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.