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Written after the resolution of the Trent Affair controversy, this letter summarizes the American minister to Britain's perspective of the event. Noting the legal arguments surronding the case, particularly regarding the right of search. It reflects…

An 1863 outing of foreign ambassadors to the Union under Secretary of State William Seward, visiting New York's Trenton Falls; Secretary Seward stands at the far right, marked (1). The British Minister, Lord Lyons, sits in the middle with a white top…

Serving as Prime Minister, Lord Palmerston guided Britain through, or better put, around the affairs of the American Civil War. The leader of the nation most likely to intervene in the conflict, and at times Palmerston faced the temptation to do so.…

Maintaining different levels of power throughout his career in Parliament, including as Prime Minister, John Russell, the 1st Earl Russell, served as Foreign Minister in the Liberal government under Lord Palmerston during the late 1850s and early…

From his position as the British envoy to Washington D.C., Lord Lyons served as a vital avenue of communication between the U.S. and U.K. Often meeting with Secretary of State Seward to discuss matters lying between their respective nations, it was…

Secretary Seward was a driving force behind much of the North's international messaging over the course of the Civil War. Known as one of the most outspoken and active members of Lincoln's cabinet, Seward was a staunch Unionist who regularly…

Ewing's advice to the president echoes the general sentiment of Union diplomats following the controversy surrounding the response to the Trent in 1861. The issue of British shipyards constructing varied vessels for use in the South's navy quickly…

Part of a set of prints by Peter Kramer, these two images point to the interests of the European powers observing the conflict in America. The top image shows the figure of Queen Victoria, representing the British Empire, and the military threat…

Relating to the matter of British shipbuilding for the Confederate Navy, this letter from Governor Andrew to the president reflects American concerns of the persistence of this practice. Occuring even as news of the career of the raider Alabama's…

Union concerns over the building of ironclads in Britain for use in the Confederate navy led to increased pressure upon the British government to intervene and halt their construction. In this letter, acting Secretary of the Navy Gustavus Fox doubts…