Andrew Jackson was an ornery cuss. He drove the British out of New Orleans, the Cherokees out of Georgia, and John Quincy Adams out of the White House. He grew up in the wilds of Tennessee and was called by the people “Old Hickory.” His rivals tried to belittle him, and labeled him “The Jackass.” Jackson accepted the term and even nurtured it; after gaining the presidency in 1828, he donkey-kicked the fat cats all over Washington.

The scrappy imagery stuck. In 1870, Thomas Nast, the famed political cartoonist for Harper’s Weekly, drew a donkey kicking a lion to represent the Democratic Party’s attempt to break Republicans’ hold on government. The reference to Jackson was unmistakable, and the ornery attitude spot on. The cartoon was a hit. From that point forward, the donkey became synonymous with the Democratic Party.

The Republican mascot followed soon after. And once again it came from Thomas Nast’s pencil. In 1874 he drew a Donkey at war with an Elephant, a reference to Republican President Ulysses S. Grant. Though it was a criticism of Grant’s bloated administration, Republicans took a shine to the pachyderm. And the Elephant slowly became the image of the G.O.P.

Democrats say the donkey is humble, tough and lovable; Republicans say he’s just stupid and stubborn.

Republicans say elephants are dignified, strong and intelligent; Adlai Stevenson spoke for the Dems when he said, “the elephant has thick skin, a head full of ivory, and as everyone who has seen a circus parade knows, proceeds best by grasping the tail of its predecessor.”

Though the donkey came first, the Democrats have never officially adopted him. The Republican not only adopted their guy, they even profit from him: You can buy a plush toy of Max the Elephant (or his lovely wife Maxine) at gop.gov for just $35, plus shipping.