Browse Items (50 total)

The Trent, a British packet ship transporting to England two Confederate diplomats, James Mason and John Slidell, had left Havana, Cuba on November 7th, 1861. Captain Charles Wilkes of the USS San Jacinto became aware of the diplomats' movements and…

Providing a satirical take on the nature of the divide between North and South, theLondon-based Punch's take shows the traditional Yankee opposite a new female figure representing the Confederacy, each holding torn parts of the national map. In the…

Former President Fillmore's letter to the current executive reflects the growing view among prominent American politicians that war with Britain, increasingly probable as the Trent Affair continued, was undesriable and disadvantageuous to the…

In this letter, the Union agent - and friend to Secretary of State William Seward - informs the secretary of efforts made by the British government to strengthen the security of their Canadian territories. In response to the Trent Affair's escalation…

Despite some hopes that the announcement of the Lincoln Administrations plans on the matter of emancipation, international doubts over the Union position on slavery remained. This cartoon, a satirical take by Punch, highlights the view in Great…

The second of a pair of images printed by Harper's Weekly concerning the British response to the Morril Tariff's passage. This illustration reflects the aftermath of the Tariff, in which the economic interests of the United Kingdom have usurped the…

The first in a pair of images printed by Harper's Weekly shortly after the start of the Civil War, focusing on British responses to the recently passed Morrill Tariff. In a move unpopular with foreign industrial producers such as Britain, the U.S.…

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…

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…

This scene displayed in the Illustrated London News offers a more idyllic depiction of the nature of Southern society and issues of race. While not explicitly stated, this image may provide a window into the presence of slavery in the structure of…