Final answer:
The two sections represented by Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis in political cartoons are the North and the South during the Civil War, with Lincoln symbolizing the Union and Davis the Confederacy.
Step-by-step explanation:
The two sections of the United States represented by Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis in political cartoons can be understood as symbolizing the North and the South, respectively, during the time of the American Civil War. Abraham Lincoln, as the elected President of the United States, represented the Union, which was primarily composed of the northern states that opposed slavery and fought to preserve the United States as one nation. On the other hand, Jefferson Davis was the President of the Confederate States of America, representing the southern states that seceded from the Union primarily to preserve the institution of slavery.
Political cartoons of the era often depicted the stark divide between the North and the South, reflecting the intense political, social, and economic differences that led to the Civil War. Figures like Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis were commonly used as personifications of their respective sides. For example, a political cartoon from 1865 illustrates Lincoln and his vice president, Andrew Johnson, attempting to sew together the torn pieces of the Union, which provides insight into the challenges faced during the reconciliation period after the war.