Browse Items (50 total)

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…

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…

The captain of the San Jacinto was hailed as a hero across the Northern public, receiving praise from Congress and the Lincoln administration for his role in the capture of James Mason and John Slidell. However, with the onset of the Trent Affair in…

In response to the economic instability brought about by the American Civil War, affecting production and the consumption of goods and materials, John Bull (England) looks to other markets free of less shaken by an 'inconvenient' conflict. Economic…

The news of the Trent's stopping and the arrest of its Southern diplomatic passengers, James Mason and John Slidell, by the Union provoked confusion and anger among the British. The popular views of the incident considered the actions of Union…

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…

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…

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…

Weed's letter is written in the midst of an deteriorating diplomatic situation between the United States and the British Empire. Informing Secretary Seward of a meeting between himself and the British Foreign Minister, Earl Russell, Weed's account…

This letter from the Union agent addresses some of the concerns for the potential fallout of the Trent Affair in the case of further escalation. The threat of European intervention in the war, either militarily or as forceful mediators, amplified the…