What do you think?
Rate this book
Lines of Contention: Political Cartoons of the Civil War
The political turmoil of the Civil War Era has been analyzed many times, but one area of this period's history is often overlooked: a large body of humorous, clever, and scathing editorial cartoons from publications such as Harper's Weekly, Vanity Fair, Punch, and Leslie's Illustrated.
In Lines of Contention, the best of these cartoons has finally been collected into one place to illuminate the social, political, and cultural climate of Civil War Era America. The cartoons have been pulled from both sides of the fence and provide insight into the incidents and opinions surrounding the war as well as the mind-sets and actions of all the major figures. Lines of Contention presents a unique history of the Civil War and its participants."
In Lines of Contention, the best of these cartoons has finally been collected into one place to illuminate the social, political, and cultural climate of Civil War Era America. The cartoons have been pulled from both sides of the fence and provide insight into the incidents and opinions surrounding the war as well as the mind-sets and actions of all the major figures. Lines of Contention presents a unique history of the Civil War and its participants."
224 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2007
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 13, 2016
Published in 2007 by HarperCollins Publishers
The Civil War was, in many ways, the world's first modern war. The submarine was invented, the machine gun was introduced, aerial reconnaissance was used and metal warships ruled the seas. It was also a war that featured all aspects of the media of the day. Propaganda songs like "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" were written, speeches were given all over the country, those same speeches were re-read in newspapers. Those newspapers were openly partisan on every issue of the day. And, one of the best ways to express these partisan opinions was political cartoons.
This book is filled with political cartoons describing the issues that brought on the war, cartoons inspired by the people and fighting in the war and a light discussion of the end of the war. Almost all of the cartoons are excellent and they provide a jumping off point for discussion of the events as they are portrayed in chronological order.
I am a Civil War buff and I have seen many of these cartoons in other books, but that did not stop me from from enjoying this focused look at them.
I rate this book 5 stars out of 5.
http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/
The Civil War was, in many ways, the world's first modern war. The submarine was invented, the machine gun was introduced, aerial reconnaissance was used and metal warships ruled the seas. It was also a war that featured all aspects of the media of the day. Propaganda songs like "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" were written, speeches were given all over the country, those same speeches were re-read in newspapers. Those newspapers were openly partisan on every issue of the day. And, one of the best ways to express these partisan opinions was political cartoons.
This book is filled with political cartoons describing the issues that brought on the war, cartoons inspired by the people and fighting in the war and a light discussion of the end of the war. Almost all of the cartoons are excellent and they provide a jumping off point for discussion of the events as they are portrayed in chronological order.
I am a Civil War buff and I have seen many of these cartoons in other books, but that did not stop me from from enjoying this focused look at them.
I rate this book 5 stars out of 5.
http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/
February 27, 2008
Political cartoons from the Civil War era, drawn by a variety of artists and expressing a variety of viewpoints. Complete with commentary to aid those of us readers centuries removed from the subtler allusions and inside jokes.
October 26, 2008
A cartoon and an explanation of what the cartoon was about.
To be honest, it's a bit overpriced for 212 sparse pages - but its fun to see what they thought of Lincoln and Davis - and no doubt would help someone with a term paper .....
To be honest, it's a bit overpriced for 212 sparse pages - but its fun to see what they thought of Lincoln and Davis - and no doubt would help someone with a term paper .....
April 2, 2018
An interesting book. I was afraid it would consist entirely of the most well-known political cartoons of the Civil War era but in fact it draws on a variety of sources and there were many I have never seen before. It also has some helpful information which helps the reader "interpret" the cartoons, putting them in context. I have to admit, there were a few that I wouldn't have "gotten" if not for Lewin's explaination. Finally, the author provides a thumbnail sketch of the cartoonists and the periodicals they drew for. An excellent addition to my Civil War library!
February 22, 2024
Short shrift given to actual artists of these fine cartoons, rather than the publishers.
Repro quality varies.
Actual cartoons are great; historical background biased in favor of publishers over freelance contributing artists.
