Browse Items (50 total)

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 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…

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…

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…

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…

Secretary Seward was a driving force behind much of the North's international messaging over the course of the Civil War. Known as one of the most outspoken and active members of Lincoln's cabinet, Seward was a staunch Unionist who regularly…

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…

An agreement ending the non-violent territorial dispute known as the Aroostook War (1838-1839), between the U.S. and British North America, the provisions of the treaty covered issues beyond agreement on lands between U.S. state of Maine and…

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 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,…