Nast's depictions of iconic characters, such as Santa Claus and Uncle Sam, are widely credited as forming the basis of popular depictions used today.
Additional contributions by Nast include:
Republican Party elephant
Democratic Party donkey (although the donkey was associated with the Democrats as early as 1837, Nast popularized the representation)
Tammany Hall tiger, a symbol of Boss Tweed's political machine
Uncle Sam, a lanky avuncular personification of the United States (first drawn in the 1830s; Nast and John Tenniel added the goatee)
John Confucius, a variation of John Chinaman, a traditional caricature of a Chinese immigrant
The Fight at Dame Europa's School, 1871
Peace In Union, a 9 ft (2.7 m) by 12 ft (3.7 m) oil painting which depicts the surrender of General Robert E. Lee to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse in April 1865.
The painting was a commission from Herman Kohlsaat in 1894.
Upon its completion in 1895 it was presented as a gift to the citizens of Galena, Illinois.

In December 2011, a proposal to include Nast in the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2012 caused controversy.
The Wall Street Journal reported that because of his stereotypical cartoons of the Irish, a number of objections were raised about Nast's work.
For example, "The Usual Irish Way of Doing Things" portrays an Irishman as being sub-human, drunk, and violent.
Nast's depictions of iconic characters, such as Santa Claus and Uncle Sam, are widely credited as forming the basis of popular depictions used today. Additional contributions by Nast include:
Republican Party elephant
Democratic Party donkey (although the donkey was associated with the Democrats as early as 1837, Nast popularized the representation)
Tammany Hall tiger, a symbol of Boss Tweed's political machine
Uncle Sam, a lanky avuncular personification of the United States (first drawn in the 1830s; Nast and John Tenniel added the goatee)
John Confucius, a variation of John Chinaman, a traditional caricature of a Chinese immigrant
The Fight at Dame Europa's School, 1871
Peace In Union, a 9 ft (2.7 m) by 12 ft (3.7 m) oil painting which depicts the surrender of General Robert E. Lee to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse in April 1865. The painting was a commission from Herman Kohlsaat in 1894. Upon its completion in 1895 it was presented as a gift to the citizens of Galena, Illinois.
In December 2011, a proposal to include Nast in the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2012 caused controversy. The Wall Street Journal reported that because of his stereotypical cartoons of the Irish, a number of objections were raised about Nast's work. For example, "The Usual Irish Way of Doing Things" portrays an Irishman as being sub-human, drunk, and violent.
Thomas Nast