The "Rail Splitter" at Work Repairing the Union

In this cartoon commentary on the end of the Civil War, Vice President Andrew Johnson sits atop a large globe displaying a map of the United States with a tear running down the middle. Using scissors and a needle and thread, Johnson attempts to stitch the map together. To the right, Abraham Lincoln uses a fence rail to stabilize the globe and offers words of encouragement to Johnson. On the ground to the left of the globe sits a ruler or gauge and a spool of thread. Lincoln was often referred to as "The Rail Splitter"; Johnson's nickname was "The Tennessee Tailor."