartoon from Puck that appeared in 1901 after the Spanish-American War left the United States in control of Spain’s former colonies in Guam, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico. The bonnet, in the shape of an American battleship, indicates the key role the U.S. Navy played in the conflict. Library of Congress.