Your mileage may vary.
Thanks to Fulton County Public Library for the loan.
Repro quality varies.
Actual cartoons are great; historical background biased in favor of publishers over freelance contributing artists.
Your mileage may vary.
Thanks to Fulton County Public Library for the loan.
April 16, 2024
Very unique, specialized book of political cartoons during the Civil War. Nice read for those who have some basic knowledge of the Civil War.
April 13, 2016
This is a unique book. Ostensibly an effort to show political cartoons appearing in various newspapers during the Civil War, it actually offers a considerable amount of insight and background, as well as history. It's definitely worth a look.
The book consists of six chapters focusing on different aspects or time periods of the war. Each chapter includes a concise introduction followed by pages consisting of a main cartoon and an explanation of its meaning. While some of those meanings are obvious, much of them are not because they require both an understanding of the historical events being depicted and the inside information known by people of the time but not necessarily today. These explanations make the book exceptionally valuable.
Chapter 1, "The Irrepressible Conflict," examines the issues leading up to the outbreak of the war. It delves into the strains slavery had put on the nation and the likelihood of the Union being rent into two. The actions, or inaction, of President Buchanan are covered, as well as the importance of the Palmetto State - South Carolina - for instigating secession.
"The Presidential Quick Step," Chapter 2, focuses on the election of 1860, the attempts by President-elect Lincoln to keep the nation together, and the use of Lincoln as a foil for secession.
Chapter 3, "And the War Came, focuses on the conduct of the war, with emphasis on Lincoln, his Generals (especially "Little Mac"), and the battles that scarred the land. One gruesome cartoon shows Lincoln lounging on a flag-draped coffin while in the background he looks to the next in line after chopping off the heads of his generals after failed battles. An even more macabre cartoon shows Confederate President Jefferson Davis as a graveyard ghoul working as a harvester of death.
"The Peculiar Institution" looks directly at slavery and how it was portrayed during the war. Included are cartoons showing England trying to stay neutral so as not to appear to be supporting slavery, which it had already outlawed. England was forced to obtain cotton for its mills in Africa and other places with lesser quality cotton.
"An Old Story, Newly Applied" includes a series of cartoons depicting the upcoming 1864 election. Along with cartoons ridiculing Salmon P. Chase's efforts to insert himself into the race and depose Lincoln, there are several that show the tenuous position of General McClellan trying to ride both a war platform and a peace platform at the same time (e.g., legs spread between a black war horse and a white peace donkey, the latter of which also carried VP nominee and Copperhead leader Pendleton).
Chapter 6 is "A More Perfect Union?," with the question mark highlighted. Most of the cartoons depict the ending battles of the war, the conflicts between peace and war (e.g., a robust Lincoln greeting the timid, childlike, and ragged peace commissioners in 1865), and the capture of Jefferson Davis. Also critically included is the assassination of Lincoln and the aftermath. One poignant cartoon shows the British symbol Britannia laying wreaths on the dead president's chest as a crying Columbia (the personification of the Union) crouched in tears at his head.
Cartoons, which were mostly woodcuts in weekly or monthly newspapers, came from northern papers such as Currier & Ives, Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, Harper's Weekly, as well as foreign papers such as the famous Punch. Because of the lack of printing presses in the South (which usually lacked adequate supplies of ink and paper), southern viewpoints came primarily from copperhead papers in the North (as well as Britain's Punch). The one southern paper providing cartoons was the Southern Illustrated news, published weekly from September 1862 to March 1865. Cartoonists include Thomas Nast, Frank Henry Bellew, and Sir John Tenniel. Dr. Adalbert J. Volck, a Bavarian-born, Baltimore-residing dentist who, when he wasn't running medicines through the blockade or acting as a spy for Jefferson Davis, anonymously drew some of the most acidic denunciations of Abraham Lincoln under the name of "V. Blada."
Overall this is an intriguing book that provides much more insight than the focus on political cartoons might have suggested. It reads quickly, the descriptions are concise, and the value is considerable.
