The Apple of Discord at the Geneva Tribunal.

This political cartoon uses the legend of William Tell to comment on the resolution of the Alabama Claims dispute between the United States and Great Britain. In the scene, an arrow labeled Peaceful Arbitration is shot from a bow marked Settlement, striking an apple labeled Alabama Claims balanced on Uncle Sam’s head. Onlookers watch in suspense as the cartoon plays out under the title “The Apple of Discord at the Geneva Tribunal.”

The Alabama Claims arose after the Civil War, when the United States demanded compensation for damages caused by Confederate warships built in British shipyards, including the infamous CSS Alabama. The U.S. argued that Britain's actions had violated its neutrality and prolonged the war.

Rather than allow the conflict to deepen, both nations agreed to resolve the issue through arbitration—an unusual and forward-thinking approach for the time. The Geneva Tribunal convened in 1871 and ruled in favor of the United States the following year. Britain agreed to pay $15.5 million in gold as compensation.

In the final panel, Uncle Sam holds the pierced apple in his hand as he exchanges a conciliatory kiss with the figure who fired the arrow. The moment reflects a peaceful resolution and mutual respect—marking the Alabama settlement as a diplomatic milestone rather than a cause for further conflict.