Browse Items (35 total)

British iconography for American culture and society evolved over the course of the early 19th century. Among them precursors to the popular icon of Uncle Sam, these figures also included 'Brother Jonathan.' Perceived American-belligerence during the…

While declaring itself neutral, and remaining that way for the duration of the war, some in the North believed that sympathies for the South permeated Britain's top levels of government. This image from Harper's Weekly uses the figure of John Bull in…

This document not only established Great Britain's stance concerning events in the brewing conflict between the North and South, but also recognized the belligerent status of the two combatants. In the aftermath of its release, the provisions of the…

This print, likely published in the first years of the war, conveys some of the fears Americans had concerning the sympathies and interests of Britain. Would the anti-slavery sympathies that had grown over the course of the 19th century falter in the…

This image depicts several figures, two of which, engaged in a fierce struggle, represent the American conflict. Encoiled by a serpent holding him back is a representative of the Union cause, dragged down by those in the North that called for peace…

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,…

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,…

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,…

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…

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…