This cartoon illustrates the battle between butter and margarine in the United States that began in the mid 19th century. Originally, made as a substitute for the troops of Napoleon III, it became a popular less expensive alternative to the farm produced butter.

On Aug. 2. 1886, the U.S. Congress passed the Oleomargarine Act which taxed butter and directed the Secretary of the Treasury to appoint an analytical chemist and a microscopist, both of whom were subsequently authorized to examine samples of butter for adulteration with oleomargarine for appropriate.