The Last Rail Split by ‘Honest Old Abe’
Title: The Last Rail Split by ‘Honest Old Abe’
Year: 1860
Creator: Frank Maurer, Engraving, Momus
Description: The rail which Abraham Lincoln is splitting with a wedge is identified as the Democratic Party, which was actually in the process of splitting itself after multiple national conventions produced two presidential candidates – Kentuckian John Breckinridge and Illinoisan Stephen Douglas. The cartoon reflected the popular image of Mr. Lincoln as a railsplitter – skillfully created by the presentation of two rails at the Illinois Republican State Convention in early May.