The book consists of six chapters focusing on different aspects or time periods of the war. Each chapter includes a concise introduction followed by pages consisting of a main cartoon and an explanation of its meaning. While some of those meanings are obvious, much of them are not because they require both an understanding of the historical events being depicted and the inside information known by people of the time but not necessarily today. These explanations make the book exceptionally valuable.
Chapter 1, "The Irrepressible Conflict," examines the issues leading up to the outbreak of the war. It delves into the strains slavery had put on the nation and the likelihood of the Union being rent into two. The actions, or inaction, of President Buchanan are covered, as well as the importance of the Palmetto State - South Carolina - for instigating secession.
"The Presidential Quick Step," Chapter 2, focuses on the election of 1860, the attempts by President-elect Lincoln to keep the nation together, and the use of Lincoln as a foil for secession.
Chapter 3, "And the War Came, focuses on the conduct of the war, with emphasis on Lincoln, his Generals (especially "Little Mac"), and the battles that scarred the land. One gruesome cartoon shows Lincoln lounging on a flag-draped coffin while in the background he looks to the next in line after chopping off the heads of his generals after failed battles. An even more macabre cartoon shows Confederate President Jefferson Davis as a graveyard ghoul working as a harvester of death.
"The Peculiar Institution" looks directly at slavery and how it was portrayed during the war. Included are cartoons showing England trying to stay neutral so as not to appear to be supporting slavery, which it had already outlawed. England was forced to obtain cotton for its mills in Africa and other places with lesser quality cotton.
"An Old Story, Newly Applied" includes a series of cartoons depicting the upcoming 1864 election. Along with cartoons ridiculing Salmon P. Chase's efforts to insert himself into the race and depose Lincoln, there are several that show the tenuous position of General McClellan trying to ride both a war platform and a peace platform at the same time (e.g., legs spread between a black war horse and a white peace donkey, the latter of which also carried VP nominee and Copperhead leader Pendleton).
Chapter 6 is "A More Perfect Union?," with the question mark highlighted. Most of the cartoons depict the ending battles of the war, the conflicts between peace and war (e.g., a robust Lincoln greeting the timid, childlike, and ragged peace commissioners in 1865), and the capture of Jefferson Davis. Also critically included is the assassination of Lincoln and the aftermath. One poignant cartoon shows the British symbol Britannia laying wreaths on the dead president's chest as a crying Columbia (the personification of the Union) crouched in tears at his head.
Cartoons, which were mostly woodcuts in weekly or monthly newspapers, came from northern papers such as Currier & Ives, Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, Harper's Weekly, as well as foreign papers such as the famous Punch. Because of the lack of printing presses in the South (which usually lacked adequate supplies of ink and paper), southern viewpoints came primarily from copperhead papers in the North (as well as Britain's Punch). The one southern paper providing cartoons was the Southern Illustrated news, published weekly from September 1862 to March 1865. Cartoonists include Thomas Nast, Frank Henry Bellew, and Sir John Tenniel. Dr. Adalbert J. Volck, a Bavarian-born, Baltimore-residing dentist who, when he wasn't running medicines through the blockade or acting as a spy for Jefferson Davis, anonymously drew some of the most acidic denunciations of Abraham Lincoln under the name of "V. Blada."
Overall this is an intriguing book that provides much more insight than the focus on political cartoons might have suggested. It reads quickly, the descriptions are concise, and the value is considerable.
December 4, 2013
This is a great little book, full of wonderful cartoons from the Civil War era, with explanations about each cartoon on the page next to it. I learned so much from this book, but it was done in a way that was very easy to digest. It was interesting to see all sorts of viewpoints about Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, and many other people and facets of the war (even the European perspectives). Also, I enjoyed learning more about cartoon artists and publications of the time period. I've always enjoyed political cartoons, and this was a good book for me, since it taught me more about their history.
June 5, 2015
This was such a fun book to read! Each cartoon is accompanied by an explanation giving the relevant historical context. It's a great way to learn the general public perspectives and sentiments that were held throughout the war.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews