'Letter from Charles Francis Adams to Richard Henry Dana, Jr., 6 February 1862'

'Letter from Charles Francis Adams to Richard Henry Dana, Jr., 6 February 1862'

A letter from American Minister to Britain, Charles Francis Adams, concerning British reactions to the course of the Trent Affair

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 a lasting American position that the actions of Captain Wilkes in the arrest of Confederate diplomats Mason and Slidell had been legally justified, and that the British position went against precedent. Minister Adams further notes British frustration with the positions of Republican Senator Charles Sumner, notable for his increasingly radical attitude towards the role of Britain during the war.

Charles Francis Adams, Sr., American Minister to the U.K.

Richard Henry Dana, Jr.; Dana family papers

Held and digitized in the library collections by the Massachusetts Historical Society Online Collections, http://www.masshist.org/database/viewer.php?item_id=2218

February 6, 1862

Transcribed by the Massachusetts Historical Society

Letter

English

Text

Letter