Browse Items (35 total)

In a circular sent to the ardent abolitionist, the Union and Emancipation Society's words reflect the general themes and platforms of such groups in the United Kingdom. Delivered late in the war, it conveys the growing hope of British reformers that…

James M. Mason played an important role for Confederate activity in the United Kingdom, organizing funds and the purchase of supplies and ships. Following his arrest and release as part of the Trent Affair of 1861, Mason began his work in London,…

Pursued by Union warships after its final cruises in the Far East, the Alabama is cornered in the French port of Cherbourg by the USS Kearsarge. Captain Raphael Semmes moves to damaged ship into a final engagement, where it soon sinks. The Deerhound,…

Following the diplomatic tensions caused by the Trent Affair in late 1861, American efforts in foreign policy concentrated on generating more amiable relations with nations interested in the effects of the Civil War. This direction pushed Secretary…

Accompanying the formal British response to the Trent Affair, which was edited and toned down by Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, Foreign Minister Earl Russell included additional instructions for Lord Lyons. Desiring an explanation from…

The son of President John Quincy Adams, Charles Francis Adams served as the primary Union diplomat in its interactions with Great Britain throughout the Civil War. A prominent statesman prior to the outbreak of war, Adams worked tirelessly to…

Thurlow Weed was one of several prominent Americans abroad in Europe during the American Civil War. Primarily operating in the area of London, Weed was effectively on an unofficial diplomatic mission. His work and connections in Great Britain enabled…

Thurlow Weed, a Republican politician, was operating in London throughout the Civil War, acting as an unofficial agent for the Lincoln administration's efforts to placate British opinion on the war. This letter to Sec. Seward, dated December 4, 1861,…

This scene presents the results of early attempts by the Confederate government, represented by CSA President Jefferson Davis, to attain greater European support. Depicted being addressed by Queen Victoria of Britain and Napoleon III of France,…

This print combines caricature with photography to express the artist's view of the events surrounding the Trent Affair. Here, the figures of Confederate diplomats James Murray Mason and John Slidell stand aboard a ship travelling to England. There,…